Comments on: Your Mental Health: Mindfully Letting Down the Mask

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:51:47 +0000

I often find it difficult to relax even when performing these techniques. When trying to relax there is a voice which plays in the back of my mind cinstantly reminding me of past failures. Worried thoughts tend to overcome my mind resisting the very idea of relaxing and pointing me in the direction of uneasy thoughts. I am not sure how to overcome these thoughts.

By: Cara

Cara — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:14:14 +0000

Thank you for this very clear explanation about the “mask” and how to identify it and gently start removing it. I am having treatment here in the UK as despite being a “high flying” professional, unknown to my colleagues I have spent most of my adult life spending my time outside work not only with the physical tension of the wearing the mask on my body, but in fact, allowing the mask to close me down completely to feelings by excessive sleeping, sometimes for up to 72 hours at a time after a major court hearing for instance. I thought that I had chronic fatigue or something similar, but after many years of living this way, finally could go on no more and after full psychological assessment, my doctors have patiently helped me to understand that the chronic exhaustion and need to sleep often for days on end, is actually a manifestation of avoidance, i.e. another form of the mask, which goes back on when I am awake, in order to function. I have printed out a copy of your blog to keep in my handbag if that is ok, because it really explains clearly how the avoidance “coping” mechanism of blocking things out can start very early in life, as a necessity, but how it hinders us as adults. I am so appreciative that this has been explained to me and that I am gently and patiently being taught that by practising mindfulness I can truly have the courage to live in the present moment and that all of my (often extreme) emotions, feelings and thoughts, are actually “ok”, they will pass, and they can be simply observed and tolerated non-judgmentally. I don’t have to be in a semi-coma to survive them! The physical symptoms of tension, for me in the face, neck, head and upper back usually, that indicate that the mask is on, used to be the precursors to complete mental wipeout, where I would just have to lie down and sleep, unable to get warm, unable to digest food, with my body completely closed down because I “couldn’t cope” despite holding down a responsible job and being a so called high achiever. Not any more. The type of help that you are offering via blogs such as this one, truly transforms lives, if consistently applied. THANK YOU!

By: denise

denise — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:53:30 +0000

This is timely information for me as I have recently become aware that most of the tension that my body holds is in my face. I’ve been trying to consciously open my eyes wide and relax my jaw. I just realized that metaphorically speaking, you can’t really see clearly until your eyes are wide open and you can’t speak or communicate with a clenched jaw. Practically speaking, scowling gives you wrinkles. So, in fact, I’ve been wearing this virtual mask. But I can periodically catch myself at it and question what the emotion behind it is. Thanks for the article.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:13:53 +0000

Thank you! I’ve been struggling for the past few years with trying to remove the masks (I have several, depending on the situation) and I’m definitely going to add this mindfulness technique to my tool kit.

By: Feeling Fear? Lovingkindness - A Path to Healing | Mindfulness and Psychotherapy

Thu, 21 May 2009 16:42:19 +0000

[...] an earlier blog I explored the importance of letting down the mask that almost all of us put up in order to keep uncomfortable feelings at bay. I laid out a short [...]

By: Wes

Wes — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:06:26 +0000

RT @psychcentral Mindfulness Blog: Your Mental Health: Mindfully Letting Down the Mask @http://zz.gd/285268

By: PsychCentral

PsychCentral — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:03:50 +0000

Mindfulness Blog: Your Mental Health: Mindfully Letting Down the Mask @http://zz.gd/285268