Finding Perspective: Understanding Our Emotions

Newsletter #3

Perspective is like a compass for our minds, guiding how we see and handle life's ups and downs, especially when it comes to mental health.

It’s easy to dismiss an offer of perspective as invalidating - well meaning comments about how there’s “always someone worse off” is not particularly helpful when you’re struggling.

It's not just about thinking positively; it's about understanding our emotions and situations clearly. This helps us handle challenges better and bounce back from setbacks. When we face tough times, a good perspective can even help us find meaning and opportunities for growth.

Having a healthy perspective means seeing things in a balanced way

I once listened to an amazing live speaker (with a long history of mental health problems) who suffered a profound set of injuries after falling off a stage. While she spent months in hospital in recovery and rehabilitation, she chose to only read books about the holocaust. She said it was impossible to feel sorry for herself while reading about incomprehensible trauma and so she focused on getting better instead.

Did it make her trauma, pain or distress any less? No. Probably not.

But it certainly shifted her perspective. It gave her the ability to see her challenges with clarity and resilience. It gave her strength in a really difficult time and no doubt helped her to appreciate what she did have (such as family to visit her, a chance to recover, access to healthcare etc).

In some situations, it’s extremely hard to find perspective but I challenge you to try anyway. I myself, have had a huge dose of perspective this week and I certainly plan to practice a whole bunch of extra gratitude and not take anything for granted.

Have a wonderful week,

Bec x