Practice Self Care by Removing Figurative Masks

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Julie Apold

Humans are wired for genuine social connection. People who are more isolated than they want to be find they are less happy, their health declines earlier in midlife, their brain functioning declines sooner, and they live shorter lives than people who are not lonely. To realize the benefits of our social connections, we need to be our true selves and take off the figurative masks of who we think we need to be and be who we are.

The well-known poem "Masks" by Sheldon Allan Silverstein highlights two people who are soulmates but never find each other because they fail to show their true selves. The poem can have many meanings, but it underscores the importance of self-acceptance, acceptance of others, and being your true self.

You can encourage those in your communities to improve their social connections by sharing the masks poster and providing opportunities to share and celebrate what is unique about each person in your community. 

Happiness is contagious; pass it on!

Visit the Self Care for Safe Care site to find resources and tools for bringing Social Connections to your community this month. This is the fourth of six Self Care for Safe Care activities designed to build our resilience and increase our sense of happiness and wellbeing. 

For more information on Self Care for Safe Care or our other resiliency and mental health support resources, reach out to Julie Apold or Terri Foley.