The Toxic Pursuit of Perfectionism

Georgie Dent on mental health, toxic thinking and her role at The Parenthood

To learn more about the political change that’s needed to support parents, the role that toxic thinking can play in our health and her recent book Breaking Badly, we invited Georgie Dent to join us for this live webinar.

During this event we talked about how you can use your voice to advocate for the change that’s needed, the difficulty of building bridges between work and family life and where you can learn more.

Georgie generously shared her story of breakdown and insights into the role that mental health plays in chronic conditions.

This is a must-watch for anyone who’s felt the pressure of perfectionism, teetered close to breakdown and felt like they had to juggle it all.

In this replay you’ll hear some background noise as our fabulous speakers juggle their own family life to spend time with us. It clears up quickly so bear with us and enjoy the insights that Phil and Georgie share!

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The quote Phil shares is from Brene Brown’s book The Gifts Of Imperfection:

“Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfectionism is the belief that we live perfect, look perfect and act perfect. That we can minimise or avoid pain or blame, judgement or shame. It’s a shield, it’s a 20-tonne shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us, when in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from flight.”

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About Georgie Dent

Georgie Dent is a journalist, author, former lawyer and prominent advocate for women’s empowerment, gender equality, families and mental health.

She is the executive director of The Parenthood, a not-for-profit advocacy organisation, and a contributing editor of Women’s Agenda.

Her best-selling memoir, Breaking Badly, described as ‘brutally honest and warmly engaging’, covers chronic illness, mental health, the toxic pursuit of perfectionism.