"If" by Rudyard Kipling, A Poem for Motivation and Mental Health
Updated: 1 day ago
As World Mental Health Day approaches, we asked our community a question: what writing, specifically poetry, has carried you through hard times, or pushed you forward when you needed it?
Some of our best conversations about mental health have happened on our late night rucking sessions, in the dark and close to midnight. Strip away the distractions, leaving the weight on your back, with hours with nothing to do but walk and what's left is the real stuff: purpose, pain, and pushing past the things we're each quietly working through. And sometimes, when we're solo and the self-talk starts, a few lines of a song or a poem is what carries you through.
Here's a poem that speaks to keeping a cool head under pressure, "If" by Rudyard Kipling. (1865 to 1936)
If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
Final Thoughts
Poetry can give words to feelings that are sometimes difficult to express directly. Reading a poem, or writing one ourselves, can help us pause, reflect and make sense of experiences that might otherwise feel confusing or overwhelming. It can create a little space between what we feel and how we respond.
Is there a piece of literature or poetry that has affected, supported or inspired you?
Poetry isn't a substitute for professional support when we need it, but it can be a simple and accessible tool for reflection and emotional wellbeing. Sometimes, a few carefully chosen words can help us see our own experience from a different perspective. And if you are a veteran, in Singapore, consider joining Sandbag Asia, a registered society and support network for ex-service members.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Related Studies and Resources
Kassab A, Jayatunge R, Bou Khalil R. The therapeutic functions of poetry in mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2026 Feb;356:116897. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116897. Epub 2025 Dec 11. PMID: 41411711.
Johnson-Laird PN, Oatley K. How poetry evokes emotions. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2022 Apr;224:103506. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103506. Epub 2022 Jan 29. PMID: 35101737.
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