Mental health and body image

For Mental Health Awareness Week Mr Seidler, Head of Academics, talks about how our perception of our body image can be warped, and explains how the school has been promoting positive body image through reflective and energising activities this week.

With the taunt ‘Hey, kid. Take off your mask!’ ringing in his ears, Rocky Dennis starts his first day at high school. Rocky suffers from a condition called ‘lionitis’ that causes calcium to build up in the skull leading to severe facial disfigurement,  the ‘mask’ that also gives the name to the 1985 film telling his true story.

Rocky knew from experience how people react to him and earlier that morning his mother had been reassuring him things would turn out well because he is more beautiful inside than most people. And so it proves: Rocky quickly makes friends through his sense of humour and warmth.

Later, in a pivotal scene, Rocky’s family and friends visit a funfair and in the distorting mirror in the Hall of Mirrors, Rocky’s inner beauty is revealed.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme is ‘Body Image: How we think and feel about our bodies’. The poster (featuring a mirror) suggests that what we see in the mirror has a bearing on how we think and feel about ourselves and this is why we started with the story about Rocky Dennis.

Rocky knows his body is different. He also knows this difference has an impact on how other people think and feel about him; at the funfair he is called a horrible, derogatory name by one of the ride operators. Inevitably this has an impact on how he thinks and feels about himself. This is why the scene in the Hall of Mirrors is so moving: for once Rocky’s image matches what he is really like.

However, although we use the phrase ‘mirror image’ to mean something is so accurate it is pretty much identical, the fact is our mirror image presents to us the reverse of what everyone else sees. Mirrors actively distort our body image.

So, what we have been thinking about this week is how body image is closely linked with our mental health. If we have a poor image of our bodies, we are more likely to engage in destructive behaviours.

One driver of a poor image of our bodies is the comparisons we constantly and often sub-consciously make with those around us. In the past we just looked at our neighbours for a benchmark of success.

In the era of social media we have many, many more comparisons. It is estimated that the average Facebook user can see into the lives of 338 friends and that’s before the unrealistic ideals we are shown in the worlds of fashion, cosmetics and celebrity culture sink in. It’s no surprise that day by day our confidence that we are happy in our skins is chipped away.

How harmful these comparisons can be depends in part on the degree to which we believe that what we see is an accurate portrayal of reality. To remind us that it really isn’t, there were a couple of fairground mirrors in school during the week for you to experiment with and reflect both physically and mentally on how unreliable self-image can be.

If lack of positive self-image harms our wellbeing then the opposite is also true: the more comfortable you are with your body, the greater your overall wellbeing. We planned some events for this week with this in mind.

Being out and about and active in the natural world is a great way to feel good about yourself so Chris Nelson who looks after our gardens has run a session on gardening.

Eating good food means our bodies are healthy and so are our minds. Mrs Landshoff has run a session on healthy cooking for those who want to learn more about this.

Yoga is a discipline that promotes positive body image, relieves stress and gives you space from harmful competitive comparisons with others. You’ve had the chance to try it out in a couple of lunchtime sessions.

There has also been the opportunity to meet the counsellor and nurses and ask them any questions about body image, mental wellness and other issues.

Each lunchtime there has also been a return of the popular sing-along screenings of popular musicals. We hope you’ve been able to have a giggle this week, as well as reflecting on body image and strengthening a positive perception of yourself and others.