Running a half marathon has always been a goal of mine, and yesterday was my race day. I spent months preparing for it. Right before we took off, I felt unstoppable. And then I hit mile 5.

I needed to walk for a moment to recalibrate. That quick break turned into a longer walk, and before I knew it I was stopping to walk at every mile. It was so frustrating, and soon the perfectionist side of my brain took over: You're better than this. You did this distance during training, so you shouldn't feel this way. Finishing doesn't even count because you walked more than you should have. It didn't matter that before I started training, I could barely even do a mile. It didn't matter that doing this race was supposed to be a fun activity for my fiancé and I to do together. It quickly became about what I wasn't doing in that moment.

This thought process is called self-oriented perfectionism, one of three types of perfectionism people can deal with. "This type of perfectionism can lead to high levels of productivity, but often, self-oriented perfectionists tell themselves stories about how their achievements are not good enough and feel overwhelmed or dissatisfied instead of celebrating their successes," one therapist told HuffPost recently.

If this sounds familiar, read on for some advice on how to address it (or to find out if you're a different type of perfectionist). Just know that you and I both deserve to celebrate every crossed finish line and every win — even if it looks different than how we imagined it'd be.

❤️,

Lindsay

You Oughta Know

It's becoming increasingly difficult to dodge COVID, and some experts believe that most people will end up with the virus at some point in their lives. That prediction is alarming for many reasons — a major one being long COVID. Long-haulers deal with brain fog, risk for cardiovascular issues, extreme fatigue and more (with no conclusion on if and when they'll get better). Is there any way we can reduce the risk if we're exposed or get sick? Reporter Julia Ries spoke with experts on what they know.

A Minute And Change

Got a spare minute? Use it to change your life. Our “A Minute And Change” series will help you become happier, healthier and more productive by doing one thing a little differently. This week’s tip comes from Peloton instructor Hannah Corbin on the one exercise she tries to prioritize regularly. She told me:

A hip stretch. I have found that I avoid stretching my hips but they're always needed the most. Whether it's the front, side or back, we all hold stress and tension there. Once I open those muscles up, I can breathe deeper and my day gets a little better.

Crushing On This 'Gram

Before You Go...

Speaking of long COVID, read this important piece on what it's been like to live with long-haul symptoms by senior reporter Catherine Pearson. It's been two years since the pandemic began and long-haulers are still nowhere close to getting the help they need.

Want More Wellness?

• There's a surprising downside to trying to be happy
• WTF is tongue scraping and should I be doing it?

Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Subscribe here!

©2021 HuffPost

BuzzFeed, Inc 111 E 18th St, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10003

You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost

Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe