The dark heart of perfection

Recognising the multifaceted nature of perfectionism, and how to stop the relentless pursuit of it from trapping you in a self-judgemental state of stasis

Exhausted from always trying to do the ‘right’ thing? It could be ‘moral perfectionism’…

OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS, ELLE HAS CELEBRATED CREATIVITY OF ALL KINDS. HERE, A RANGE OF TODAY’S LEADING ARTISTS, WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS AND DIRECTORS SHARE THE RITUALS, ROUTINES AND REALITIES BEHIND THEIR GREATEST WORKS, FROM MIND-BLOWING EXCEL SHEETS TO THE MAGIC OF THE DARK ROOM

FOR AUTHOR KATE WESTON, BOTH STAYING IN HER HOUSE AND LEAVING IT BEGAN TO FEEL LIKE TORTURE. BUT FOR THE LONGEST TIME, SHE HAD NO IDEA IT WAS OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Notice how you put everyone else’s happiness above your own? It’s time to change the narrative, says psychotherapist Meg Josephson. Here, she identifies the six types of people pleasers – and how to break the cycle

Escaping the procrastination trap and living with a purpose