Rising pop star speaks out for young people's mental health in Sussex

Rising pop star Eleni C wants all young people to know that they are special and that they shouldn’t ever let anyone take their sunshine away.
Eleni CEleni C
Eleni C

London-based Eleni has been able to resume her virtual tour of schools, delivering an important mental-health message in these deeply-troubling times.

One of the first schools she visited this year was the Cottesmore School in Crawley: “They were a lovely bunch of students. They were very interactive and asked lots of questions. They were between year nine and 11 and were great.

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“Prior to the onset of Covid, I would go out to schools promoting my music and also speaking to schools about mental health. Since Covid decided to join us, I had to put everything on hold, but towards the end of last year, my school tour manager arranged for me to take the tour online. I did one before Christmas, and I have just done my first two schools this year.”

The format is to mix music with her thoughts on mental health: “Mental health is always on the cards, but at the same time the school might ask me to talk about peer pressure or cyber bullying or social media. But I just feel so passionate about mental health. It is absolutely pivotal to everything.

“I grew up seeing loved ones going through depression and anorexia and addiction and I always swore to myself that if I was ever in a position to have a platform to talk about it and to make a difference, I would.

“It was a horrible experience. I felt so helpless. When you love somebody, when you see them going through something that bothers them or upsets them or hurts them, you just want to try to protect them. But then they are going through something like depression or addiction or anorexia, you just feel that helplessness because you know that it is their battle that they have to overcome.

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“You have just got to be there. Your job as the bystander or the loved one is to make them feel that maybe they don’t have a problem, that maybe they should go to a counsellor and that you will go with them.

“I am not going to shy away from the fact that I suffer from anxiety. As a performer, it is something that I have to go through on a regular basis. And I just try to say that this is your battle and this is my battle and let’s go through it together. And by doing that, perhaps they will have the confidence to open us. Sometimes people just need someone else to hold their hand to allow them to progress.

“The pandemic has made this an extremely difficult year for youngsters. It has taken away their normality to see their friends and to do the simple things that help them to alleviate stress… and people are feeling so secluded now because they don’t have the luxury to communicate with each other.

“I try to do as much Instagram live as I can. I use it to connect with my fanbase and to interact with them. I know it is not the same as a personal interaction, but I try to look on the bright side and make the most of what is possible.

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Social media has got its pros and cons. For me I have found that social media has been a fantastic way to connect to people all over the world and to stay connected with my fans but at the same time I do feel that social media does provide pressure in a way. You need to act in a certain way or look a certain way so that you can fit in.

“But I always say that when it comes to social media, the thing that will allow you to handle social media with confidence is that you have to be confident in yourself. If you have got a strong foundation and a strong understanding of your own worth, then social media can become a positive thing and open up lots of opportunities.

“But if you don’t feel you have that foundation, then my advice to you is to try to find that foundation, to try to speak to somebody about the insecurities that you have. By addressing them, the problems will no longer exist. By dealing with them you will become a much stronger person. You will be able to handle social media. You will be able to handle whatever comes your way.

“I just believe that good mental health is so pivotal. We all have something special about ourselves and should never allow anybody to take our sunshine away.”

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Eleni C’s new single Tug Of War comes out on February 12, an anthem projecting strength within a past toxic relationship. The track is about how to walk away from a situation that has broken.”