“For me, there are two worlds. The external world of reality and the internal world we build inside our heads. When our internal world overlaps the real world, we tend to be grounded and doing ok. It’s when our internal reality moves away from the world outside that things can become challenging for our mental health and wellbeing.” – Philip Bak
Philip Bak, Ripstone Senior Programmer, shares his mental health model.
It is important that our internal sense of reality matches the external reality of the surrounding world. This correspondence allows us to effectively navigate and interact with all that life throws at us.
Our internal sense of reality is formed through our perceptions, thoughts, beliefs, and experiences, and it shapes our understanding of the world.
However, if our internal sense of reality does not match the external reality of the real world, it might lead us to make decisions that make it difficult for us to function and assert agency in our lives. At the extreme, this can lead to us becoming dissociated from reality and could put us or those around us in danger.
In contrast, when our internal sense of reality accurately reflects the external reality of the world, we are better equipped to make informed decisions, respond effectively to changes in our environment, and achieve our goals.
Remembering Phil’s simple metaphor of ‘overlapping worlds’ can help us to centre ourselves whenever we feel misaligned. At Ripstone, we feel it’s a simple way to stress the importance and power of ‘mindfulness’, the practice of deliberately taking the time to focus our attention on our senses, and making a conscious choice to be present and grounded in the moment.
Each week in May we’ll be sharing a new mental health model from the Ripstone team. Look out for them on the website and all Ripstone socials.