Code-Switching: 6 Ways It’s Affecting You Mentally

Code-switching amongst the black community in institutions, corporate spaces, and around other races involves perplexing cognitive flexibility and shows how diverse you can be mentally, emotionally, and characteristically.

However, it can take a toll on your mental state and how you self-identify outside of code-switching instances and situations.

Wondering what it can do to you in the long run? Check out these 6 ways it can affect you mentally:

Your self-esteem may take a hit.

Code-switching for a lot of teens and young adults may come at a pivotal time in their lives where they are in the stage of “finding themselves”.

They may feel they need to code-switch in order to fit in so they won’t get bullied, questioned, or sought out for just being different.

You may not know when to turn it off.

Code-switching can be quite easy to turn on and off, however, if you find yourself consistently in the code-switching mode, you may not know when or be able to turn it off after a while.

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You’re re-programming your brain when you are code-switc.

Every time you code-switch you’re essentially training your brain to act on trigger words, vernaculars, racial groups, financial statuses and in intimidating moments.

Your self-identity may change.

Code-switching may come with transgressions on who you self-identify yourself as.

In these instances, one may code-switch so often that they may think this is the way the majority of “respected society” acts, speaks, writes, and expresses themselves – so I should too.

They ultimately associate things like financial success, upper neighborhoods, top-ranked schools, and outer appearances with the way in which they choose to speak and act.

You can end up mentally drained from code-switching.

Code-switching comes along with the task of balancing it all.

You have to essentially juggle who you truly are, with how you want to be presented as and seen.

You have to now balance how you speak, how you dress, how you walk, your responses, your facial expressions, your laugh, your choices in food, music, and your stances on everyday news and politics.

It’s a never-ending juggling act that will leave you drained and affected.

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You may forget who you are.

Through all of this, you end up with just you.

At the end of the day, when you’re home alone or with your close family and friends, you may feel disconnected in some sort of way.

Maybe it’s due to all of the extremities of code-switching you’ve had to do the majority of your day and week. Or due to you now relating more to the other side of the coin. Whichever it may be, code-switching will always come with a price.

Do you code-switch? Chime in on the conversation on www.BlackDoctor.org.