Navigate Your Mental Health Journey with The MORE Scale

May 28

If our lives are a series of seasons – springs of discoveries, winters of discontent, summers of happiness – my scale is a calendar of sorts, offering a map of times that we all go through as we try to grow and change. It’s an easy-to-understand, relatable tool that provides a common path, so you know what to expect as you tackle new seasons of your life.

Usually, when a new season starts, we start off feeling excited and curious, but as reality starts to kick in, we might head into a dip, feeling stuck or even heading towards a rock bottom. The good news is that this is completely normal, and I believe all of us will go through these dips at least once in our lives – if we know what to expect, we have a huge opportunity for growth, but without the tools and support, it can be dangerous for our mental health. That’s where More Mental Health comes in, offering a supportive space with everyday practical tools to help you get unstuck, climb out of your dips and reach your ideal wellbeing, whatever that means to you.

Let’s take a deeper look at each stage of this journey…

THE MORE SCALE™

The 9 Stages of Transformation on The MORE Scale™

STAGE 1: CURIOSITY

At the beginning stages, when we’re thinking of a new career, a new relationship, a change in our life circumstances, we’re curious about the future, so we delve into it. We dream of what our life could look like, we picture our success, and we start visualising a plan to get there.

What it feels like: Excitement, anticipation, exploration/discovery

STAGE 2: ACTION

While we’re still in the honeymoon phase of our idea, we’re full of energy, putting plans in place to reach our goals and starting the work to get there. This is the stage where we start noticing the effects of our plans, and we gain momentum to reach a pinnacle of excitement.

What it feels like: productivity, excitement, momentum, flow

STAGE 3: THE DIP

They say what goes up must come down and that can often be the case when we’re met with resistance. This is the stage where we might start questioning ourselves or losing that momentum and quickly reverting to our day-to-day lives. At this stage, we might start feeling stuck in a loop, trapped in our core beliefs about ourselves and the space we occupy in the world. The resistance we feel might stem from our subconscious beliefs about ourselves and the world.

What it feels like: delay, distraction, depression, frustration, questioning

STAGE 4: ROCK BOTTOM

Not all of us will reach rock bottom, but it’s also commonly the recognisable time when you seek out help. A rock bottom is really when something completely unexpected hits you – it’s like the rug has been pulled under your feet.

What it feels like: shock, lack of control, losing all your security, helpless, grief, heart ache

STAGE 5: RUT

Often when people feel stuck, they experience it as a rut – when you are living on autopilot just doing what you need to do, but not really satisfied with what you're doing. Life feels hard, we might have no motivation, and we’re not making any progress - it can feel like you are trekking through mud.

What it feels like: resigned, frozen, lack of drive, lack of motivation, frustrated, dissatisfied

STAGE 6: JOIN MORE AND USE THE MORE METHOD AND TOOLS

When we start work on ourselves and find support, we build up the tools to examine our mindsets, to work with our conscious and subconscious thoughts and beliefs, and practice techniques to move forward. This is the workshopping stage. If we get to this stage, we can start picturing what success looks and feels like, and reflecting on what can hold us back.

What it feels like: awareness, a-ha moments, empowering, challenge, self-reflection, supportive

STAGE 7: GET UNSTUCK

During this stage, you’ll start to emerge from the slump and start gaining momentum once again, with that sense of being in a rut fading into your rear-view mirror with the image of your future on the road ahead.

What it feels like: drive, motivation, movement, momentum, catching the flow again

STAGE 8: TRANSITION

Between the stages of getting unstuck and experiencing transformation, lies a crucial phase of transition. This is a period of navigating change and uncertainty, where we have released the shackles of the rut but have not yet fully embraced the transformative power of growth. During this stage, we find ourselves in a state of flux, adapting to new circumstances, and exploring different paths. It can be a time of mixed emotions, as we let go of old patterns and make space for the unknown. It requires patience, self-reflection, and a willingness to embrace the discomfort that often accompanies change.

What it feels like: nothing is happening, uneasy, waiting, wanting to go back to old patterns, temptation to start something new, dark thoughts

STAGE 9: TRANSFORMATION

This is when we’re back on track after working your way out of the dip, rut or rock bottom. It’s a powerful time, where you are able to appreciate the work you’ve put in to reach new heights while focusing on your big vision for the future, and taking tangible steps to getting there.

What it feels like: progress, acceptance, self-awareness, excitement

In an overwhelming world, small steps toward mental resilience can lead to transformation. At MORE Mental Health, we provide tools to empower you. It's never too late to prioritize your mental health and take ownership of your life. What steps are you taking today to nurture your well-being? Share in the comments!

SteHan Botha