Mental Health is Like Space Flight

How a trip to the moon can help explain what the path of mental wellness is like.

The Flight Path 

I was reading a self-development book recently, called The Slight Edge by Jeff Olsen. In a chapter about investing in your learning, he spoke about how we need to make constant course corrections. We need to take inventory of what’s working, what isn’t, and be honest and clear about our next steps. Sounds reasonable, Jeff, go on.

He then gave this little story about how, for example, a flight to the moon is technically off course about 97% of the time throughout the entire flight.

While I could have taken this number at face value, being the little investigator I am, I looked it up. According to NASA:

“This iterative relationship between orbit determination and flight path control continues without pause through the lifetime of a flight mission. The spacecraft is constantly wandering off, and must be patiently nudged back on course.”

Translation: The flight team are GETTING BACK ON course, over and over again… in space. Outer space. Space flight blows my mind a little, if you can’t tell.

While these micro-adjustments aren’t explicitly built into the flight plan, the whole flight team is ready to do as the course requires. 

You are your own ground operator, engineer, and astronaut.

If you have EVER struggled with mental health… you know first hand what it feels like to be “off course.” 

Being on our own best paths, occur when we are knowledgeable and able to make these adjustments in our lives.. 

You have to know when and how to make the adjustments though. 

Small Shifts

Astronauts depend on their instruments and communication with their flight team. Your instruments include your brain, your emotions, your body and your environment.

Proper training tailored for you is an important part of living a values-driven life. Is the flight path you’re on driven by your values? What tiny shift do you need to make to better align yourself? Tiny! Small. If you thought of a major overhaul, remember, according to NASA, a small shift will do. 

A Trip Toward Mental Wellness, One Small Step at a Time

Take a look at your flight team and where you are on your flight path. This would be the first assessment in the many series of assessments a space  flight team makes. For you, this simple act of taking stock and seeing what’s really going on, is your small step toward a life you love.

Take a quick look. Are there any small adjustments that you need to make for your mental health? Do you need to make the change smaller? Make is a little simpler, a little smaller. We can ACT like astronauts, but this isn’t actually space flight. Our steps will be unique to us.

An Astronaut Doesn't Work Alone, Neither Should We

We need a team to help us along our flight paths through life. This team might include mental health and medical professionals, spiritual advisors, friends and families.

We all need help sometimes. We need guidance, mentorship, and sometimes professional help. 

Don’t put off your mental health any longer.

Ground control is standing by. 

References:

Olsen, Jeff, The Slight Edge, 2005-2016 SUCCESS

NASA Science Solar System Exploration: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/chapter13-1/