Job applications are serious stress, but it sounds like you know what you want and are going after it. Perfectionism sucks to deal with because it does cause stress, but it probably helps make you awesome at your work. Just have to find the balance. Good luck!

No problem Mid! :) Hooray for sharing idea. Thanks for the well wishes :)

Phoebe - Oooof I am, then I get lazy, I don't know. And boooo job stress. Being creative is hard. Yep I'm squashing them. Motivational quotes, reminders that failure is not actually failure, but feedback on my path to success. Over and over I keep trying to drum this into myself. If you need any quotes in the new year, just ask me!

Ughhh two minor (but very irritating indeed) disasters this morning completely set me off track. And I pulled, 10-15 hairs. Oh my, I feel yucky seeing that. Ah well, on and on we go. Barriers on now, I feel safe again.

Manda, thanks for that very nice comment :)

Stay strong, stay strong, you can do this...keep them hands moving in other directions!!!

Hugs!

Yep yep thanks!

:-) @ mideye. Good one.

Keep on, C. You have the spirit. BTW, I am still loving that app. It is terrific to see 4 green bars in a row for my PF. Flossing isn't looking so good, though.

"reminders that failure is not actually failure, but feedback on my path to success. Over and over I keep trying to drum this into myself"

This way of thinking is really good, so keep doing this :)

If you´r not afraid of failure, you will feel much better with yourself, wich leads to less stress and anxiety, and probably also less pulling.

And when you´r not afraid of failure, you will not give up and try until you succeed. So you will reach success faster with this way of thinking :)

One thing that works for me is to really try to focus on one little thing at a time :) Trying to block out Everything that needs to be done, and do one thing at a time, systematic instead of fast and stressful.

Why hello mrmusic! Long time! Thanks so much for your input and advice, it's great. So true about doing one thing at a time.

Ughh I spree'd on the weekend. Can this be a verb now? in particular yesterday, I have one hot spot at the moment thats very powerful. I pulled 2 upon waking this morning. Since then I've washed my hair this morning, and have exercised. Barriers will go on soon. I'm seeing a pattern of binging on the weekend, oof.

Ugh apparently that hot spot on the top-back of my head won't piss off until I pull all the hair from it. I checked with a mirror, and it's quite bald. Rather small. But it wants to grow. MUST RESIST. Arrrrrgh! So weird, I don't typically get hot spots like this.. Super typically I mean.

One good thing about whatever system you choose to track PF progress is the ability to notice patterns. Being aware that weekends are a time you are likely to pull can help make you more vigilant.

The hot spot feeling will pass...use those barriers and distract yourself as best you can. During super strong urges, exercise is the best distraction for me - the more intense, the better. Stay strong!

Zap it. Zap it with a ray gun, with a bug zapper. Close your eyes, focus on that spot, numb it with Novocain, send in a very tiny dust storm, cauterize it, freeze it in dry ice. It will shrivel up. Then, distract yourself, but make sure your barriers are in place. Roaaaaarrrrrrrr!!!!

Oops didn't see your previous comment Phoebe. See I've got lots of green bars for flossing but not many for pf days! Thanks so much for your latest comment. I am doing my best to zap it. I also just put some ice on it. And am going for a walk now.

Manda - yes awareness is just the most important thing. Yep it'll pass, it'll pass, it'll pass.

Hehe roaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr indeed!

I love Phoebe's zapper...I used hot sauce on the hot spot on my scalp...picture a monkey wiggling frantically waving their arms all around and finally falling to the ground exhausted...but, it worked, ..., so roar your way through!

Best wishes, and hugs!

hahahahaaa i love that! glad it worked for you :)