Being A Perfectionist | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

If You're A Perfectionist, There's Something You Need To Know

It's okay to not be perfect — that's not the point of life.

209
www.pexels.com
NBC

If you're anything like me, you are constantly battling anxiety, depression, and that little voice inside your head that says "You're not good enough."

The voice is so loud that you can't help but listen and believe what it's telling you. You have trouble falling asleep at night because your mind replays all of the mistakes that you've made.

Sometimes you don't want to get out of bed the next day. Making mistakes is inevitable, but do you really want to deal with the disappointment all over again?

Just a few examples of common struggles that can feel like an earth-shattering nightmare to someone with anxiety:

My crush rejected me and is dating someone else.

Every month, it's harder to scrape by and pay rent.

This whole adult thing is a lot harder than I thought it would be.

Life can be rough, and a lot of things happen that you will never be able to control.

But you can control how you react.

This summer has been up and down for me. I've been dealing with grief from losing my dad, trying to process that I'm five years away from 30, and mentally preparing myself for my final year of college.

The past few months have been a whirlwind of emotion and (in)action; I've gone from writing and watching my life fall apart in a matter of weeks, to crying and staying in bed and not writing, not moving, to finally trying and put myself back together.

I'm super critical of myself, whether it be my body, the art I create, my accomplishments, or anything else. Chances are that if you're reading this, you are overly critical of yourself, too.

Here's a word of advice.

Chill out.

Seriously, I have to tell myself to chill multiple times a day. Next time you're getting carried away obsessing over the *perfect* headline for your next article, picking the best Night Out Outfit, or having an existential crisis because you're comparing yourself to all of your peers, do this. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and tell yourself that you are enough.

There are a lot of ways to waste time and energy: binge "KUWTK" for six hours straight, drive to Target just to find out that they're out of stock of your favorite Greek yogurt or put pineapple on your pizza. Some of these things are good, some are bad, but the worst waste of your time is worrying.

Life is for the living. So, get out there and live! Don't worry about not being good enough. As long as you wake up every day and try, you're being brave, and that's beautiful.

I'm thankful for my health and grateful to be here on this Earth with people I love and adore. Think about everything that you're grateful for and let that ground you in your moments of panic or indecision.

Sit back, relax, and let go.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl with a hat

This is for the girls who have dealt with an emotionally, mentally, physically or verbally abusive father.

The ones who have grown up with a false lens of what love is and how relationships should be. The ones who have cried themselves to sleep wondering why he hurts you and your family so much. This is for all the girls who fall in love with broken boys that carry baggage bigger than their own, thinking it's their job to heal them because you watched your mother do the same.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf Quote
"DESTINY IS FOR LOSERS. IT'S JUST A STUPID EXCUSE TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM HAPPEN." - BLAIR WALDORF.

The world stopped in 2012 when our beloved show "Gossip Girl" ended. For six straight years, we would all tune in every Monday at 9:00 p.m. to see Upper Eastside royalty in the form of a Burberry headband clad Blair Waldorf. Blair was the big sister that we all loved to hate. How could we ever forget the epic showdowns between her and her frenemy Serena Van Der Woodsen? Or the time she banished Georgina Sparks to a Christian summer camp? How about that time when she and her girls took down Bart Bass? Blair is life. She's taught us how to dress, how to be ambitious, and most importantly, how to throw the perfect shade.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

11 Moments Every College Freshman Has Experienced

Because we made it, and because high school seniors deserve to know what they're getting themselves into

252
too tired to care

We've all been there. From move-in day to the first finals week in college, your first term is an adventure from start to finish. In honor of college decisions coming out recently, I want to recap some of the most common experiences college freshmen experience.

1. The awkward hellos on move-in day.

You're moving your stuff onto your floor, and you will encounter people you don't know yet in the hallway. They live on your floor, so you'll awkwardly smile and maybe introduce yourself. As you walk away, you will wonder if they will ever speak to you again, but don't worry, there's a good chance that you will make some great friends on your floor!

Keep Reading...Show less
laptop
Unsplash

The college years are a time for personal growth and success. Everyone comes in with expectations about how their life is supposed to turn out and envision the future. We all freak out when things don't go exactly as planned or when our expectations are unmet. As time goes on, we realize that the uncertainty of college is what makes it great. Here are some helpful reminders about life in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Lessons I Learned My Freshman Year

The first year of college opens your eyes to so many new experiences.

27
johnson hall
Samantha Sigsworth

Recently I completed my freshman year of college, and boy, what an experience. It was a completely new learning environment and I can't believe how much I learned. In an effort to save time, here are the ten biggest lessons I learned from my first year of college.

1. Everyone is in the same boat

For me, the scariest part of starting school was that I was alone, that I wouldn't be able to make any friends and that I would stick out. Despite being told time and time again that everyone had these same feelings, it didn't really click until the first day when I saw all the other freshman looking as uneasy and uncomfortable as me. Therefore, I cannot stress this enough, everyone is feeling as nervous as you.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments