When you believe that you should always be on time or that you should never make mistakes, your anxious mind makes things worse. “Shoulds” are the ultimate pattern of inflexible thinking. Furthermore, since “shoulds” are absolute rules rules that apply to everyone, including you, at all times when you break the rule, you might see yourself as bad or wrong. When you break “shoulds,” you might feel intensely ashamed and guilty about things that other people are able to shrug off.

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