Why’s this? Why’s it so hard to get out of our own way? When you consider how we’re wired as humans, what “doesn’t make any sense, actually makes all the sense in the world.” The more we can identify “it,” the better we can deal w it, manage it, & improve.
Consider our process when it comes to physical health. We break a bone, turn an ankle, get a sore throat, & immediately turn into health detectives: what can I do to feel better? We believe we can think/research our way towards pain relief & ultimately healing.
We can find an orthopedist, call our PCP, &/or run to the pharmacy & buy throat lozenges to ease the pain.
When we feel that pain, our brains step thru processes, until we find the right ones that work FOR us. And w physical health, it’s not just in acute situations.
If we’ve put on lbs over time, or worse – developed diabetes, we can plot our way thru the changes we’re going to make: get to the gym more, eat healthier, be conscious of counting steps to make sure we aren’t sedentary. And w all these are PHYSICAL complications/injuries/ailments, we use our brains to find our ways towards feeling better.
Now consider MH. We wake up & our brain feels foggy. It’s tough to push ourselves out of bed. Emotions are numb. We shake thinking abt an upcoming presentation we have. We have a tough time remembering our full schedule. All the while, we’re saying to ourselves – this doesn’t feel right…& asking what can I do to fix “this”?
Our minds start spinning – I’ve never felt this before/so bad. What if I can’t fix it. Let me try this…oh but the relief doesn’t come right away. And what happens? The more we try to THINK our way out of it – like we can our physical health, the MORE we spin, the deeper in the hole we fall. It’s why I believe MH is the hardest health battle to fight. The more we PUSH for relief, the harder it is to obtain.
The keys? 1) Accept we can’t think our way out. It’s a cloud above us that WILL move w the wind…but on the wind’s time. 2) Do daily MH exercises as a routine – whether we feel relief right away or not. Trust the process. Don’t try to outthink it!
