“I should know how to do this simple thing!”

Hey all,

I was making some fish cakes and I found the process really hard. I don’t cook often, but when I do, I end up overthinking the process. my mind can be rigid to instructions, and often if there is something that I don’t understand or doesn’t make sense, I overthink it until I shutdown.

it tends to be why I can struggle to start things. I was meant to soak the fish over five days, but I was putting off starting cooking and now it soaked more than a week. 

the solution? Fortunately my mom was there to help me through the cooking process, but I was beating up myself for not getting it right and asking very rudimentary questions, and couldn’t help but think that if I was trying to do this around friends, I would feel ashamed to be this lacking in understanding. I had to realise also to let go of my male pride of “I should know this and should have control of this”, and allow my mom to help me with the process, with her showing me what things to do so that I can grow. 

I realise that to an extent this is why I’m not growing. When something becomes too overwhelming, I can shut down or blank the thing out instead of facing it head on. And I don’t ask for help, feeling ashamed. “I should understand this, it’s so simple, why am I so stupid, come on!”

anyone relate to this?

Parents
  • Is it not partly a perfection thing?

    If you soaked it a bit less, does it really matter?

    Would you be able tell? You could still eat it.

    Maybe just allow yourself the space for it to be ok, not perfect. You can do it better next time. Take the pressure off and enjoy the process as much as the end result.

Reply
  • Is it not partly a perfection thing?

    If you soaked it a bit less, does it really matter?

    Would you be able tell? You could still eat it.

    Maybe just allow yourself the space for it to be ok, not perfect. You can do it better next time. Take the pressure off and enjoy the process as much as the end result.

Children