“You are NOT Perfect and that is Perfectly Fine” Reaching your Optimal Physical and Mental Health
While I was traveling and visiting family in Johannesburg,South Africa this past week, I walked in to a tea garden and saw a quote on thewall that said, “You are NOT Perfect andthat is Perfectly Fine.”As a Dietitianthat works with eating disorders, a professional ballroom dancer, and someonewho tends to get caught up in seeking perfection throughout my own life, thistruly resonated with me. My first thought was, “I need this hanging up in my office,”so I bought it; and my second thought was, how hard is this concept to trulybelieve and accept for so many individuals, but crucial in finding properbalance, health, happiness, and success in multiple aspects in your life? Throughout this blog post, I am going to discussthe balance between achieving optimal physical and mental health in optimalaspects of life without the over focus on achieving perfection.
- Nutrition- When focusing on nutrition, itis easy to get caught up on following a “diet” or eating plan perfectly, only eatingthe healthiest foods, in the right portions at the right times or otherwise youare “going to get fat,” “going to feel guilty,” or “are not going to be ashealthy as possible.” The risks of thismindset are severe and can result in disrupted social interactions around food,malnutrition, decreased energy, decreased self esteem, and many other negativedetriments. This being said, I believe making overall conscious healthydecisions is important in being healthy, but there needs to be balance andmoderation. If you can ensure you are eating a balance of different food groups,including variety in your eating, and are timing your meals in a fashion thatkeeps your metabolism efficient and your energy at it’s best (allowing room forless healthy choices and variance in times to adapt to the flow of life) youwill be more able to reach your optimal nutritional health without the negativedetriments of achieving perfection.
- Physical Activity/Sports- While ensuringyou include physical activity in your life consistently is an important part ofmaintaining optimal health, for some it can become obsessive or overdone to apoint that leads to injury and/or body dysmorphia, and eventually decreasedperformance if you don’t know how to find the balance between successfultraining/exercise and rest/re-cooperation. Whether you are following a workoutroutine to stay in shape and healthy or you are training for a sport, having aroutine and maintain motivation is important in achieving success. As aprofessional dancer, I have a consistent workout schedule to stay in optimal shape,have set and focused practice times working on reaching a high technical levelwhile also allowing myself to diverge from a pure focus on always doing everythingperfect, but explore the benefits of committing to actions and movements andtrying new things that may not be perfect, but can lead to improved artisticelements, genuine movement, and can even eventually lead to improved techniqueand performance. It can be difficultwhen training to allow yourself to take a break sometimes whether for the sakeof rest, recovery, or even spending time with loved ones especially with theconcern of “getting out of shape or not putting in as much work as the personyou are competing against.” It is important to remember that you can take thesemoments to rest or spend time with loved ones, allow for the flow of life oncein awhile as this generally allows you to continue successfully working out atyour best, training at your best, and performing at your best without losing tomotivation.
- Body Image- There will always besomething that is not your favorite feature or you want to change about your body.Whether you want to be skinnier, more muscular, taller, shorter, have prettierhair, nicer skin, etc. there is always something that “could be better.” It isokay to eat a bit healthier, exercise, try different looks, etc. It isimportant to appreciate and love yourself at every stage/look/weight you are atbecause there will never be a “perfect.” Keeping in mind that loving your bodyand being healthy mentally and physically is more important than always beingand looking perfect. It is also important to remember that everyone is builtdifferently and you should strive to be your best you, not your best someoneelse.
- Emotional Health- Everyone has differentways of handling emotions, different tendencies and hormone balances when itcomes to mood, and handle positive and negative situations differently. Havingoptimal coping tools such a meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness, reading,walking, etc. for less optimal situations is helpful in avoiding behaviors suchas binge eating, smoking, or other less healthful behaviors. It is okay to notalways be the happiest or most stoic person in every situations, but it is importantto allow yourself the opportunity to process any difficult emotions you mayfeel so you can feel your best more often then not. If this is a difficult area for you, it isokay to work with a therapist to help yourself manage your emotions in ahealthy way and find healthy coping tools to minimize less optimal situationsso you don’t always have to always bethe perfect emotional specimen externally while struggling internally.
These different areas that people maystruggle with striving for perfection are not comprehensive, but do demonstratemany of the areas where striving for perfection can actually damage yourphysical and mental health. I really wanted to point these areas out as I findit important to be aware if this is a struggle that you have and ensure youfind your balance in being your best you while realizing you don’t always haveto perfect. If this is a struggle for you, don’t hesitate to reach out forsupport from loved ones or, if necessary, working with a professional such as aRegistered Dieititian, therapists or even a psychiatrist- it won’t make you anyless of a person, but may even help you become your best you!
I hope you enjoyed this blog postand would love to hear any thoughts or feedback you may have!
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Wishing you optimal health and self love,
-Ricci-Lee Hotz, MS, RDN
Denver’s Dancing Dietitian
A Taste of Health, LLC
“Improving Quality of life one bite at a time”