The deep, dark abyss that is finals week looms ominously in the distance.
The lackadaisical among us may hide in warm beds, watching re-runs of “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila“, munching on snacks bought up with excess end-of-the-semester Dining Dollars, while others move into Van Pelt, hibernating in study cubicles, feverishly copying notes and creating outlines.
What to do when those grades don’t turn out as expected? Well, an article published yesterday in The New York Times calls this type of obsession over perfectionism self-destructive and potentially damaging to mental health.
The article states new studies “suggest that perfectionism is a valuable lens through which to understand a variety of seemingly unrelated mental difficulties, from depression to compulsive behavior to addiction.” Oops. So I guess meticulously organizing my flashcards in both chronological and alphabetical order, color coded and labeled, might be an indication that something else is, say … off?
If you find yourself moving a little too far in the Howard Hughes direction (think Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Aviator”), the article offers some valuable advice, which might also serve in explaining less than stellar performances to the parental units:
The British have a saying that encourages people to show their skills while mocking the universal fear of failure: Do your worst.
If you can’t tolerate your worst, at least once in a while, how true to yourself can you be?
Just a little something to tell the parents when you bring home those C’s … “Hey Mom, I was just being true to myself! Don’t ya know — perfectionists are at high risk for eating disorders, OCD and depression … you don’t want me to end up like that girl in “The Other Sister,” do you??”
Tags: Final Exams, Perfectionism
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