Consumption

Are you someone who puts a lot of pressure on yourself by having far too high expectations? Do you feel like you can never meet your own expectations? Do you set your expectations unrealistically high? Well, that means you can never be truly happy. Because that perfectionism prevents you from being happy, from enjoying yourself.

For the following reasons, you should let go of that perfectionism as soon as possible:

-it makes you unhappy. Be satisfied with how things are now instead of how they should be in your ideal world. Is your house not super neat? Then be satisfied that your children were able to keep themselves busy for a while and leave that beautiful Lego house in the middle of the living room. Be proud of it!

-it's bad for our health: in every relationship, problems sometimes arise that need to be addressed. Accept this and know that it's part of it. Couples who think they are 'soul mates' or say that they 'grow together' have a hard time accepting problems afterwards. So adopt a realistic attitude because this will help you deal with life's bumps and bruises. And know that during this period, every relationship will come under some pressure, that things will be a little different everywhere.

-it has a bad influence on your work. Research shows that perfectionists tend to procrastinate because they always want to adjust or improve things until they are completely satisfied with them (but they rarely are). In this way, perfectionism can lead to 'work addiction'. And so stress, overtiredness or even a burnout are never too far away.

-it affects our self-image and self-esteem. Perfectionists compare their bodies with the ideal bodies from books or films. This makes them disappointed with their own bodies. In books and fashion magazines you don't see people that are 'perfect'. But you certainly see them everywhere when you go outside. So don't be too strict about how you look.

Letting go of that perfectionism is a process, with trial and error. Keep doing your best, know that mistakes are part of everyday life, focus on the whole and not on details, accept the ups and downs in life with kindness, be aware of your qualities … Take steps in changing your thinking to a more ‘growth-oriented’ mindset.

(MH with Skwadra by Tagtik/Source: SeniorenNet/Illustration picture: Pixabay)