The Rubik’s Cube Effect

I was talking to a co-worker recently and the topic turned to childhood games. We spent several minutes reminiscing about Pong, Space Invader’s and the Rubik’s Cube. He said the best he ever did in terms of solving the cube was to get one side all of the same color. He would haphazardly turn the sections attempting to do better but could never get more than one side done. In desperation, he peeled off all of the stickers and put them back on where he wanted them. I have actually solved it multiple times (without cheating) but never fully understood what I did to make that happen.

Improving our health can often feel like attempts to solve that darn puzzle. When life is seriously out of balance, we are frantically manipulating that cube, in an attempt to have it look better. Trying to get one row and then one side all of the same color. It seems hopeless and it is like taking one step forward and another step backward. There is no one right place to start that will allow you to figure out the Rubik’s Cube or your personal Health Puzzle. Start wherever if feels right to you. Just start!

When we are stuck in a rut in life, taking that first step seems impossible but it is a critical one in order to get moving. Remember Newton’s First Law of Motion?

“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force”.

Sir Isaac Newton

When we are stuck in a rut, we are at rest and we will stay at rest unless we take that first step toward improving our health. Once we get going, we are in motion and we will stay in motion until something knocks us off course.

Mental Health is a critical piece of the health puzzle and once it improves it gives you the clarity of mind and energy to tackle other pieces. How do we go about ensuring our mental health is in tip top shape? I suggest getting one row of the Rubik’s cube the same color. That first step can be small but take it and then keep going!

Most people have an understanding of what depression feels like but few of us understand how a full blown mental health disease can impact our whole life. The Functional Medicine doctors I listen to, who are making the connection between chronic disease and diet and lifestyle, are making that same connection to mental health. Yup! What we eat and how we live can contribute to depression, anxiety, panic attacks etc.

If they are right then improving our diet, getting plenty of exercise and sleep, mending relationships, connecting to our spirituality can all help our symptoms. Anti-depressants have their place in treating mental health diseases however they should not be the first or the only treatment. I have a few suggestions as to what that first step might look like but remember, I am no expert. These are not rocket science nor are they a cure to what ails you. They are simple first steps to help get out of that darn rut!

Talk to others, friends, family, therapist – When we keep things bottled up inside of us, the negative voice inside of our head takes charge and distorts how we see ourselves and how we view our situation. Talking to others gets that out in the open and gives our loved ones the opportunity to better understand what is going on inside of our mind.

Don’t dwell on the negative – Dwelling on negativity is a trap that only leads to a downward spiral. Instead of imagining the worse, try to imagine the best thing that could happen. Write down how you wish you felt and put it in the present tense and repeat it to yourself often. Every time the negative thought pops into your head, repeat your positive statement.

Use positive self talk – I have an angel on shoulder and a devil on the other. They both whisper in my ear and sometimes I an only hear one or the other. The devil whispers plenty of negative crap and tuning him out is tough but it gets easier over time. Challenge the negative talk from the devil as what he whispers is one sided.

Figure out a sleep routine and stick to it.

Set aside time every single day to simply be quiet or to meditate.

Get out of toxic relationships that destroy confidence, self esteem and trust. It is hard to feel good when being put down, physically hurt or emotionally badgered. We all deserve better.

Put yourself first – You know when on a airplane and the attendant reminds you to put your oxygen on before helping others to do so? Improving our mental health should be like this as well. We can’t help others to improve health while we are depressed, anxious and fighting off panic attacks. Feeling better needs to be prioritized in order to deal with all of the rest of our responsibilities competently.

Eating Real Food should not be a novel concept when it comes to maintaining mental health but doctors often overlook its potential to improve symptoms. I suggest reading this article for some relevant information. If it is too long, scroll down to the caption titled 11 Nutritional Factors that Influence Mental Health and start reading there!

Make improvement in one area and the whole puzzle starts looking better and making more sense.

Choose Health my friends!

Lake Girl