Perfect Moment Syndrome
Have you ever been excited for an upcoming event, party or holiday – where you picture all the amazing fun you’ll have, only to have the reality burst your bubble?
Author Sarah Wilson calls this “The Perfect Moment Syndrome”, examined in her latest book, First, We Make The Beast Beautiful.
My Comments in Mamamia
I commented on this in Mamamia’s latest article “There’s a reason why you feel sad in happy situations. It’s called ‘Perfect Moment Syndrome.”
Here are my favourite snippets:
- The Perfect Moment Syndrom is “an affliction for those who “think life should operate in a certain way and to certain ratios: that birthdays are always happy, that a week in Thailand is meant to be relaxing, that a long-awaited date with your partner at a special restaurant will bring you closer together.”
- “Our brain has an amazing capacity to predict outcomes based on past experiences, learned knowledge, and societal norms,” [Katherine] tells Mamamia. “When we anticipate a certain event (like having a great meal at a restaurant and expecting it to ALWAYS be that good) our brain starts constructing an image or a scenario of how that event will unfold.”Dr Iscoe says this feeling can also be caused by “an urge” or a powerful, obsessive desire that makes it hard for us to think about anything else.
- “Our feelings during an event are not just about the event itself but also about how it measures up to our expectations during the anticipation phase. This intricate dance between expectation and the actual event outcome is heavily based on our dopaminergic system.”
My 3 tips are:
- Knowledge is power
- Manage your expectations
- Take a dopaine detox
Want the full experience? You can dive into Mamamia’s article here.
Want to understand how healthy your expectations are? Take my free Self-Respect Quiz here and find out! (It’s awesome, I promise! Plus you get a really helpful guide afterwards to understand your results and steps to take to build your mindset).