There is nothing wrong with striving for excellence, but perfectionism makes you a slave to success.  No matter how well a situation turns out, it is hard to embrace and enjoy the outcome because your mind finds some way that it is not perfect. 

Perfectionism is not really about doing something perfectly.  It is about the feelings of self-worth you are striving for with a flawless performance.  And yet, the standard of perfection that you carry around inside you keeps you from feeling any sense of accomplishment. 

Instead of anxiety being a normal and natural part of your life, you start to get anxious about being anxious.

One of the ways people try to deal with anxiety is to control it.

Most people see worry and anxiety as the same thing, but there are some subtle differences.  Knowing these differences is helpful. 

When these two normal tendencies—anxiety and concern for what others think of you—get out of hand, you can suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD).

Research shows that rituals can be useful for soothing anxiety. That’s important because stress and anxiety can feel uncomfortable and hamper your performance.

One of the best things you can to manage your anxiety is to focus on your breathing. There are good reasons that breathing techniques help with anxiety.

It is not unusual, at times, to feel uncomfortable or self-conscious in social settings. There are some people who are naturally shy and reserved. Social anxiety goes beyond both of these. 

Worry and anxiety are a normal part of life. They have some similarities, but they are different emotional states. You can think of worry and anxiety as opposite ends of a spectrum.

Anger is a power emotion. When it shows up, it feels intense. You can feel it in your body, along with the racing thoughts.