Are you a coffee drinker? Tea? Me: I’m a recovering Coke Zero addict, so I try to stick with water or Crystal Light these days. But what’s in your cup? And what does it have to do with your mental health?
This isn’t a post where I’m going to preach to you about nutrition and chemicals and caffeine and stuff. No, this is a metaphor. Stick with me here.
Whatever is in your cup will stay in your cup as long as you’re being a responsible adult. Me: I spill a lot. In fact, as I write this, I’m noticing a spot indicating I must have spilled on myself a few minutes ago and not even noticed. But back to the point here. Whatever is in your cup will stay in your cup as long as you keep it upright.
But what happens when your cup spills? Whatever is in your cup will spill out. Whether it’s coffee or wine or Coke Zero, whatever was in it is now spilled. So go ahead and get out your carpet cleaner and change your shirt.
“What are you filled with? What would spill out of you if you were shaken or knocked over?”
Now think about your cup as yourself. What are you filled with? What would spill out of you if you were shaken or knocked over? Would it be stress and overwhelm? Would it be anger and resentment? Would it be sadness and lethargy?
This time, think about what you want to fill your cup with. Does it match what your cup is filled with? If it doesn’t, what’s one thing you could do to fill your cup with what you want it to be filled with?
For me, I want to fill my cup with kindness, calmness, and peace, but usually it’s filled with pressure and impatience. So, I take time each day to meditate – to pour out the stress and refill my cup with tranquility. Now it’s your turn: what do you want to fill your cup with and what change you can make to fill your cup up with that?
Next week, we’re talking about a huge mistake you might be making that affects what fills up your cup. Don’t miss it. I send out helpful cheat sheets and guides to my email community, so make sure you’re part of it.
Hayden
P.S. If you skipped to the end, I see you. Here’s the highlights: Whatever you fill your psychological cup with will be what spills out. Fill it with stress and anxiety, and overwhelm is going to spill out. Fill it with peace and tranquility, and patience spills out.
Hayden C. Finch, PhD, is a practicing psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, focused on helping you master your mental health.
