Women and Perfectionism: Being Brave Enough to Heal | Iona Holloway

There’s a haunting kind of loss when women live in a constant state of perfectionism. In this episode, bestselling author Iona Holloway shares her story, which is the story of many women today.

We discuss topics including women and perfectionism, the endless striving toward success, harmful habits, perfectionism and anxiety, and finding emotional resilience. Iona shares her journey of overcoming perfectionism as well as the bravery it took for her to truly face her emotions and find healing. 

Iona is the author of Ghost: Why Perfect Women Shrink. She’s the voice behind the Soul Breathwork app and founder of Brave Thing, where she helps strong women clear the emotional muck and glow again in their life and work.

Discussed in this episode:

• Iona’s experience with perfectionism, eating disorders, and depression
• What is perfectionism?
• The danger of “good vibes” all the time
• How to overcome perfectionism and start living life
• Common fears and setbacks around healing harmful behaviors 
• The importance of asking for help, and what to do if you don’t know where to start
• Noticing your body’s innate language
• Navigating triggers in the real world 

“When we talk about perfectionism, we often tie it to someone being ‘Type A’... We see perfectionism as having incredibly high standards or being high achieving. But perfectionism can manifest in lots of different ways. I view it as chronic safety seeking.” - Iona Holloway

Related to this episode:

• Get the book: Ghost - Why Perfect Women Shrink
• Iona’s Website: www.bravething.co
• Iona’s Breathwork App: Soul Breathwork App
• Ioana Secret Podcast: Goldmine
• Follow Ioana on Instagram: @ioanaholloway

• Resources and episodes on Mental Health

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