What does “Project Hail Mary” reveal about navigating mental health challenges?

Earlier this spring, I had the opportunity to go see Project Hail Mary and I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t seen it yet!

Overview

The movie centers around a middle-school science teacher, Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, who finds himself alone in space, with no memories of who he is.  Soon, he discovers he is a long way from home with no way to return: this space exploration is a suicide mission. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Ryland Grace navigates loneliness, relationships, and his identity, all while trying to figure out how to prevent the sun from dying and save life on Earth as we know it. 

Even though the main focus of the movie is about science and adventure, as I watched the film, I noticed several moments where its characters embodied strategies for navigating and coping with difficult situations to develop strength and perseverance. The movie’s core message resonated to me as a reminder of how a person can keep going, especially when it feels impossible.

Although it may sound surprising,  I believe Project Hail Mary can teach us a lot about mental health and what we can do to better take care of ourselves. So for this blog, I’ll be exploring how the movie depicts mental health struggles and the coping strategies we can learn from it!

 

Choosing Connection Over Isolation

At the beginning of the film, Ryland Grace is shocked to discover an alien spaceship and realizes there is someone else out there in space with him. As the  spaceship approaches, and sends a message his way, the audience is almost expecting Grace to ignore this message. In his state of shock, it would have been understandable to ignore the bid for connection,  close himself off, and accept his isolation with a sense of hopelesness.  It’s common to see action heroes who choose a path of dogged individualism, who choose to save the world all by themself, despite the risk that comes with closing yourself off from external support.

What makes Ryland Grace remarkable is that he does the exact opposite - we see Grace literally leap into the unknown toward connection despite his personal struggles up to this point. Tethered to his ship, he jumps out into the darkness of space, and catches the message from the alien ship. Crucially, this one simple action catalyzes an essential relationship with the alien, who the audience comes to know as "Rocky," which has lasting impacts on Grace's well-being and an essential teammember in the mission to save Earth.

So how does this connect to mental health challenges? Well, often when we are going through a hard time, it can be easy to isolate ourselves and not reach out for help when we need it. I know when I’m stressed out or struggling, sometimes the last thing I want to do is socialize with other people. Even though it seems counter-intuitive, research shows that making connections with others actually make it easier to cope with stress and mental health challenges.

Sometimes asking for support can feel daunting - like Ryland Grace’s fear of  jumping out into space - wondering if we might float away in the thick of our struggle.  However, we can tether ourselves to our connections (like how Grace ties himself to his spaceship) as not to float away using one of these strategies to make the ask for support feel more manageable (and less like hucking yourself into space!)

Here are some ideas to consider the next time you’re feeling lost or spaced out:

• • Asking a friend to join you for a study session: You don’t necessarily have to share what’s on your mind while you tackle your homework, but even the presence of another person working on a shared task can help alleviate the feeling that you’re all alone at this moment.
  • Going on a walk with a family member: Regular movement is highly recommended as a physiological way to improve mental health experiences. Even spending as little as 10 minutes per day outside in nature can have a beneficial effect! If you’re unable to connect with a family member, try connecting with others by smiling at those you pass on your walk, listening to the sounds of birds and nature, and widening your presence to the world outside of your brain. 
  • Ask someone if you can vent: Whether this feels best in person, over the phone, or via texting, think of someone you trust for emotional support during tough times. Before spilling what’s on your mind, make sure to check their bandwidth and see if they can handle a conversation about emotions. This can sound like:
    • “Hey do you have a moment for me to run something by you; I’m sort of in a funk. If not now, let me know when it’s a good time to talk” 
    • “Is now a good time to talk? I really need to let off some steam about a situation at work for like 10 minutes.”
    • “Can I send you a voice memo with a rant about school I need to get off my chest?”
  • Connect with a mental health hotline: Did you know the most common use of mental health hotlines is to seek connection? Not everyone who uses a hotline is actively suicidal, and because there are live operators on the phones, these resources can be an effective way to connect with someone even if you aren’t feeling particularly at risk but need to talk to someone.

 

Radical Acceptance: How to Accept What We Cannot Change

In a similar vein to seeking connection, Project Hail Mary depicts another common coping strategy to navigate mental health challenges: acceptance. Throughout the movie, Grace struggles to understand that he will never get to go home, but tries to convince himself and Rocky that he feels at peace with it. When Rocky graciously offers Grace extra fuel to go home, Grace breaks down, and reveals that he was pushing down his emotions and did truly want to return to Earth. He declares that "people do not ever really make peace with hard things, it is just something they say" to try and accept a difficult circumstance.

However, acceptance here does not mean that we are okay with the pain and hardships we face. Rather, practicing radical acceptance involves  “acknowledging and embracing the present moment, including its difficulties and discomforts, without trying to change or control it. Radical acceptance is about recognizing that some parts of life are beyond our control…fully accepting our reality and letting go of the bitterness we may feel.”

While we may not be able to change our situation, we can move away from hopelessness and toward action after acknowledging the present moment as it is. Another moment where I admired Grace’s strength and willingness to keep going is when he discovers that his participation in the mission was involuntary. After this realization, he lets himself feel sadness and despair. Here, the movie displays the importance of feeling our emotions as an essential requirement to moving forward. After connecting with his emotion, Grace is able to regroup, figure out what is in his control, make a plan, and continue on his mission to save Earth.

Although it is unlikely that any of us will get sent on an involuntary space mission,  it  probably that you may find yourself navigating a hard situation things that you don't get the choice about experiencing like grief or change. When a situation feels out of our control, we can learn from Grace’s example by letting ourselves feel our emotions and trying to practice radical acceptance of the challenges that come our way.

 

Moving Forward along our Mental Health Journey

Sometimes, mental health challenges might make us feel helpless, almost as if we are emotionally lost in space. While we may not be able to change our current situation, we have the power to choose how we want to move forward. In these moments, I encourage you to  radically  accept the hard and painful things that come your way and seek connection as much as possible. Support can come from reach ing out to friends, family, professors, andsome circumstances, it may also be beneficial to seek help from a professional, such as a therapist or psychiatrist.

If you’re struggling or just need some extra support, the University Counseling Center is a great resource to go to for any mental health concern. They offer medication management, individual and couples therapy, and support groups, where you can work on developing new relationships with others and even yourself. 

As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month this month, I want us all to remember that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Your mental health journey may have lots of ups and downs, and that’s okay. Healing does not happen overnight, nor should it; healing and growth take time.