1. Realistic thinking
Because adults with perfectionism are often very critical of themselves, one of the most effective ways to overcome perfectionism is to replace self-critical or perfectionistic thoughts with more realistic and helpful statements. It is a good idea to practice these helpful statements regularly. Even if you do not believe them right away, enough repetition will turn positive realistic thoughts into a habit, and help crowd out the negative self-talk. Some examples of positive realistic statements
a. “Nobody is perfect!”
b. “All I can do is my best!”
c.“Making a mistake does not mean I’m stupid or a failure. It only means that I am like everyone else – human. Everyone makes mistakes!”
d. “It’s okay not to be pleasant all the time. Everyone has a bad day sometime.”
e. “It’s okay if some people don’t like me. No one is liked by everyone!”
