The Problem with Perfectionism
Jersey City
September 6, 2024
Hi There!
I visited a community in Upstate New York last June. It was very pretty. In fact, it was picture perfect. But something felt off. The gardens were well-tended. It was beautiful and quiet. It should have evoked a sense of peace, but instead it felt weird. It was too perfect! There were no people around, which made it seem…not quite real.
I’ve often wished for the perfect something and you probably have too. The perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect life. But perfect isn’t real. And reaching for perfection is well – not perfect!
Aways needing to be perfect is bad for your nervous system. It increases stress which exacerbates your menopause symptoms.
Stress is not your friend. It can cause you to gain weight and intensify hot flashes. If you’ve been following me for awhile you’ve heard me talk about the 80% - 20% rule. This also applies to stress. We can’t avoid stress altogether, nor should we but…We need to try to keep our stress to no more than 20%.
It’s easy to fall into the perfectionist trap. After all, if you want something done right, do it yourself! Maybe it’s time to start delegating? Yes, it may take you longer to show someone how to do something than doing it yourself. But it will be worth it in the end. The learning curve isn’t necessarily long.
At this perimenopause and menopause stage of life we need to take the opportunity to not just ask for help but also be willing to receive help. This falls under the category of lifestyle medicine. Give it a try and call me in the morning. I guarantee
What are you willing to let go of at home or in the office? Let me know by replying to this email.
Be well,
Laura
Do you have a question for me? I’d love to hear from you. To submit just hit reply.
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And more...
There are some free things happening this month.
· I’m giving a free online class on reading nutrition food labels. It’s a short but thorough lesson on one of the easiest ways to take care of your health. It’s free but you need to register. Here’s the link. Please tell your friends.
· If you know any new moms who are not sure what they need to know about having a baby, be sure to tell them about “Nesting 101”. They’ll get to meet the team in our community that can make having a baby a lot easier. It’s another free event. This is the link.
· This week the weather has been perfect. I’ve got my energy back and am walking again. I’ve also added water aerobics to my workout schedule. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger😊