If you ignore a ball being thrown to you, it will probably hit you in the face. One of the hardest things about coping with poor mental health is accepting the way you feel. When it’s hard to put into words, when you can’t see it, when there’s nothing ‘actually’ wrong, it can be easy to sweep it to the side and try to carry on. But ignoring the way we feel isn’t going to stop the feelings happening, it will just prolong the process of healing. Acceptance is the first step towards taking care of yourself, and allowing others to help. It’s ok to not be on top form and to feel a little out of it. We can’t all be at the top of our game all the time, that would be exhausting, and what does the “top of our game” even mean anyway? Not being ok, just like feeling on top of the world, is a part of life and trying to dismiss it because it is not helpful or “holding us back” is counterproductive. Allowing ourselves to accept our low moments and deal with them appropriately is just like allowing ourselves to experience happiness. Thoughts and feeling can be really scary, especially if they are negative, but letting them exist is the so important when it comes to supporting our mental health. It’s not always easy, or even possible to let our mental health take priority, but at least acknowledging our thoughts/feelings/emotions can allow us to deal with whatever is thrown at us in a slightly more stable manner. Pressure to succeed and achieve can be healthy motivation. In our jobs, social circles, family situations there is always pressure to be the best version of ourselves, but that’s not always how we feel and that pressure can be the thing that makes us feel like we are already failing. Learning to let that pressure alleviate by knowing that it is not always possible to be “our best self” is a really helpful way of dealing with everyday anxieties. Rarely will the day we feel in the best mood coincide with the day when we need to be in the best mood. There will always be that presentation to finish or that night out to go on or that coffee that we have already pushed back a few weeks, and even after admitting that we’re not doing so good we can get on with those things anyway. Not feeling 100% doesn’t have to put a stopper in the works, but it’s ok to let it permeate our day in a healthy way. Acknowledging that there is a problem doesn’t mean that the problem will take over, it’s just about allowed yourself to feel, and not telling yourself off. We are much more likely to catch a ball if we acknowledge that the ball is being thrown to us. Silent Faces return to VAULT Festival from 27 Feb - 3 March with A Clown Show About Rain, a dazzling physical comedy about the complexities of understanding and dealing with mental health.
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