I remember the first time my co-worker used the word “mental health day”. As it turns out, that week was unusually stressful on all accounts, in her work and personal life. Since then, I have believed that stress is the result of us driving too many of the systems in our life.
Normally, when things are simple, we mean that the systems in our life - family, work, church, relationships, in-laws, children, school, online news, price of eggs, and our bank account - are running smoothly without us having to manage them. Stress occurs when more than 2 of those systems are requiring attention from us. I think we can pay attention to one system at a time, but when more than 2 require our focus, we feel “stressed”.
This stress leads to problems in our mental health sphere, with a myriad of manifestations, and you can think of the ones that appear in your own life.
So, with my co-worker - she could not afford to pay attention to more than one system crashing in her life. Most of us cannot, but the systems don’t care and they will crash when they crash. What are we to do to keep ourselves steady and healthy even when we are unable to pay attention towards those systems?
I believe that we are fully equipped to solve the system crashes in our own lives. A lot of times, we outsource that work to professionals, or friends, or our spouses because we need relief. While relief is short lived, solutions are long term and simultaneously develop us into more resilient people, capable of solving bigger issues in the system.
The four elements of earth, air, fire and water are timeless icons that I believe are pivotal in creating the life we want to live and that includes solving our systems crashing. I call this elemental health and it helps us balance our own minds and bodies so that we can feel more confident to solve our systems. In the end, we have better mental health.
Follow along for more study and tips on each of the elements and how they help regulate ourselves to better health.
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only. I am not offering medical advice and anything on this site does not replace professional help. Always consult your health care practitioner before making any changes to your health or wellness. By reading this, you agree not to hold me liable for any decision you make. Read at your own risk.