Embedded Files
Enjoyed this campaign?
For those of you who would like to have a campaign target to work towards, why not keep pace with the Masked Man?
The Masked Man is a non-competitive marathon runner. We will be sharing his story of how running became his respite, amidst giving his best at work and at home.
We will also be sharing the number of steps he takes each week, so that you can keep pace too – you are not in this journey alone!
Part 1: Why do you wear a mask?
Persons diagnosed with a mental condition normally experience denial. Denial is a common reaction before accepting a mental illness. An added pain is the social stigma associated with it. Society needs to be educated, to be caring, to dismiss the many myths and misunderstandings of mental illness so as not to trivialize the grieving person. There are reasons as to why a person wears a mask. I wear a mask to hide myself and to shield my loved ones from our unsympathetic social culture.
Number of steps: 383,428
Part 2: How did you work self-care into your schedule?
Prior to my caregiving role, I was a workaholic and occasionally walked and jogged. As a caregiver I was very stressed and neglected self-care, which weakened my health. I was stressed wearing two hats to cope at work and at home. At one of my regular visits to the GP, the doctor asked me, “why did you stop jogging?” This set off a decision to resume my jog on a regular basis. After a while, my mental and physical resilience bounced back and I continued to reap the benefits of regular exercise. Ultimately, I participated in running marathons.
Another part of my work-life balance is to spend quiet time with nature and most significantly is my faith in God.
Number of steps: 529,049
Part 3: Will the masked man unmask?
Some of us may wear different types of mask for several reasons. We may wear a visible mask or an invisible mask. The mask that I wear has layers and each layer conceals a private self. I may unmask the outer shell, only to reveal a mask within a mask. To unmask each layer takes time, courage, trust and confidence. I look ahead to un-shield when my loved one is ready to unmask the masked man.
Number of steps: 724,443
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse