Tuesday 15 June 2021

The Connect Between Mental Health and Books



I just finished reading the book ‘Eleven Minutes’ by my favourite author ‘Paulo Coelho’. I know many of you may have your reservations against my choice and I respect that but I deeply am effected by his tales which leave a very lasting impact on me.

Eleven Minutes is a biographical account of a Brazilian prostitute, Maria. It has touched me at so many different levels. Her discovery of life and its secrets are phenomenal as are the amount of research put in this book. I had no clue many of them even existed. Paulo’s books are so full of carnal desires and yet they always touch a sacred chord. To me, he is one of the best story tellers of all times. As an author myself if someday I can justify being a tip of his nail, I will consider myself blessed.  


Sharing this little secret with you all today. I love stepping into his protagonists’ shoes as I read his books and teleport myself to their world. Trust me they are so damn unique, you can’t ever imagine yourself being them, even very remotely. Hence they give me such an adrenaline rush. Also, I believe books aid is a great deal in securing our mental health. I developed the reading habit very early in my childhood and it has enriched me so much over the years.


In my opinion, reading is an habit every kid must pick early on. It helps them widen the horizons of their thoughts and as they read and evolve, they grow mentally all the more strong. By reading they come to know about the world outside their tiny world and how minuscule one’s worries are in comparison. They learn application from their favourite character. They learn logical reasoning and how to manage different emotions. They also learn about different settings and cultures of the world where these books are weaved. For me and my kid, books are our best friends. They never let us feel lonely. They fill any void we ever experience.


So be it kids or adults or elderly, the sooner you start reading, the better I believe it is for your mental health. No matter how sad or low you are, a good book possesses the power to momentarily drive you away from your worries into an imaginary space and when you are back you often feel relaxed and rejuvenated. You may argue getting on an OTT platform would mean the same but no. When you read a book your mind paints a beauty picture of that story and interprets it in its own creative way but when you watch a movie or a soap you are actually watching the interpretation of the direction. So your mind doesn’t get polished rather it feels tired. I am not against anything but want to so stress to you all that our reading habit and our mental health do have a strong connect. This connect is so significant. Embracing the world of books surely aids in keeping our mental health in good shape.


However, this is entirely my perspective. What do you say?



‘This poem is a part of #BlogchatterHalfMarathon and #CauseaChatter Initiative by Blogchatter'


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