For a long time, I believed that being demanding with myself was a virtue.   I thought it meant I cared. I thought it meant I had standards. I thought it meant I was responsible, serious, committed.   What I didn’t see, at least not at first, was how much energy it was costing me.   The myth of “perfect” Perfection sounds reassuring. It promises safety. “If it’s perfect, no one can criticize me. If it’s perfect, I won’t be exposed.”   But perfection is an illusion. No matter

Have you ever noticed that when something ends badly — a stressful meeting, a rushed argument, or a chaotic day — it colours how you remember the whole experience? It’s not just in your head. Psychologists call it the recency effect : our brain remembers the final moments of an experience more vividly than the rest.   🧠 Our brain pays special attention to endings.   That means the way we finish a day… a project… or even a conversation… shapes how we feel not only about the p

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “What’s the point? Nothing ever changes” ?When we face too many disappointments or failed attempts, it’s easy to stop believing our efforts can make a difference. That mindset has a name: learned helplessness , a term coined by psychologist Martin Seligman  to describe what happens when we unconsciously give up our power to influence what happens in our lives. Over time, this way of thinking can quietly infiltrate different areas of lif