July 28
Check in
Why it’s okay not to be perfect
Many students, including myself, may feel pressure to get perfect grades, score perfectly on tests, while juggling extracurriculars. While it’s good to set goals for yourself, it’s okay if you don’t make them the first or the second or even at all.
Perfectionism is the state of being driven to making everything with no mistakes, achieving the highest scores possible, etc. This mindset is harmful to mental wellbeing because it makes everything about avoiding failure, when failure might not be so bad. Failures allow us to grow from our mistakes; perfectionism puts a strain on our wellbeing, creating added stress and pressure. Unrealistically high expectations might set yourself for disappointment which in turn may damage your view on yourself. In the end we are all human and it’s okay to make mistakes!
Here are your check in questions for today:
1. What is one situation that you avoid in fear of getting it wrong?
- one way to help your fear of getting it wrong is to acknowledge the effort and time you put into trying. Trying is what makes it worth it. You tried your best, and through that you can help yourself and others learn. And don't be afraid to ask for help if you're afraid of getting it wrong!
2. Ask: Am I being kind to myself? Am I giving myself space to make a mistake?
If not, remember that you deserve this to have room and that your effort is worth it :)
Activities
Why it’s okay not to be perfect
As mentioned before, flaws and mistakes help us develop perspective and experience. They teach us how to evaluate what went wrong and how we can improve. If everything was perfect all the time, one, we wouldn’t be happy putting that much stress on ourselves, and two, there would be little room to learn.
No one is perfect, something I can guarantee. While it may seem that way, remember that only you know how much you’ve worked for your goals. Watch this video by the School of Life to learn more about the Perfectionist Trap:
From “Why It’s Okay not to be Perfect”: “It’s not perfection that we should all strive for or wish for, instead we should be learning to use the word perseverance “ (Jenson).
Do something without worrying about making it perfect
Try:
reading! Even if you don’t finish the book, you’ll still have learned something or enjoyed it for the time being.
something creative. creative work doesn’t have to be perfect if you’re doing it just for fun. if you find yourself criticizing, pause and remind yourself it’s simply for fun :)
painting ideas for kids to try (can work for all ages too!)
a video to watch: What makes a poem a poem?
Resources
Being mindful all the time is hard. It’s hard for some to meditate every day or remind ourselves to be in the present moment. Mindfulness is not for everyone; you should choose the activities and check in questions on Decompress that work for you.
For those who’d like to continue with mindfulness practice, know that it is about practice not being perfect. It’s very difficult to be a master at it on the first or second try, like anything. It may take a while, and it may take some time to get the hang of it. But keep trying if you want to!