Background Blog: Why no man is an island

As I’ve been planning this project and sending out emails requesting support, the phrase, ‘No man is an island’, has been informing lots of my decisions. The opening line of Meditation 17 by John Donne, has lent me an ethos with which I’ve powered through confidence wobbles and phases of anxiety. If this walk could be used as a metaphor for managing mental health, then what this mantra means to me is that during the walk and in my day-to-day life:

I’ll not be scared about asking for help and I’ll accept help when it’s offered.

In my experience of anxiety and depression, the times of greatest despair have been when I was alone and more often than not, I had pushed people away so that I could be alone. It isn’t logical and many of the things we do in despair aren’t. I know now that if I’d reached out at the time, I did have friends, family and professionals willing to listen, to help, to just be there.

How many times have you offered to do that for someone else? Probably lots, because we, people, are generally nice, caring, considerate folk. Despite differences in age, culture, sexuality, ethics and many more things, we’re all in this world together. Even if you decide to opt out, head for the hills, live off-grid, you’ll still be a part of other people’s worlds because you’ll still be in their thoughts, possibly because they heard about some hermit up a hill and they’re a little bit envious of your simple life or because they knew you, liked you and miss you. Once you’ve entered someone else’s life, do you ever leave it?

Meditation 17 by John Donne, 1624

No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thy friend's Or of thine own were: Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind, And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.