A few days ago, I saw an interesting video that left me thinking for a few days – like a good piece of information usually does. It was about how someone said that going to the gym doesn’t help his mental health as much anymore as it used to. Instead, he’s now getting tattoos. However, not being satisfied by physical achievements anymore is just a sign that one is ready to conquer the next phase. Finding out what the four phases of self-growth are, provides helpful information. It can help you understand your self-growth journey – or your journey towards spirituality.
1. The physical phase
This phase includes diet, meditation, so breath work, sleep, relaxation, time under the sun, grounding, and, of course, physical activities, like strength and endurance. A big part of this phase is also discipline – and it can come in whatever kind of way. If you imagine someone climbing a mountain, that of course, belongs to that. But discipline is also referred to starting your day at a certain hour, showering cold, getting x hours/amounts of tasks done, cleaning the kitchen, etc.
2. The mental phase
Once you have mastered the first phase you move on to the second one – the mental one. The examples in the video were philosophy and stoicism, but really the mental world is huge. Diving deeper into any intellectual topic that interests you is valid here. A particularly beneficial topic would be history and psychology, I would say – understanding mankind and oneself. Personally, ‘12 rules for life’ delivered quite a deep fundus of interesting intellectual knowledge. In case you want to read something in this category. Learning a language, journaling or learning what’s going on in the world is also hugely valuable for this second phase. And delivers quite a chunk of self-growth.
3. The emotional phase
To the emotional phase you can count your relationships with others and yourself, and communication. It’s recommendable to build strong and lasting bonds with family and friends. Some can last a lifetime and add value to your life like nothing else can. However… Getting to know yourself, understanding your patterns, your triggers, your wounds and your issues can also improve your life a lot. This is what I am currently working on the most! Find out what hurt you in the past, why it did, how it affected you, and how you cope with similar situations nowadays. And if any of your coping-strategies are unhealthy, unfavorable or even toxic, try to understand how to fix them and heal those parts that need it. Life quality will go up like crazy, I promise 🙂
4. The higher phase
This is now, where spirituality comes in at last! Or rather… life purpose, your mission, your calling, etc. This is where you look for a deeper meaning, a connection to the universe or God, and your faith. Here, it makes sense to really dig deeper, once you’re still unsatisfied with your personal growth. Usually, this is where people feel lost despite all their achievements. Then, they look for a way to change their life from the inside. In this phase, usually, a bunch of questions come up about why we are here and where life is taking us. This is the most profound, but also most rewarding stage. But it takes lifetimes to feel in tune with your inner self.
To take away…?
The reason I decided to write about this is because I found it super logical and still questionable what the guy said. It was mentioned that some people can skip or jump around between phases, but it makes the most sense to follow this order. Some might also be very focused on one phase and completely neglect the other ones. And the one phase we absolutely cannot skip is the first one!
When I overthought what I heard there, I found that I was very focused on the third and fourth stage, a little invested in the second and not so in touch with the first phase – the first one apparently being the most important one.
So, in case you’re struggling to get your life in order – or you think you already do, but something isn’t quite right (that’s where I would place myself) – maybe this piece of information can help you tidy up this inner mess a little.
Lastly, I don’t want to leave out the credits for the original video. The Instagram-Account where I found it on is called drchrislee (Dr. Chris Lee). Hopefully, you can still find it, if you’re interested 🙂
Take care <33
