21/01/2024
We all have things we want to keep secret.
There are situations when keeping quiet is required if we know that disclosing a secret could hurt us or others. The safety of people comes first at all times.
Sometimes though, we can hide aspects of ourselves or what we’ve been through, for fear of being judged by others.
This fear that looms over us can be awful. Its presence might have a daily impact on us, whether consciously or unintentionally. Some days we can manage the fear, while on others, it feels overwhelming and leads us into panic.
Hiding aspects of our lives, ourselves and the experiences we have lived through, can be hard work, taking a lot of mental effort. This affects our mental health. To manage this we might push these secrets out of our awareness. Alternatively, we can anxiously make sure to keep them out of sight of others, to avoid feeling judged.
We often see ourselves through the eyes of the child inside of us, judging the parts of us that we feel should remain hidden. A child’s viewpoint lacking an adult’s perspective. This means, rather than realising we can be open about what we want to communicate and maintain the love and support of others, we feel alone and become engrossed in the conflicts, fears, and shame that reside inside our heads.
Building awareness that it’s ok to be more transparent about who we are can be vital. We might be able to relieve some of our mental burden by sharing aspects about ourselves with other people, which can improve our overall wellbeing.
