To Stay Sane in an Insane World: Have a Mental BM (Bowel Movement)
Do for your emotional health as you do for your physical health.
I love metaphors! Yes I do! That’s why I created Brush Your Mind to embody the idea of self-regulation and emotional-regulation in the service of mental health promotion.
Time travel back a few years to when a colleague of mine was having a rough day at work, thanks to toxic co-workers. We exchanged texts in which they shared their frustrations with me, and I responded with supportive texts along the lines of: “Hang in there. You got this! Remind yourself that this is temporary…”
My friend was having a really bad day and the usual words did not feel enough.
I was desperately trying for a way to make my friend feel better, and in that moment of need, the Muses offered me something more powerful.
I texted my friend: You don’t have to hold on to all that…Have a mental bowel movement.
Of course, I added laughter emojis in my text, which I am not sure how to do here in Substack. So you are going to have to use your imagination. Please add as many laughter emojis as you like; just as with with salt and pepper, it is up to your personal preference as to how many emojis you add.
Then towards the end of last year, I happened to text another friend about a frustrating situation I was experiencing and mentioned that maybe this is what I needed to do about a specific situation in my life: Have a mental BM. After all, I try to practice what I preach.
What followed next was pure literary genius. Well not quite Shakespeare, though it was sent from England. Or maybe it was more creative genius rather than literary genius. You can decide for yourself.
The text read: Potty That!
For a micro-moment, I drew a blank. Then I realized that the CGF (Creative Genius Friend) had just offered up a clever term that can be used in the service of mental health promotion!
Remember, you don’t have to hold on to all the bad things people say - whether to you or even when making statements at large. Think of people’s words like the food you chew and digest. Retain whatever is nutritious and serves your emotional needs. All else is insoluble fiber. Just move it along and let it out (in a healthy way of course…no explosive mental diarrhea…)
P.S.: The Science Behind This: When people are upset, they are not always able to work through things analytically. Using a metaphor helps make the process of emotion regulation more relatable. And the addition of a bit of humor can also help shift a person’s mood away from feeling frustrated and upset. Lastly, from a health literacy point of view, this is a metaphor that large numbers of people can relate to, and through that, be empowered to more effectively regulate their emotions.
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