Pressure to be Perfect

“Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure, it’s because you’ve started to think of failure.”  – Tommy Lasorda

For years, everytime I would go for a check-up at the Doctor’s they would say, “Your blood pressure is a “bit high” and often suggested that I take medication for it, which I resisted each time.  I would remind them that I was not overweight, that my diet is healthy, and I practice yoga and meditation and yet, I did not have normal blood pressure.

How scared are we of failing? Of not living up to the perfect image that we have created in our mind and believe others demand from us?

The word “pressure” conjures up all sorts of images and it usually stems from an illusion or belief in our mind that we need to live up to.  For years I worried about my body image or what others were thinking of me in every area of my life.   This can create great pressure and stress in our mind and our body and cause physical symptoms to manifest.

A research by Dr Molnar suggests socially prescribed perfectionists suffer more physically and can lead to many diseases because of the stress we put ourselves under and others to do the same.

Her study involved 500 adults aged between 24 and 35 who participated in a survey which determined if they were prone to perfection and how much it effective their everyday life.  The research published in 2006 suggested socially prescribed perfectionists had worse physical health.

When this “perfection” or stress response is prolonged, the body is constantly under threat mode which means our immune, digestive and cardio-vascular systems suffer.

Part of the problem I found as well, as did this survey, is when we are trying to be perfect, we rarely ask for ask for help or support.  As a perfectionist we feel we need to do everything ourselves or we will be seen as weak and unable to cope.  This belief leads to isolation and not receiving the support or treatment we all deserve.

Some of us may believe that allowing social support is also a weakness and do not want others interfering or judging them about their life or not being able to take care of themselves.  These beliefs keep us from healing our original wound and from moving forward.  Our sickness will not completely heal until we deal with our emotional wounds.

I have seen enough through my Nursing experiences and as a Reiki Practitioner to know that medicine, diet and exercise will not cure illness alone.  My own high blood pressure was simply from the “pressure” I was placing on myself and my belief to be perfect.  Once I began to love and accept myself completely, to let go of what I thought was expected of me and what I expected of others, I began to release this pressure and heal my wound.

Take time healing your emotions from the past as much as you do your diet and exercise.  It will always be the balance of Mind, Body and Spirit that will truly bring you to full healing.