"Perfectionist thinning patterns create stress, which in turn wreaks havoc on the body as well as on the mind," say psychologists J. Clayton Lafferty and Lorraine Coletti-Lafferty. Perfectionists were found to have 75% greater tendency to suffer from a variety of ailments from headaches, to depression to heart problems.When you are more realistic about your expectations you will also reduce your stress. Another benefit of having realistic expectations is to lessen the amount of disappointment in general.
Please know, I'm all for high standards! But we must also keep our perspectives real and then we are free to accept the gift of each moment and be surprised when things turn out better than we thought they might.
I am experiencing it firsthand in our blended family. When I let go of the idea of a 'perfect' holiday or family outing I am free to enjoy the actual experience. The times I idealize or try to manipulate our time together, I end up disappointed, frustrated and stressed trying to keep things on my script.
Do you place unrealistic expectations on yourself or your family? What are the results? Have you tried lowering your standards/expectations? When do you find you receive the most joy?
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