To be or not to be………..perfect?
The idea of perfection is all around us. We have magazines airbrushing models to make them look flawless and “perfect”. Plastic surgery now gives way to people obtaining the “perfect” body. And perfection is not played out at a physical level…….people in the public eye….there is an expectation for them to be perfect in their craft too.
Perfectionism is an extremely common characteristic amongst people who suffer from anxiety. Why? Because expecting perfection from or for yourself really can help to crank up the fear of failure, limits learning experiences and increases anxiety as people reach for and worry about attaining impossible expectations.
So where does the idea of perfectionisim come from? Well it can sometimes be positively reinforced by teachers, parents and employers. This can result in feelings of low achievement and inferiority when expectations are not met. Perfectionism is usually driven by a fear of negative possibilities which directly feeds anxiety and often leads to depression.
Speak the following thoughts out loud, as if you’ve already adopted the new attitudes.
It is OK to make mistakes. I am now a non-perfectionist.
• Being a non-perfectionist enables me to do more, create more, and experience more.
• I do not try to perform perfectly or appear perfect. It just increases my anxiety.
• It is not necessary to do things perfectly. I do not care if I am judged.
• I relinquish my desire to appear perfect to others.
• I reject images of happiness and perfection portrayed by television.
• My family does not need to be perfect. My life does not need to be perfect.
• It is not important that my social interactions or social events go perfectly.
• I do not need to be perfect. My interactions with others do not need to be perfect.
• My mistakes and imperfections make me human. I prefer to be human.
• I put my best forward when interacting with others, but I do not need to be perfect.
• My social events do not need to be perfect. It’s the people and interactions that I value.
• I do not expect friends to be perfect. I appreciate their humanness.
• I let go of my desire for a perfect life, perfect events, or perfect interactions.
• I love and appreciate my imperfect life, imperfect events, and imperfect interactions.
• I love being an imperfect person. I love being a real and genuine person.
• I relieve anxiety and depression by embracing imperfection.
I came across an interesting blog about perfectionism and you can read it here. You can also learn more about “being perfect” by attending therapy sessions. So if you suffer from anxiety and you can relate to what you have read here, please get in touch.