Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Worry Less and Enjoy Life More
by Alice D. Domar Ph.D., Alice Lesch Kelly
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alice D. Domar Ph.D., Alice Lesch KellyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-03-24
ISBN: 0307354881
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Book Reviews of Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Worry Less and Enjoy Life More
Book Review: There's No Such Thing as Perfect
Summary: 5 Stars
Have you ever read a book and thought "They have totally got my number!" ? Well, this book is painfully accurate about my life.
Co-written with a psychologist, this book starts out by addressing the social influences and pressures, especially on women beginning in the 1940's, to have everything perfect. It points out that media and consumer culture (especially the culture of Martha and Rachaele Ray) exists purely to sell us an image that is basically unachievable (unless you also have scores of makeup artists, set dressers, cooks, etc. helping you) and in turn sell us things to make us feel more successful.
Once the societal pressures are covered in the first few chapters, the following couple of chapters help identify whether you are a perfectionist, or essentially discover whether you're letting perfectionism affect your life and create anxiety and depression. (Here I check a big box for YES and ALSO YES)
After that, it introduces coping mechanisms, exercises, and a chapter-by-chapter examination of how perfectionism can play out in careers, scheduling, decisions, and relationships. I hate to use the term "eye-opening" but it really was.
One of the best takeaways from this book is the point that everyone should be mindful of their priorities when making decisions. When you are saying "yes" to one thing and agreeing to spend your time on it, you are saying "no" to spending your time on something else. And if the thing you're saying "no" to is more important to you, you need to spend more time making decisions to be able to really follow what you want. This may include turning down things that sound fun, or just essentially developing the habit of telling people that "you'll get back to them" in order to give yourself time to ruminate. As someone who perpetually overextended herself, I find this incredibly important in re-evaluating how I make decisions.
If you find yourself continually stressed about issues like housework and whether you're doing enough for your friends, then it would probably be a good idea to check out this book.
Summary of Be Happy Without Being Perfect: How to Worry Less and Enjoy Life More
Do you have trouble going to bed at night when there?s a mess in the kitchen? Do you think you would be happier if only you could lose weight, be a better parent, work smarter, reduce stress, exercise more, and make better decisions?You?re not perfect. But guess what? You don?t have to be.
All of us struggle with high expectations from time to time. But for many women, the worries can become debilitating?and often, we don?t even know we?re letting unrealistic expectations color our thinking. The good news is, we have the power to break free from the perfectionist trap?and internationally renowned health psychologist, Dr. Alice Domar can show you how.
Be Happy Without Being Perfect offers a way out of the self-imposed handcuffs that this thinking brings, providing concrete solutions, practical advice, and action plans that teach you how to:
? Assess your tendency toward perfectionism in all areas of your life
? Set realistic goals
? Alleviate the guilt and shame that perfectionism can trigger
? Manage your anxiety with clinically proven self-care strategies
? Get rid of the unrealistic and damaging expectations that are hurting you?for good!
Filled with the personal insights of more than fifty women, Be Happy Without Being Perfect is your key to a happier, calmer, and more enjoyable life.
From the Hardcover edition.
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