Take off your Mask

Pretending to be happy is making you ill

I get it, it’s scary… The fear of exposing our true selves can be all consuming, terrifying even.

But, imagine you’re wearing a tight corset every day, crushing your ribs and internal organs just to appear slim and beautiful - putting on a show for others. You’re risking deformed ribs, breathing problems, digestive issues, restricted blood flow, muscle weakness, circulation issues and even organ displacement. Wouldn’t you take the corset off if you knew how much physical damage you were doing to your body and to feel your body relax into the shape and size it was meant to be?

Now, think of the Happy Mask as a corset on your mental health. It’s keeping all your not so attractive thoughts and feelings hidden, not just from others but from you too. In doing so, you’re building up a compression chamber… eventually your mind or body, or both, will pay the price. It’s not easy to take it off, but it sure isn’t easy wearing it either.. it’s tiring and heavy, believe me you will feel so much lighter being your authentic self there have even been studies which have shown that authenticity can combat the effects of loneliness, reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and physical health issues.

How do I know?

I wore my mask for almost 10 years until one day my body said enough is enough. My priorities were all wrong, I knew I wasn’t living the life I wanted and I’d become successful in business but lost my sense of self - does this sound familiar?

I wasn’t expressing my feelings of overwhelm. When asked “how are you?” I would respond with “I’m fine” and maybe even make out things were better than they actually were.

I didn’t take time to nourish my body with healthy food - take aways and meal deals became the norm.

Exercise wasn’t a priority, I had too much work to do and a family to take care of.

To keep going I relied on caffeine and sugar.

A simple recipe for burnout

Ingredients:

• High stress levels

• Overworking (long hours, no breaks)

• Lack of sleep

• Poor nutrition

• Neglecting personal interests and hobbies

Breaking Point

Exhaustion/Fatigue, Organs struggling to function, Brain Fog and Autoimmunity. The only option I was left with was complete rest or risk organ failure… That’s a wake up call none of us want.

Taking off the mask

I was physically broken, I had to discover how I’d ended up like this and it was then that I decided “If I couldn’t use my body, I’d have to use my mind.”

Self discovery, Self development, Self growth, Self improvement…whatever your preferred term is, the one thing they all have in common is the word SELF. Discovering my purpose and passions in life has been a game changer and my goal now is to share everything I’ve learned. Starting with the fact that it’s not selfish to take care of ourselves first, it’s a necessity.

Setting aside time to be our true, authentic selves and discovering what brings us real happiness is crucial. Happiness isn’t a constant feeling, it ebbs and flows like waves on a beach. When the tide is out, we may need to walk a bit further to reach the waves, but when the tide comes in, the sound and feel of the waves crashing at our feet lifts our souls. We must take ourselves to the beach regularly to see the waves and seek out happiness to feel joy.

If you enjoyed this post and want to cultivate a happier, more balanced life, hit the subscribe button. Hop on the Happiness Train, and we’ll take this journey together.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article, I hope you enjoyed it 💖