A Cure to Toxic Perfectionism

What is Toxic Perfectionism?

According to well-renowned Aerobic Instructor and more recently Happiness Coach, Movement Motivator, and creator of the Perfection Detox, Petra Kolber, perfectionism can create anxiety, decrease self-worth and confidence, drain our energy and enthusiasm, and ruin our lives.

However, perfectionism is not inherently evil!

Kolber created the Perfectionism Detox based on her own constant push for perfection to help herself and other individuals. The more Kolber learned, the harder she tried, and the more obsessed she became with perfection, she felt like she was simply “not good enough.”

Do these feelings sound familiar to you?

Through her experiences and realizations, she discovered “positive psychology” and created a new program called Moving to Happiness. This program’s focus is not to change our workouts, but to change why we workout. Weight loss and pant size are effective stepping stones for reaching our fitness goals, however we need to ‘dig deeper’ and ask ourselves why we want to exercise.

How will your workouts contribute to a healthy lifestyle change, and motivate you to stay consistent after you reach your weight loss goal?

The Perfection Detox helps individuals acquire more satisfaction and happiness from their lives – not create endless anxiety and diminished self-confidence.

For more information about the Petra Kolber’s Perfection Detox, listen to her TEDx Talk or podcast.

Petra Kolber’s Secrets of Happiness

On Social Media and Insecurities: Stop comparing your life, your personal journey, to everybody else’s “highlight reel.” Social media emphasizes the “good” in people’s lives and minimizes people’s struggles. Change how you read someone else’s post and think, “I am so happy for him/her” without comparing yourself to the person.

On Being Self-Critical: Achieve balance and be less harsh on yourself. Ask yourself, “Can I talk to myself as I would my favorite client (or co-worker)?”

On Competition and Judgment: Do not be quick to judge another person. Be more compassionate to other people. Try to join others in creating change because wonderful ideas “die in isolation and thrive in collaboration.”

On the Importance of Human Connection: We are wired to be around other people and within a community. While online communities are helpful, they can never replace face-to-face interaction.

On Giving Yourself a Break: Do your current workout and diet bring you joy? If yes, do not change a thing. However, if your diet is so restrictive and your workouts are so intense that you are constantly worrying about reaching your external goals (eg. “six-pack abs”, weight training “PR,” or “5-minute mile”), you are missing the point. Ease up on your workouts, indulge in a small treat once a week, and you will experience more joy and happiness in your life – and be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle change.

Reference

Halvorson, R. (2017). Petra Kolber’s Cure for Toxic Perfectionism. The Training Edge: The Latest for Fitness Professionals. doi: https://magazine.nasm.org/american-fitness-magazine/issues/american-fitness-magazine-spring-2017/petra-kolber-s-cure-for-toxic-perfectionismutm_campaign=nasmblog&utm_medium=content&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=curefortoxicperf