Holistic Bonfire

Suruchi Saini, MA, LPC, CCTP, TMHP, CYT

Suruchi Saini

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Nobody’s Perfect, and That’s Awesome!

According to Noah Webster, “perfectionism” is “a personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less.”

While not inaccurate, the dictionary definition does not convey the full depth of the word, its connotations both positive and negative.

In this two-part series, we will look at the different types of perfectionism, how they manifest, signs and symptoms of perfectionism, and how to cope with the consequences that can stem from negative perfectionism.

Is Perfectionism Good or Bad?

Perfectionism is considered by some to be an asset, a healthy motivational tool that helps people achieve success at the highest levels be it in the boardroom, on a Broadway stage, or on an Olympic track.

Conversely, it is deemed by others—including an increasing number of doctors, therapists, psychologists, and others in related fields—to be not only an impediment to success but a precursor to issues that can have wide-reaching effects on an individual.

More and more evidence is being documented that suggests a strong link between perfectionism and negative attitudes and behaviors. For example, after more than twenty years of research, practicing psychologist and University of British Columbia professor Paul Hewiit, PhD, and his colleague, professor of psychology at York University in Toronto Gordon Flett, PhD, have found that “perfectionism correlates with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health problems.”

They further argue that while there are different types of perfectionism, no form is without problems.

The Types of Perfectionism

Many researchers, like psychologist Kenneth Rice, PhD, who has written studies for the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, believe there are two kinds of perfectionism: adaptive and maladaptive.

Adaptive perfectionism is considered to be “normal” and healthy, a trait where one gets satisfaction from achievements attained through hard work while allowing for the inevitable imperfections that accompany any activity. Adaptive perfectionism can also be viewed as positive perfectionism, in which the person is achievement oriented.

Maladaptive perfectionism is considered to be unhealthy, and is seen in someone who has high personal performance standards and the tendency to be highly self-critical. Furthermore, when something does not go according to plan, a maladaptive perfectionist is likely to develop negative thoughts and feelings. It can also be viewed as negative perfectionism, in which the person is driven by the fear of failure.

Hewitt and Flett believe that while “winning”—be it in sporting, academic, or business endeavors—is important to adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists, failing to do so is considerably more stressful for the latter than it is for the former.

Research shows that such stress can result in consequences such as low self-esteem, Anxiety, and Depression—sometimes so severe that the final result is suicide.

How Perfectionism Manifests Itself

Some perfectionists feel the need to be error-free because of perceived social pressures. They think others will value them only if they are perfect. If they fail to perform to that standard, they can become depressed and suicidal more easily than, say, people who are “other-oriented” perfectionists.

Other-oriented people are not without their struggles, though. What most often presents in them is the tendency to require perfection from their family members, friends, and colleagues. Intimate relationships in particular often suffer when at least one of the partners has this type of perfectionism.

Self-oriented perfectionists, for reasons that are still not entirely clear, are internally motivated to be perfect. People in this group can be fine in low-stress situations but can readily become anxious when serious issues arise. They often have mental health problems, particularly eating disorders and chronic stress.

The Problems with Perfectionism

For many perfectionists, life is a constant evaluation of their own accomplishments, looks, status, etc. It is often a surefire route to low self-worth and unhappiness. Perfectionists tend to have inner voices that call them lazy, useless, or not good enough when they fail to fulfill their standards, whether those standards are self-imposed or imposed by others.

Perfectionists can lead lives in which they’re regularly afraid of private shame or public humiliation for not meeting their own or other’s unrealistic expectations. Often, this can result in high Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Anorexia in many female self-oriented perfectionists, and even suicide.

What’s Next?

The first steps to correcting a problem are accepting and understanding the problem. With the knowledge of what perfectionism is and how it can manifest in different ways, the next post will provide guidance for how to cope with perfectionist tendencies so that they do not lead to adverse mental and physical health issues.

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How Music Affects the Brain – Part 3

TulipsThe Physical Benefits

There is a wealth of evidence that shows the positive influences music has on our mental and emotional states. In this third and final post on the wonderful benefits of music, we’ll look at how it affects us on a physical level.

Music Enhances Exercise

In 1911, a researcher named Leonard Ayres discovered that when bicyclists listened to music, they pedaled faster than they did when they heard only silence. It has since been determined that music has the ability to drown out that inner voice that tells us we’re tired, which can let us work out longer and at higher intensities.

Furthermore, listening to music while exercising can help the body use energy in a more efficient manner. A study conducted in 2012 revealed that bicyclists who listened to music required seven percent less oxygen to do the same amount of work as when they rode in silence. Listening to upbeat music specifically can help your body find more energy.

Finally, music typically reduces muscle tension and improves body movement and coordination, which can enable us to enjoy a broader range of exercise and physical activities.

Less Pain for Music Fans

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, “listening to music can reduce chronic pain from a range of painful conditions, including osteoarthritis, disc problems and rheumatoid arthritis, by up to twenty-one percent.”

Moreover, music can help minimize the sensation and distress of chronic pain and postoperative pain. It can also lower the intensity, frequency and duration of migraines and chronic headaches.

“Heart and Soul” is good for the Heart and Soul

Music is heart-healthy, according to research. Based on the musical tempo rather than the style, songs have the capacity to increase or decrease our heart rates. When Italian and British researchers played lively music to young men and women, the participants had higher heart and breathing rates. When they listened to slower, more relaxing music, their heart and breathing rates dropped to mimic the tempo. During random two-minute pauses, the heart and breathing rates of the participants returned to normal.

In addition, The American Society of Hypertension claims that “listening to just thirty minutes of classical, Celtic or raga music every day may significantly reduce high blood pressure”.

Make Music Part of Your Life

Music can help make you physically, mentally, and emotionally healthier. It can increase your concentration, memory recall, productivity, happiness, learning ability, and exercise performance. From babies to seniors, the benefits of listening to or playing music on a routine basis are numerous. It’s not too early or too late to learn how to play an instrument or to incorporate more music into your life.

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Liberation Again

Suruchi Saini, MA, LPC, NCC, CCTP
The morning calmness stills me

The life begins again,

A new beginning, a new thought

Feel like a new person again,

Someone stands up for a cause

A new leader is born again,

Someone apologizes genuinely

Love is retained again,

Someone forgives someone

Freedom of human spirit returns again,

Someone comes back to a dear one

A relationship is restored again,

A child is born somewhere

A mother is born, again,

Have achieved the status of an adult

I am a child’s spirit again,

When someone reconnects with nature

It takes my breath away again,

One more time I feel the bliss

Sun, Air, Water, Earth, and Fire are beautiful again,

It’s a new day

And it’s full of life again.

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How Music Affects the Brain – Part 2

The Mental Benefits

The role of music in one’s life is an important one. As noted in the most recent post, there are several emotional benefits to playing and listening to music, whether it’s bright and happy, slow and relaxed, or sometimes even somber.

And, since music engages every part of the brain, there are also numerous ways it mentally enhances us.

Handpicked Songs Increase Productivity

Hearing music, especially that selected by the listener, has been shown to boost performance in the workplace (as well as in the world of academia).

Studies have documented that office employees who choose their own music are likely to finish tasks faster and devise better solutions than their colleagues who are not allowed to listen to their preferred type of music.

Having Trouble Paying Attention?

A correlation has been made between listening to tranquil classics or relaxing music and an increase in the length and strength of concentration regardless of the listener’s age or ability level.

Although it has not yet been determined which kind of music is best, or what musical environment is required, a number of studies have noted the connection between music and attention span.

A Lesson in Music

Whether music is taught in school or at home, it can help students improve their test scores and language development as well as increase their spatial intelligence (understanding how things work together).

Learning music at an early age promotes brain plasticity (the brain’s capacity to change and grow), and children who study music have been shown to perform better in reading, math, and language arts than their non-musical peers. As few as four years of music lessons has been linked to increased brain functionality, even when tested forty years later.

A study conducted on babies who were not yet old enough to walk or talk revealed that those who listened to nursery rhymes and were shown how to play drums smiled more often and communicated better than infants who were not given music lessons.

How’s Your Memory?

Songs, especially those composed by Mozart, have the power to affect memory. A pattern of sixty beats per minute—which defines a considerable amount of baroque music—concurrently stimulates the left and right brain, an action that maximizes the retention of information. Furthermore, playing an instrument, and singing, simultaneously engages each side of the brain, allowing the brain to better process information.

Studies have shown that particular types of music are adept at helping listeners recall memories. Material learned while listening to a certain song can often be recalled simply by thinking of that song.

Does Age Matter?

Music has been shown to improve memory performance in people of all ages. The benefits of musical training at a young age are plentiful, and clear evidence exists that children who study music develop better memories than their peers who go without music lessons.

Perhaps more interesting, though, is that seniors who take up an instrument for the first time or who regularly sing and dance reap great psychological rewards. That’s because music has been shown to ward off memory problems and cognitive decline more than most other activities.

So now we know music can boost our spirits, increase our memory retention and recall, and helps us be more productive. In the third installment of this three-part series on how music affects the brain, we’ll explore the many physical benefits attributed to listening to and playing music.

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How Music Affects the Brain – Part 1

Spring_2016The Emotional Benefits

“The Universal Language – Music”. Everyone (human beings; animals; plants) enjoys some form of music! Some of us might have forgotten this due to stress or busy lifestyle but we know when our favorite music plays, it changes our chemistry and affect our mood. So let’s give ourselves this permission to enjoy it for at least 15 minutes/day. Its meditational and uplifting!

Numerous studies have touted the myriad benefits of listening to music, an activity among few others that stimulates every known part of the brain. From boosting creativity to increasing exercise performance, music can be helpful in many ways.

Not all music is created equally, though, and if it’s too loud or jarring, it can be harmful. However, listening to—or better yet, playing—most music, at a moderate volume, is a great way to enhance your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

So what are some of the reasons it’s good to turn on the radio, pop in your headphones, or hit ‘play’ on your iTunes list?

In the first post of this three-part series on how music affects the brain, we’ll look at its emotional benefits.

Listening to music lights up the brain’s limbic system, which is associated with emotions. Therefore, it can—and does—greatly affect us on an emotional level.

Note the Chemical Change

It has been documented that listening to music increases the “feel-good” chemical dopamine, which is part of the pleasure-reward system.

In addition, hearing live music or playing music with others activates the production of oxytocin, which is the brain chemical that helps us form personal bonds. Some evidence suggests that a boost in oxytocin created from listening to music can result in a person being more generous and trustworthy.

Moreover, listening to and playing music often lowers the stress hormone cortisol. Slow, quiet, classical music is most proven to minimize stress on people of all ages, even infants.

Music is a Mood Enhancer

Many studies have documented that listening to music can not only reduce negative emotions, it can actually instill feelings of positivity. Upbeat, cheerful songs in particular seem to most effectively induce optimistic outlooks.

People all over the world can attest to music’s ability to lift their spirits, and modern research backs that up. The psychotherapeutic benefits are now well-substantiated, which means music can indeed help “heal the soul”.

Is Sad Music Helpful?

A recent study showed that participants were able to identify a neutral face as happy or sad based on the type of music they had just listened to. The ability to hear sad music and then consider someone to be sad can lead to listeners being more empathetic towards others.

Also, while it may seem counter-intuitive, listening to sad music can be cathartic. Somber songs can help people who are going through rough times get in touch with their emotions, which is a vital step in the healing process.

Music is more than a mere art—it’s a beneficial tool for our emotional health. To reap the most rewards for your emotional state, err on the side of bright, lively songs or slow, peaceful tunes rather than anything too raucous.

In the next post, we’ll look at how music affects us on a mental level.