A patient who couldn't stop thinking about all the things they could be doing better. They had a hard time relaxing and enjoyed making lists of tasks to complete.
Therapist's Notes: The patient's constant overthinking was causing them to become overwhelmed and anxious. I had them create a 'Stop Thinking' jar where they had to write down every time they caught themselves overthinking and put the paper in the jar. Each time they filled a page, they had to do something fun to take their mind off things. It was surprisingly effective!
A patient who constantly put off tasks until the last minute, causing them to be perpetually late and stressed.
Therapist's Notes: I used the '5-second rule' with this patient - every time they wanted to procrastinate, they had to do something for 5 seconds before giving up on the task. It sounds simple, but it worked like a charm!
A patient who had a hard time accepting anything less than perfect. They would often get stuck in an infinite loop of 'just one more edit'.
Therapist's Notes: I had them create a 'Good Enough' jar and every time they did something 'good enough', they got a point. It was a fun way to break the cycle of perfectionism and find contentment.