Lesson #6: Perfectionism is irrational

So far, one of the courses I have learned the most about life is Occupational Dysfunction. Past semester we started talking about mental health. The first day the professor made an introduction activity in which we had to select a member of the group depending on the question he asked. When he asked who would you choose to assign a very important mission and why?, I selected one of my classmates because I thought she was very responsible and perfectionist. Right away the professor told me that being perfectionist wasn't a good thing and that it was an "irrational thought".  He said that when you try to always be perfect you are never satisfied, because nothing people do is completely perfect.

 That got me thinking. I always knew that it was impossible to always be perfect but have never thought of it as an "irrational thought" or something that could lead people to mental illness. That doesn't mean that you have to lower your expectations or your standards on your own work. I believe that people should always try their best. It just means that we shouldn't give ourselves such a hard time when we make a mistake or when things don't go as we planned. Knowing this will help me become more aware of my future clients behaviors and abilities to manage non-perfect situations.

New beginning

Tomorrow I start my second year as an OT student and I haven't even finished writting about the lessons from the first year yet! I'm excited because this year I will start to take more practical classes about pediatric OT, physical and psychosocial dysfunction. But, at the same time I feel really tired because of the trip and from moving my things to the house I'm staying, so for tonight I can't think about writing lessons. I'll try to catch up in this first days of the semester. OT love for all <3

My commitment to the profession

For the Professional Development class, we had to read the article: The Heart, Mind and Soul of Professionalism in Occupational Therapy (Wood, 2004). It was interesting to learn what the author meant for heart, mind and soul of professionalism in our profession. Here a short summary:

Heart of professionalism- belief that what we do is important for the good of individuals and our society, having a value so special, that money alone can not measure it. This makes doing our job pleasurable and good for ourselves in addition to good for others. In other words, the heart of professionalism is the conviction that our "Good Job" fills our lives with meaning at the same time helping the world.

Mind of professionalism- the application of a body of specialized knowledge unique to the profession. The author states that without the direct experience of how the mind of professionalism nourishes the pleasure and pride for the job, the evidence based practice would be seen as a demand without meaning. The occupational therapists that are less likely to get sick of the heart of professionalism are the ones that have experienced the mind of professionalism as a source of empowerment and professional inspiration.

Soul of professionalism- the authentic connections between the people expressed in the every day particularities. In the job, the soul is expressed through an environment that feels alive and evokes creativity and compromise. It is also seen when the members of the same profession work together to ensure that they are meeting the highest standards of excellence.
 

After reading the article, the professor asked us to make our own commitment to the profession. Here goes mine: 

I want to be the best Occupational Therapist I can, practice the professional behaviors learned and give always the best of me. So I commit to be a consumer of research and never loose the conviction in the effectiveness of my job. I promise to be willing to work together with other professionals and  provide the best interventions within my possibilities to my clients. 

I hope that some day I can go back to this post and feel proud that I have met this commitment.

Wood, W. (2004).  The Heart, Mind and Soul of Professionalism in Occupational Therapy. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy 58 (3), 249-257.