This is probably the number one cause of stress. It can be addicting and it is paralyzing. Nursing school really seemed to bring this to the forefront with many of my fellow classmates. My goal for nursing school was to graduate while learning, understanding, and eventually sustaining the beneficial nursing experiences and knowledge that I found useful and necessary for this profession. Grades were not a part of my agenda. I needed to attain certain grades and maintain that level, but at the same time, I did not need to attain another set of grades, a set that could never be maintained in a healthy manner.
Straight A’s was the only way for some people and they would stress out until they got them. This consisted of stressing out before the test, after taking the test, and then again when the grades were finally released, and then the cycle repeated as it would forever. Not many people got them, so these individuals were left stressing out their A minuses. Unless you can be happy with what you have and what you have achieved, you will never be happy. So stop pushing yourself too far and began to finally accept yourself. It is okay to not be perfect and it is okay to fail, but it is not okay to turn accomplishments and life’s rewards into failures.
My lifestyle is about finding a better set of combinations that will culminate into me living much longer than anyone ever has. There is no perfect diet, exercise, religion, or lifestyle. There is only our environment and all that it provides us. I seek to live longer, but I will never seek to be perfect. I will only seek to be better and in doing so, I will not begrudge myself but rather learn and enjoy the experiences along the way. We are all on a journey and only you can decide where you are going. Be wise and eliminate this inessential roadblock in your life.
Are you a perfectionist?
Do you feel like you are never doing enough?
Do you feel like it could have been better? Why do you feel this way? What has triggered these feelings?
