Guest Speaker: Professor Tracey Wade Flinders University -  What’s So Bad About Being Perfect?
 
PP Sue introduced Tracey and mentioned that she had been a recipient of a Rotary Health Grant and had conducted a research project with that money. In fact Tracey has received 3 Rotary Health Grants.
She started by asking what is perfectionism and defined it as the setting of excessively high standards of performance accompanied by overly critical self evaluation which leads to self hate.
It’s increasing in young people. There are several reasons.
40% cases are genetic
Environmental changes enhance the expression of these genes
Increased importance of achievement and money
Increased influence from parental control and practices
Exposure to peers perfectionism through social media eg images, bullying and criticism
What’s so bad about perfectionism?
Increased depression
Increased anxiety
Increased eating disorders
Less likely to respond to therapy
Less likely to aim at goals which leads to procrastination
Less resilience to failures and setbacks.
Can we help people to overcome perfectionism. Yes through Behaviour Therapy.
This can be in a clinical situation, in a classroom or via the internet. Tracey and her team are still tweaking the latter.
Tracey shared a comparison between being a perfectionist and a high achiever and she also introduced us to the art of Kinsugi which is a Japanese skill in repairing ceramics that have been broken using gold and demon-strates the benefits of making mistakes and creating something quite differ-ent from the original intention.
There were lots of questions .
Want to know more? Tracey has co-written a book which is now available and is designed as a self help tool.
 
 
 
 
WALK WITH US FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T
 
Over the past six months, during the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been finding new ways to stay fit and healthy. One method has been walking the rail trail either side of the town. More and more residents have been walking themselves, their pets and with each other along the trail or elsewhere around the Yea and beyond.
Polio has become the world’s forgotten disease. It is a crippling and potentially fatal disease for which there is no cure but for which there are safe and preventative vac-cines.
That is why, in October, Yea Rotary is asking you to walk with us for those who can’t.
If you walk, run, ride or simply stroll, we are asking you to help eradicate and prepare for a polio-free world.
From now until the end of October, we are challenging you to set a goal: 10, 20, 50 km for the month, whatever you choose, and in doing so make a contribution to the elimination of polio. Make a contribution yourself to meet your goal or get friends, family or neighbours to sponsor you.
Saturday 24 October is World Polio Day and the members of Yea Rotary have chosen October to be the month when we can all band together and focus on eliminating polio from the face of the earth. And, for each dollar raised, it will be matched 2 for 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Your $100 raised will be actually $300. Even a spare dollar or two will make a difference in saving a child from polio so that they may walk.
Are you up for the challenge?
Full details of how you can make your contribution will be published during the month.
FOR FURTHER MEDIA INFORMATION
David Anderson
Rotary Club of Yea
0418 533 959
ando.in.yea@bigpond.com