What are metaphors?
Metaphors are far more than simply the creative writing flourish we learn about in school; they function by connecting two different topics by referring to one as though it is the other. This can take many forms including language, imagery, even thought structure. Many metaphors go unnoticed because they’re so commonly used: “warm welcome,” some are conventional phrases: “love is war,” whilst others are deliberately used for creative expression: “icy stare”.
Metaphors are especially useful for communicating intense, personal, complicated, or abstract experiences where literal language is insufficient, making them an ideal resource for expressing our feelings. Our everyday language already makes use of this in ways you may not have realised. For example, when we refer to internal states like being “full of joy,” “boiling over with anger,” or “feeling empty,” we are describing people as containers for different emotions.
How are metaphors relevant to mental health?
Although mental health can affect physical wellbeing, it is primarily based in thoughts and emotions rather than measurable symptoms; there is no thermometer for an emotional fever. Metaphors provide a way to communicate these abstract symptoms, especially for young people who likely cannot put their experiences into the same terms that adults or health professionals would normally use.
Metaphor can perform several functions, all of which are useful when discussing mental health:
Distancing Being honest about our emotional state is not always easy, especially for young people who are negotiating their image and may not feel comfortable being expressive. By discussing sensitive matters indirectly through more neutral topics, metaphors make it a little easier to open up.
Personalising Being young is a turbulent time filled with heightened emotions. Metaphors are a useful way to express intense feelings by forming personalised, vivid descriptions which feel most appropriate to their personal situation, rather than generic terms like ‘sad’ or ‘angry’.
Explaining Metaphorical analogies are already common in teaching as they can help to explain complex topics and concepts by comparing them to simpler or more relatable things. This is equally applicable when addressing subjects around mental health and wellbeing.
Reframing Sometimes, a perspective change can make all the difference to someone’s wellbeing. Metaphors are already structured to encourage viewing one concept as though it is something else, making them ideal supports for reframing an issue or emotion into a less intimidating or more manageable one.
How can teachers use metaphors to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing?
Listen Each metaphor contains a literal topic in disguise. Listen carefully to what someone might really be referring to when they use metaphors and you might gain insight into their issue sooner, without needing them to be explicit about something they either don’t want to or can’t express directly.
Assess If someone uses metaphors instead of literal language, it’s likely for one of the reasons mentioned above. Assess the function of their metaphor, and you might better understand what they’re seeking, e.g. to feel personally understood, or to open up about something difficult for them.
Engage Noticing the topic being used to create a metaphor lets you respond in kind. Engaging with someone else’s metaphors by mirroring their language or expanding on the themes involved can make them feel understood, and helps to reach solutions that are compatible with how they view their problem.
Encourage Someone struggling to discuss their mental health may not start out with metaphors. Encouraging them to form figurative descriptions for their situation and feelings gives them permission to face uncomfortable topics indirectly or communicate things they may not have the ‘proper’ terms to describe. However, the appropriateness of this method should be gauged on a case-by-case basis for the individuals and topics involved; sometimes it is most important to be as certain as possible of how serious a young person’s situation is.
Beyond just talking about emotions, metaphors lend well to expression through forms other than language. As part of developing emotional literacy, children begin forming associations between concepts like ‘happiness’ and ‘sunshine’, or ‘sadness’ and ‘rain’. Encouraging connections between the abstract and the tangible will help young people to find other ways to express themselves when their existing language does not yet include the items they need. For more information and guided workshops promoting children’s emotional literacy through creativity, see our resources on zines.
Metaphor comprehension in young people
Research suggests that young people can begin processing non-literal language to a limited extent from as early as age 3, and that this rapidly develops alongside their other language skills. However, since understanding metaphor requires forging connections between topics in our minds, the strength of this cognitive development is not consistent for every child.
Inexperience Not knowing a wide enough variety of items and concepts will limit children’s points of reference. Though this should naturally improve with age and life experience, it can help to provide a stimulating environment which regularly introduces new and varied concepts.
Difficulty processing abstract thought As young minds grow, they become increasingly able to understand figurative language, but factors like neurodivergence or learning difficulties can hinder this process to varying extents. Being more aware of metaphor can help you to recognise when you use it automatically and provide a more literal explanation for children who appear to struggle with the abstract.
Teacher wellbeing
As with all matters of wellbeing, taking time to focus on areas such as language and communication helps to build an outlook that feeds into the interactions a teacher has with the young people they support. Whilst we are preparing to help others we must also look after ourselves. We’ve got some advice and guidance on this in the teacher wellbeing section.
