4 Reasons to Take Off Your Mask

We all wear different masks in our lives – it is part of human nature. All masks serve a function, more often than not they serve as a form of self-protection when necessary and appropriate.

Maybe you’ve experienced past hurt, and feel the need to put on emotional masks to protect yourself from the pain of being vulnerable with others.

Maybe you fear rejection, and so put on identity masks that will help you “fit in”. Or maybe you’re in a situation that you’re just not used to or comfortable in, and put on situational masks so that you can just “fake it till you make it”.

But what happens when these masks become overused? You run the risk of losing touch with your true, authentic self – who you are, how you feel, or what you value. And, barriers in your relationships may begin to appear and become more difficult to break down.

Here are 4 steps that you can take to become more aware of the masks you wear and begin taking them off!

1.  Think About How Your Mask Looks to You & to Others

Think about how your mask looks to you and to others when you put it on and when, or IF you ever take it off. You may not even remember when you started wearing it. Maybe you don’t even know that you’re trying to protect yourself.

Whatever it may be, realizing the fact that you ARE wearing a mask is the first step to being able to take it off.

2.  Recognize the Costs in Your Personal & Professional Life

Many people are unaware of the damage masks can have on trust in their most important relationships.

You may want to ask yourself: How do the masks you wear affect your relationships? Can I be my authentic self with this person?

Here’s the thing. You have to WANT to take off your mask. Understanding the damaging effects that your masks might be creating in your life, might help you see the benefits of chucking those masks out the door.

3.  Realize That Your Mask is Not Who You Are

To be able to accept yourself, you need to know yourself. So get real with yourself!

Spend some time discovering who you are as a person, get back in tune with your emotions, and allow yourself to know and feel every single part of who you are instead of repressing them. If you want to change something, consider it a growing opportunity.

Once you know how you feel, who you are, and what you like, you can begin accepting yourself instead of judging or being ashamed of yourself.

4.  Take ACTION!

Get real with yourself, with others, and be open to dropping the mask and committing to doing whatever it takes to become authentically you.

Commit to loving every single part of your being. Love yourself now, and encourage yourself to be even better in the future. Because if you can’t love yourself, it’s almost impossible to truly love somebody else.

With these steps, hopefully you will find the courage to take off those masks. If you would like to experience the freedom of being your authentic self, schedule an appointment with me today. I can help.