The spatial patterning or arrangement of things in your life is an important tool for understanding yourself and others. When you are aware of this concept, you can apply it to all areas of your life – work, relationships, health, etc.

The way that people arrange themselves around someone else can tell you a lot about them. For example, when someone comes across as very confident and competent, they may sit with their legs crossed, lean back slightly, and look up at their conversation partner with confidence. On the other hand, someone who is insecure will typically keep their feet together, put their hands on the table, and look down at the floor.

This article will discuss some examples of how the spatial patterns of different individuals relate to their mental health, and what you can do to improve your mental wellness.

Patterns in weight

The next pattern we will look at comes down to something most people are naturally inclined towards- eating! As mentioned earlier, humans develop habits, so it is no surprise that as kids grow up they develop patterns of behavior.

One such thing is how many times per day someone eats. Kids who eat a lot as children often continue this habit as adults, which is why you may know some people who love food and can eat a ton of junk foods daily, or maybe there’s a person who loves to exercise and learn about nutrition healthfully.

Either way, these individuals have learned how to enjoy food due to their bodies being conditioned to consume frequent meals.

This concept applies not only to those with an appetite for food but also to athletes and fitness enthusiasts who understand the value of nutritional supplementation.

People who research healthy diets recognize that adequate intake of nutrients like magnesium helps keep bones strong while limiting calories aids in weight loss. Both of these relate directly to height growth.

When I was a kid, my parents would always tell me “an empty stomach is not a good place for your child to be.” They made sure I had enough food during childhood development, which probably helped explain my tall stature.

Patterns in length

Another way to look at this is how much space there is between people as they walk around together. If there are lots of close encounters, then you have a crowd or cluster of people. Or if everyone is spread out away from each other, then you have a space or gap.

In both cases, this means that it’s harder for your body to know who it is safe to use as a reference point. You don’t have anyone next to you so you can’t rely on their height to help you determine what part of the floor is safe to step onto.

This also applies to tall people. Because there aren’t many people with similar heights to them, it’s more difficult for their minds to work out where the safety boundaries are.

It may be helpful to think about it like when someone is very drunk. It’s hard for them to keep track of their own feet because they don’t know whether the ground is stable or not.

Patterns in breadth

Another way to look at this is patterns in breadths, or how wide an object is. If you take a close look at most tall buildings, you will see that they are usually wider at the top than they are at the base. This creates a very dramatic shape as it contrasts with the narrower height.

This was done for two reasons. The first is aesthetic – designers like creating interesting shapes which appeal to the eye. The second is structural – being broader up, the building can bear more weight since there’s more surface area.

It is similar to why some people have wider shoulders than their chests- you get greater support from the shoulder region of your body. It also helps people feel bigger and less constrained by the size of the torso!

In nature, we see examples of this all the time. Take a look around at any tree at sunset - the trunk gets thinner towards the forest floor, while the branches become thicker and longer.

Patterns based on location

The second major pattern in population distribution arises when there are no tall buildings or structures around to influence how close people live together.

This type of spatial pattern emerges because people choose where to live, not just for the housing options but also due to community amenities like schools, places to work, etc.

These other factors play an important role in determining what size house you can afford, so people with similar budget constraints will often settle in areas with access to these things.

As a result, we see patterns where populations cluster along certain routes accessible from home (for example, if most people commute by car). We also see clusters of houses next to each other, since it’s relatively easy to find a place within your budget that offers this convenience.

We refer to this structure-free pattern as one that is “location-based.” It means that although there may be some variation in height depending on the availability of hills or coastlines, otherwise nothing much gets in the way of people living near each other.

Patterns based on income

The pattern of height across ethnic groups is one important way to determine where in America people are experiencing growth or decline in height. Looking at it this way, we can see that white Americans have experienced the most dramatic increase in average heights, while Asian Americans have seen the least amount of change.

Overall heights have increased the most for whites, which may be due to them having higher incomes than other racial groups. This includes both direct benefits from earning more money and indirect benefits such as being able to afford better food, health care, and education.

For Asians, overall heights have decreased slightly since the early 2000s, even though they’ve got taller average faces. This could be because many countries are experiencing rapid economic development, which allows young individuals to stay indoors and avoid play areas with lots of children their age. Or it could indicate an epidemic of obesity among the population at large.

Patterns based on preferences

The pattern of heights we see in our society comes down to two main factors: patterns based on personal preference, and physical limitations.

As children grow up, they develop different height preferences. Some kids prefer being tall over short, while others enjoy being very thin.

Some parents pass this preference on to their offspring, making one child much taller than the other. This can create an imbalance that may be difficult to resolve as adults.

A kid who is shorter than his or her peers may feel insecure or inadequate. At times, it can even contribute to self-hatred.

It’s like when you were little and would watch people eat dessert after dinner — you don’t understand why everyone gets such big pieces but you get nothing.

This can lead to feelings of deprivation and hunger. It also creates anxiety because you want something that other people have, which may make you think about dieting or going without food so you won’t be hungry.

The more anxious you are, the longer it takes to lose weight. That could mean a lot of wasted effort for someone with body image issues.

There are many reasons why some people seem to be “taller” than others. Sometimes, genetics play a role.

But most often, it’s due to parent-child interaction. If your mom was short, chances are you’ll remain short yourself.

Patterns based on dreams

We develop patterns of behavior, actions, and beliefs based on our experiences in life. For example, as a child you may have watched your parents get into an argument frequently and see how this affected their relationship with each other, so later in life, you would avoid arguments like the plague.

We can trace these effects beyond just relationships between people – they continue to influence what you believe about yourself and the world around you.

For instance, if growing up with angry, distant parents made you feel bad about yourself, then at an early age, you’d start believing that nobody is worth keeping happy or that you are not.

This affects your self-esteem and overall happiness in your life. If you ever felt that you didn't belong anywhere or were afraid to take risks, because you did not think you had anything to show for it, then you kept yourself from doing things that could lead to success.

These habits of inaction are very common when someone has low self-confidence. It goes deeper than “I am too shy to go out” or “I cannot manage my money well enough to afford this restaurant meal,” - they lack confidence in themselves as human beings.

One theory suggests that there is a link between having lower self-confidence and developing eating disorders.

Patterns based on nature

The pattern formed by heights in this diagram represents natural shapes like triangles, squares, circles, and so on. These patterns are not only seen in buildings, but also in landscapes, rivers, mountains, and more!

Triangles occur most frequently in these diagrams with three peaks. This pattern is called an equilateral triangle or a ladder shape. You can also see it as having one tall peak over to the right next to a shorter one going down along the left side.

Squares have four equal sides, making them look tidy. A square dip occurs when there is a valley between two opposite walls. An example of this is the U-shape of your thumb and index finger when you hold up your hand.

Circle patterns resemble rings that get thinner towards the center. Circles are typically the smallest pattern used in the design, looking pretty much every color.

Landscapes contain many different shaped hills and valleys which create the eye some focus and relaxation. Rivers and oceans tend to follow a well-defined curve, creating a sense of calmness. Mounds such as mottled hills or volcanoes add interest to the landscape.