Overcome Perfectionism Through Self-Compassion

4.8

10-Tage-Kurs

Overcome Perfectionism Through Self-Compassion

Von Tara Cousineau, PhD

Was du lernen wirst

Are you a perfectionist? Welcome to the club! The upside to perfectionism is that it’s how many of us get to where we are in life. The downside is the wealth of personal costs. This 10-day journey helps you reshape your relationship with perfectionism by asking: What’s the difference between perfectionism and striving for excellence? How much fear and anxiety is rooted in believing that you are never doing enough or not worthy enough? Each lesson explores a skill that can support you in understanding perfectionism with “kindsight.” Together, we will set the compass on a course of self-compassion—and what you will discover along the way may just surprise you.

Tara Cousineau, PhD

Boston, MA, USA

Tara Cousineau, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and meditation teacher. She's the author of "The Kindness Cure: How the Science of Compassion Can Heal Your Heart and Your World" and "The Little Deck of Kindfulness." Tara is a staff psychologist at Harvard University's Counseling and Mental Health Services. She is dedicated to helping others be...

Lektion 1

Healthy Vs. Unhealthy Perfectionism

In Lesson 1 we begin to understand our tricky brains and how our emotion motivation systems can cause inner conflicts—and how it’s not our fault. The human design is full of paradoxes! With the help of color coding our emotional responses, we can begin to observe why and when healthy striving might morph into unhealthy patterns, like perfectionism and self-criticism, and start to have more patience and understanding.

Lektion 2

Befriending The Inner Critic

In Lesson 2, we begin to cultivate emotional courage and turn toward what is difficult with compassion. The term “kindsight” is introduced with an invitation to take a peek at what you beat yourself up about. Through a reflection exercise you will undercover an inner critical voice, which is key in understanding how to have a different relationship with perfectionism.

Lektion 3

Cultivating A Compassionate Voice

In Lesson 3, we begin to cultivate a kind, wise and strong inner voice as an antidote to the harsher, self-critical voice. With insights from neuroscience, we begin to understand the negativity bias and how attention gets naturally hijacked by stressful experiences and threats, even those we imagine in our own minds.

Lektion 4

Failing Forward With Love

In Lesson 4, we take a good look at the continuum of perfectionism, from healthy striving to unhealthy achievement. Tips from positive psychology offer a refreshing lense on how we can progress toward life goals (or not) and the mindset shift we need to make to living a rewarding and meaningful life. This activity invites you to create power statements to begin to shift your inner narratives when challenges arise.

Lektion 5

Your Inner Safety-Net: Self-Compassion

Self-compassion can sound too soft for some. Yet the truth is that self-compassion is a powerful inner resource. In Lesson 5, we uncover the inherent strength in cultivating inner compassion. We also look at our resistance to it through the practice of “kindfulness.”

Lektion 6

Befriending The Body

If you have perfectionistic tendencies you likely carry tension or pain in your body. You may even have hang-ups about your physical appearance. Plus, your speedy mind is constantly assessing and evaluating your place in the outside world, and it’s easy to ignore the emotions or sensations on the inside—until the body speaks up. Lesson 6 offers a visualization in finding relief and acceptance through kind attention to your body.

Lektion 7

Creating A Positivity Bias

Lesson 7 addresses the question of “How do you grow inner strengths?” Cultivating self-compassion and other inner resources allows us to take in the goodness in life and recognize the goodness in ourselves. But often there is resistance or we forget the pleasant moments. Today’s positive neuroplasticity practice helps you notice what’s beneficial in your life and thereby neutralize the negativity bias.

Lektion 8

Kindsight And Creating Upward Spirals

Lesson 8 explores the notion of kindsight, which arises when you experience moments that change how you look at the world, how you see the past, and how you imagine the future from an attitude of resilience. In this way, journaling gives structure and meaning to life’s experiences. Writing can also have positive effects on overall wellbeing. The activity involves writing a special type of letter and it may just surprise you when you read it.

Lektion 9

Course Correcting With Core Values

Lesson 9 reveals how a compassion-oriented approach allows you to see the difference between compassionate self-improvement and fear-based self-criticism. By seeing your life as a journey and creating a mental map, you have a choice about which roads you can travel to pursue your dreams, desires and goals. Core values are the keys to your map and help you stay the course.

Lektion 10

Your Heart’s Compass

This final lesson offers a compassionate visualization helping you to integrate the teaching in this course, savor your progress, open your heart, and immerse yourself in loving awareness. Let your inner wise voice offer words of encouragement and care as you continue to practice self-compassion in your daily life, which will serve as an antidote to moments of self-judgment.

Neueste Bewertungen

4.76

639

Nikolai

October 9, 2024

Blew my expectations out of the water. Truly loved it!

Emma

October 9, 2023

So informative, inspirational and real. I certainly gained new tools to deal with perfectionism and the inner-critic. Thanks for this beautiful offering 🙏🏼❤️

Tracy-Michelle

September 7, 2023

Beautiful course 🙏

Noora

August 27, 2023

This course was rich with different perspectives of beating perfectionism. Lots to take in, in a good way. Thank you!

Winnie

June 28, 2023

I think this course will be life-changing for me. I plan to revisit. I agree with the others commenting on the pace of the lovely speech, though. It's very fast. I wish I could listen at 85% speed. Thank you so much for this offering. I won't spoil the last couple of minutes, but they are repeating in my head. Very touching.

Aviad

January 30, 2023

A helpful course given in a friendly and warm manner.

Asa

November 5, 2021

Rarely do I take a course that I get as much out of it the first time as I did this one. This course opened up my eyes to look at a way of being that I chose 50 years ago that doesn’t serve me well. By lesson 4, I was seeing things differently and giving myself compassion that enlivened my being. All of this without fully doing the exercises...

Jamie

September 26, 2021

Great course with practical and helpful tools to tame the inner critic and live from a place of gentleness, kindness and compassion. Thank you, Tara, for your clear and soft guidance and sharing your own stories of perfectionism. I'm grateful to have found this course and can already feel a profound shift in my inner life. Deep bows. 🙏

Timo

July 5, 2021

Such a nice course! Thank you very much :) I really liked the techniques. And the singing at the end of the last day was so perfect for ending this course!!

Franklin

April 30, 2021

This course was a ray of light in my dark tunnel. My perfectionism had blinded me from seeing the sun on the other side of the clouds. I now have a glimpse at hope.

Dawn

March 18, 2021

That was a very lovely course. It wasn’t what I was expecting and really hit home with me. I’m so glad I took the course and I really got a lot out of it. I plan to nurture the compassionate inside voice from now on. Thanks a lot 😊

Jen

February 12, 2021

Lovely, practical, and hoped course. Thanks so much! I love the story of you finding your voice again, and sharing that voice - perfectly imperfect and true - at the nursing home. 💚👏🏻🥰

Nikki

January 8, 2021

Thank you. I have much work ahead to create new pathways of belief in self worth, but I am hopeful and willing to keep moving forward, honoring yet relieving my inner critic of her perceived duties

Molly

December 2, 2020

So lovely and so useful in my life.

Kelsey

November 23, 2020

Thank you so much!! Verying calming and rewarding meditation.

Nicole

October 8, 2020

Awesome lessons and kind pacing

September 17, 2020

Tara’s kindful approach shed new light onto how I see the perfectionist aspects of myself. It’s the beginning of a positive change led by love. Highly recommended - thank you so much Tara 🙏🏼

Ryan

August 14, 2020

Thanks so much! I learned a lot and will carry your techniques with me always as I definitely noticed increased awareness generated daily in terms of noticing to offer myself compassion and kindsight

Cristina

August 7, 2020

A warm breeze of kindfulness and compassion. Classes of 15 minutes. I feel like listening this course again right away.

Christy

August 4, 2020

This course helped me to recognize that the inner-critic is a protection mechanism, and that I can meet it with a gentle response and use self-compassion instead of letting the critic have control. I appreciated the instructor's professional and personal input and her kind, soothing voice.