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6 Steps to recover from failure and demoralisation
I’m a psychologist and I am still discovering new things every day. I don’t have all the answers but I DO know what has worked for me and many of my therapy clients over the years. That also doesn’t mean that I am blazing a trail 24/7. Accept that life has ups and downs and when you are experiencing a ‘down’, you can happily rest there for a while without pressuring yourself to be out and about.
Many clients tell me how much guilt they feel when they take time off or spend an hour out of their work day to do something pleasurable. This is a big mistake — lean into your natural rhythms. Think of the ebbs and flows of life, the seasons, the tides of the sea, the moon and the sun. Downtime is just as essential as ‘up’ time, so make the most of your rest and relaxation and ignore the guilt. Think of it as tuning into nature and the wisdom of balance.
The steps below have worked for me and many clients too. You don’t have to follow them rigidly or perfectly but use what you need and cut yourself some slack. I am a perfectionist and have to constantly guard against trying to do everything perfectly, even when others won’t notice whether I do something or not.
A note of perfectionism
Many people have the wrong idea about perfectionism. You imagine a perfectionist as someone…