I can say with almost complete confidence that the title of this blog post – like its proverbial-inspiration1 – is not correct, in that no matter how excellent a book may be, you may still need to seek the support of a healthcare professional if you are struggling with your mental health. However, being a semi-professional bookworm (yes, I gave myself that title), I can say that books can be very powerful in exploring and managing our moods.
Research has shown the many benefits of sitting down with a good story; it can improve our concentration and focus, it can support promote self-awareness and aid relaxation, and when stories are discussed with others, via a book club or online forum, it can also help with social wellbeing2.
These benefits are nowhere near more evident than in the statistics published over the last year; as more of us have been feeling depressed and anxious during quarantine3, book sales have been at an all time high4 and those who have been reading have been reporting using it to help with how they have been feeling5.
But even before COVID-19 reared its ugly head, we often heard about the relationship between stories and mental health; picture Bridget Jones riffling through her plethora of, arguably terrible, self-help books, or consider the recent influx of literary TV adaptations that explore suicide, self-harm and complex mental health problems – see 13 Reasons Why, Normal People etc. Whether these depictions are helpful or not is a question for another blog post, but it is clear that we use stories to explore and support our mental health in different ways; whether that be as an escape from our own realities, as a moment of catharsis or as an opportunity for learning more about our own experiences.
I think the main reason why I pick up a book is to escape from reality. Life can be rough; the gruelling monotony of the daily commute and navigating those awkward interactions in the office can be irksome enough, never mind the really difficult stuff. Plus, a lot of the time, we may not be in a position to change our realities for the better. So an escape to a new, fantastical world, filled with exciting characters and storylines is needed. If you’re looking for a bookish escape, may I recommend The Princess Bride by William Goldman – it’s the classic fairy tale format that we’re all familiar with, but told in the most adult way; a perfect combination of romantic satire and action-packed thrill, plus an incredibly unreliable narrator that makes confusion fun. See my review here.
An interesting and often therapeutic part of the reading process occurs when we experience our own emotions as a by-product of reading about those of the characters’. Catharsis may not always be the main motive for picking up a book, but when you find a story that provides relief from your own mood – essentially giving you an opportunity to feel all of the feels – it usually stays with you for a long time afterwards. Often, we’re not quite ready to express those feelings to others, never mind consider them ourselves, so using a story to recognise them, even if it is only for a moment, can be very important in managing your mental health. I have a couple of recommendations for books that offer an opportunity for catharsis, both cover serious topics so I would advise doing further research before picking these up; A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara tells the story of a group of friends growing up in New York and deals with some very difficult experiences (trigger warnings here for almost everything terrible that can happen to a person, but most relevant are self-harm, suicidal thoughts and attempts, physical and sexual abuse etc.). The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is considered a semi-autobiographical narrative of Plath’s own experiences, as we follow our protagonist from a summer internship at a fashion magazine in New York through to her admittance at a mental health hospital after attempting suicide (again trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, depression etc.). See my review here.
Enjoying a story because of the learning opportunities is incredibly valuable; whether you’ve picked up a book with the intention of wanting to know more about a particular topic – think self-help books here – or whether on reading, you realise you’ve learnt something new, it all counts! We can acquire helpful knowledge from stories that we can apply to real life, which can have a positive effect on our own mental health. For example, in picking up books by authors from different cultures, we can learn more about the experiences and challenges of a group of people that we otherwise may not know much about. From this, we can evaluate our own attitudes and change our behaviour to become better friends, professionals and allies. If you’re looking for a story that can provide you with a valuable learning opportunity then I would recommend The Beauty Of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah. This is the fictional story of a daughter of Palestinian immigrants, who we follow from her childhood years experiencing bigotry from her peers, through her family’s experiences in America longing for their homeland, to present day where, as the principal of a Muslim school for girls, she must face-off against a radicalized school shooter. See my review here.
So, have my arguments convinced you enough to pick up a book? Maybe, maybe not. But perhaps, just knowing the power that a good story can have in supporting you with your mood is the only take away you need. I can promise, however, that there is at least one special book out there for everyone, just waiting to be found and enjoyed. If you want to talk more about mental health or stories, then come find me on Instagram where I post about all of this and more (handle @stories_with_hope), and happy reading!
1An excellent and fun how-did-they-get-the-funding-for-this study on why an apple a day does not, in fact, keep the doctor away https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420713/
2Liverpool uni study on benefits of reading https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/media/livacuk/iphs/web_version_therapeutic_benefits_of_reading_final_report_Mar.pdf
3Quarantine = more anxiety and depression https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7566017/
4The Guardian article on book sales https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/25/bookshops-defy-pandemic-to-record-highest-sales-for-eight-years
5The Guardian article on reading in Lockdown https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/15/research-reading-books-surged-lockdown-thrillers-crime
