a short guide to noticing what’s already working: for high achievers who struggle to celebrate the small things.

Mindful Noticing for Your Emotions

If you're a high-achiever or consider yourself a perfectionist, you're likely so focused on chasing results and solving problems that you measure your worth entirely by what you accomplish. Because of this way of going through life, it becomes almost impossible to stop and celebrate when things go right.

This is for you if you check off every item on your list every day, yet you still feel like you haven’t done enough!

Having a gratitude practice is great, but when you pair it with witnessing, the simple act of naming and accepting your own experience, it can be a very impactful and practical tool to overcome perfectionism, because it allows you to acknowledge your successes, not just your perceived failures.

What "Witnessing" Really Does: Observing Your Emotions Creates Space

Perfectionism constantly trains your brain to look for what’s not enough yet. Witnessing and observing is how you can break this cycle. It creates a neutral, kind space where you can simply notice what you did, how you felt, and what you successfully navigated, without needing it to be “right” or “wrong”. Witnessing is something you practice internally, and over time, it builds up proof that you're competent, worthy, and good enough, even on days when the to-do list seems to be endless.

3 Daily Nourishments: The Habit of Mindful Reflection

A very simple daily practice that helps with this is what I call “three nourishing things.” At the end of your day, take a few minutes to write down three things that genuinely felt nourishing. These are not your accomplishments, instead, think of small, quiet moments that felt kind, soft, or supportive. Before you close your journal, read these three lines out loud.

Monthly Witnessing Session for Self-Care

Once a month, sit down with a cup of tea and take some time for a deeper check-in with yourself. Get your journal out, and take some deep breaths first.

Start with the prompt “This month, I noticed…” and just start writing, without the need for it to look perfect or make sense.
List three things you observed about your behavior towards yourself (can be actions or thoughts). These can be small things, habits, or emotions, and can include any difficult moments as well as how you handled them.
Write down one thing that you are really proud of in terms of how you improved your self-care and your glow this month. It really doesn’t matter how big or small it is!

Simple Meditation Exercises for High Achievers

Perfectionists often struggle with high levels of stress, and meditation is a great tool for reducing stress and anxiety, improving focus, and strengthening self-awareness. A regular meditation practice lowers stress hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) and helps you focus. It also helps us witness difficult situations, thoughts, or emotions from a neutral place, so we can better manage the pressure and take better decisions. If you want some relaxing meditation music in the background, here is a link to my Glow life Meditation playlist.

How to Quiet the Inner Judge and Build Self-Kindness

The things you say to yourself can often be really hurtful and mean, and we would never say these things to our best friends. One of my favorite Health Coaches, Melissa Ambrosini, calls this voice “the inner mean girl”. When that inner mean girl shows up, it's often just trying to keep you safe, but it can actually stop you from creating what you desire in your life. Instead of fighting it, you can simply acknowledge it and say: "Thank you, mean girl, for trying to protect me, I don’t need you right now.". Then remind yourself that you are enough already.

Why Emotional Awareness Is Key to Avoiding Burnout

Instead of focusing on what’s not working and to make sure you actually see how far you’ve come, witnessing and observing helps you connect with yourself on a daily basis. It helps you rewire your attention to the small (and big) steps that happen every day, and teaches you to speak to yourself more kindly. Letting go of all the pressure and high expectations you have of yourself, and learning to be more present and kind with yourself in your everyday life is the best burnout prevention there is.

If you’re ready to explore letting go of perfectionism and bringing more rest into your life, there are several ways we can work together. Click below to learn more:

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