Notes on a Nervous Planet- Matt Haig

[Hollie]

5/5
Another amazing book, by an author who is quickly becoming my favourite- (Thanks Claire!). As opposed to “Reasons to Stay Alive”, this book focuses more on the anxiety aspect of mental illness, and tries to help you understand how to keep (relatively) sane in a world that is changing faster than our tiny brains can cope with. One thing that particularly resonated with me in this book was the idea of bravery. It comes along with having anxiety, but why?! When people tell you they’re proud of you for being “so brave” and discussing mental illness, actually, that can be something that contributes to your feelings of shame. “Now I feel that because I have been brave, there is something I should be scared of and avoid.” It’s an interesting concept and one that I have enjoyed pondering. As a result of reading this incredible book, I have made some small- but incredibly significant- life changes, and I would recommend that everyone do the same. (I’ll say sorry for ignoring your texts now- I have switched my notifications off).