Weekly Wellbeing Activity: Being okay with being bad at things!
Hello all!
This Weekly Wellbeing activity is all about being kind to yourself and persevering 
I think most of us can agree that starting something (be it a hobby, assignment, goal etc.) and getting to the end point are fine, but the in between stages can be really frustrating!
Putting in the work?
😄 Yup!
Having people witness you not being perfect at something?
Sometimes we can have really unrealistic expectations for the level at which we are supposed to perform, which can lead to us either being way too hard on ourselves or just giving up entirely!
As an example, I recently(ish) decided to pick up knitting again as a form of self-care and I'm nowhere near as good as I used to be (not stellar then either, gotta admit 
) I really dislike having physical evidence of not being amazing at it. This means that I tend to destroy literally hours of work to save face and never really finish anything, or improve!
^me doing 'self-care'
What's hard but also important to keep in mind is that it's not only okay to struggle to learn/do something, it's more than okay for people to witness you being imperfect too! Anyone who gives you a hard time for it probs needs a hobby (maybe knitting? :P)
So for this week the activity is to:
1. Cut yourself a break when you're not perfect at something and keep going instead of hiding mistakes e.g. have a convo in a language you're learning even if it's not perfect! Have fun singing even if you might miss a note or two! (report back here on how you go! :D)
and/or
2. Reflect on a time you either were held back by small mistakes and what you'd do differently now or a time you overcame this and improved at what you were doing!
Good luck and be kind to yourselves!
Comments
1. I volunteered to visit someone who wanted to talk to someone in their native language. I know a bit of Arabic through my family background and although I can understand some of it, I'm not that fluent and sometimes I say the wrong words, so I was really nervous about how people would react. But they were really happy talking to me and we ended up learning from each other. I taught them some Japanese phrases and they taught me some Arabic phrases. It was such an interesting and fun experience!
And sometimes I even think my inner critic can be a good thing. I now try and thank my inner critic for pointing out how I could be better, but I'm now a lot better at not listening when the criticisms aren't helpful. Things that help me to not listen to unhelpful self-criticism are activities like singing in the car or shower!
@WheresMySquishy ahhhh that sounds like such a moving and rewarding experience! How beautiful that you were able to exchange phrases and share knowledge like that!
@MisoBear that's such a powerful way of re-framing your thoughts! Sometimes when you try to squash or suppress thoughts they can just hit back harder :(, so engaging with your thoughts in a more constructive manner (by thanking them when they're positive and ignoring them when they're negative) sounds like such an effective tactic to have at your disposal! 😄 Any go to songs? 😛
im also not very good at singing but... i sing anyway when im driving on my own 😛
@scared01 Love it!! It's awesome that you enjoy singing and having a groove in your car, even if you don't think you're good at it! You like it and that's the most important part
(having a jam session when you're alone is honestly so much fun! )
What a fantastic idea! As someone who has always struggled with perfectionism as part of my OCD, I have always found it hard to not be 100% great at something or to make mistakes in front of other people. This is something I have been consciously working on for some time now, and while I am recovering slowly, it feels good to let myself off the hook.
1. This week, I sent my family a recording of myself playing a piano song that I have been teaching myself. It wasn't perfect, but I was proud of my efforts because I had managed to make some awesome progress. It felt a little uncomfortable, but my Nan and my girlfriend gave me some really lovely feedback.
In addition, I got back some uni results yesterday and I wasn't very happy with my Maths mark. Instead of giving up on myself, I have enrolled in another Maths course next year so I can improve my skills and continuing learning and growing.
and
2. In the past, I had a big problem with the idea of failure. The only test I have ever failed was my Grade 7 music exam. After I received my results, I stopped playing clarinet. This was a big mistake. I let my disappointment and shame scare me away from a hobby I enjoyed. If I had my time over, I would work hard and try the exam again rather than seeing it as a personal limitation or a defect in my character. I have recently started playing clarinet again, and am going to try out for my university symphony next semester. The audition process is a little scary, but I am worth the shot!
@queenP that's really cool that you're picking up the clarinet again! (one of the coolest instruments in my humble opinion). I love love the way you've framed it:
you're definitely worth the shot!
I'm so impressed by how you've decided to enrol in more maths courses as well! That's a level of persistence that must have taken lots of concerted effort and I really admire that
Focusing on how you can learn and grow if you continue doesn't sound easy, but I think your way of thinking will really pay off for you! 🙂
