What Artemis II Can Teach Us About Mental Health
On our Wellness Compass podcast this week we talked about how we, as a couple of mental health providers, took away some important lessons from following the outer space journey of Artemis II.
Here, in no particular order, are our takeaways:
There is Power in Expanding Our Perspective. Suppose someone says, "I'm a control freak. I micromanage everything." A helpful reframe you could offer them is: “Sounds like you have high standards and a deep investment in things going well. That care and attention to detail can be a real asset as long as you can find a way to channel it in ways that don't exhaust you or those around you.” The reframe expands the perspective and opens up new ways to see the issue.
Viewing Earth from space is the ultimate reframe—and (please excuse the pun!) a very high level experience of expanding one’s perspective. The expanded perspective from space removes human-made earthly divisions and helps to remind us that we really are all ultimately one, and in this together.
If You Want to Go Far, Go Together. There is a proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” The four astronauts are a diverse group with unique skill sets. The success of the mission is based on their interconnection and interdependence. Add to this the much larger team of scientists who built the craft and oversee all the other logistics, and you see that we all definitely do better, and go farther, when we work together, in space and here on Earth.
There is a Time for Autopilot and a Time for Taking the Controls. Many things we do in our day-to-day lives are routines that maybe are not fully on autopilot, but we don’t need to give them a lot of new thought each day. However, there are times, either because of disruption in our lives or because we want to move into a new “orbit,” that we need to turn off the autopilot and truly take control, so that we can fly with greater awareness and intention. This is exactly what the astronauts did on their mission. NASA had each crew member take a turn flying the craft so that they would know what to do in case the autopilot function failed and they needed to take control themselves.
Growth Requires Moving Out of Comfort Zones. Could there be a more powerful example of moving out of one’s comfort zone than choosing to fly to outer space? All change and growth, by definition, requires a decision to move out of our comfort zones. As long as we make this move with awareness, intention, and a supportive team of people around us, we maximize our chances of gaining a whole new perspective in our lives. This can open us to experiences and vistas we never thought possible from within our previous comfort zones.
We applaud the courage and success of the Artemis II voyage and all the people who have made it possible. And as we write this the night before they are due to return to Earth, we thank them for the inspiration and wisdom they have offered us and we wish them a safe and successful landing.
If you want to hear more about our thoughts on this topic, listen to this week’s 10-12 minute episode of the Wellness Compass Podcast, which you can find by clicking on “Podcast” at the top of this page. In this week’s episode you will learn about a unique new way you can interact with the Wellness Compass Podcast that includes recording an audio message that might appear on a future episode.
Speaking of podcasts, Scott has his own podcast, which is just him speaking about a topic that he is passionate about: the integration of spirituality and wellness. The Living Compass Podcast can be found HERE or in your favorite podcast app. There is also a Living Compass app, with guided meditations, courses, and contemplative practices. The app can be found in any mobile phone App Store, and all the content in the app is available from your web browser by clicking HERE.
