"Reading"-It's impact on our mental health!!

 Reading and its effect on mental health

Reading in my opinion is the most mysterious activity I’ve ever encountered.  While reading a thriller book we find ourselves imaging the whole scenes and also when reading fantasy novels, we can imagine things that don’t make any sense practically than how does our brain imagines those scenarios? How do we can see things in our mind that are not seen before? How can we humans imagine differently while reading the same book? The book can be a fantasy, love story, action story or even alien story we’ll still be able to imagine the scenes, characters and the voices too.

When I read books, I can hear the characters talking while reading their dialogues and even if I’m reading a life lesson book, I can still hear their voices. I imagine the characters, voices and the surroundings too. Once I was reading a book where the characters were visiting Turkey, and I who never went out of the city where I was born, can literally visualize Turkey, sitting in my sofa, eating snacks and having a warm cup of coffee. If the character is enjoying a view, a song or anything I enjoy with them too. Just like how we sometimes connect the vibes of a song and create the whole ambiance from it. This depends on how a writer executes their art too but have you ever thought of how despite being so normal we can visualize such extra ordinary things.

Reading is just an art which takes a visit of our brain and makes every part of our brain active. When we read something, our brain is fully active and focuses on the smallest details of the content we read. Our brain is active and focused during reading that it improves our brain power. Just like how after exercising our body becomes stronger, reading makes our brain stronger.

Reading takes you to another world

When we are reading our mind can only think of what we are reading. It takes all the focus from everything and diverts into reading. When I feel stressful or upset, I tend to read some good book that I’ve read 100 times before but I’ll still read again and my stress, mood swings and sadness just disappears and I find myself focused into that book or story. I find myself imagining the characters and even different imaginary worlds. That’s how impactful reading is. It takes to a whole new world tour by just sitting in your room.

Reading acts as therapeutic

Reading is an art that also is therapeutic for us. Having to focus on small details of writing is very healthy for our brain. We can emotionally feel what a book character says or feels. It also stimulates our emotions and we feel emotionally attached to the characters or books. Reading is a great catharsis for our emotions. For example, while reading Harry Potter, I was sobbing on the death of Professor Dumbledore it was the greatest shock for me and so upsetting that I was reading the scene at 3 am and I had to hide myself in my pillows so that my family can’t hear me crying just for a book character. For them it was just a character but for me he was PROFESOR DUMBLEDORE!!! How can I not cry for him who was with me for 6 books but now my favorite character was betrayed by his own ally (Well that’s how it seemed at that time).

Reading cures disorders too!!

It has been proved through scientific researches that reading proves beneficial for mental health issues and it improved people's mental health.  Active brain can avoid many diseases and specially at old age. An inactivity in brain increases the chances of people getting affected by diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia, so reading helps in keeping your mind active. In this era, where mental health issues are rising rapidly and we can’t even find the time to go for therapy, such simple activity of reading can help you a great deal. So get out of that procrastination mode and jump to good book your friend has been telling you to read since forever and its never too late to adopt a healthy hobby. Have good read!!

Nostaligia - It's impact on mental health!!

 

Is nostalgia a neurological disorder or it is just a normal feeling or attachment with our past?

 

Sometimes somethings just remind us of the past. Things we used to be very attached in our past for instance music, a certain sound, event, etc. and then suddenly something reminds us of that attachment and we get a pleasure of enjoying that moment again. Sometimes it's pleasure and for some bad events in past, it becomes a cause of sorrow or even anxiety or depression. 

The sentiments you have about your past that gives you a pleasure in your present is called nostalgia.

Before the 17th century nostalgia was referred to as a neurological disorder. The word is combination of ancient Greek, "Nosos" means returning to home or native land and algos referred as pain or suffering. The reason behind it was that the soldiers longing to go to home, always having an urge to meet their families and remembering them was referred to as a bad sign of nostalgia. At that time many psychologists attributed that it is a sign of severe depression if someone is living in the past. 

 

Well, always living in a past can be red flag of depression but sometimes having an affectionate feeling for your past, Sharing or reliving your past is a healthy lifestyle. As after 19th and 20th century after many researches, researchers found that nostalgia is not a neurological disorder, but in fact it is a good way to deal with loneliness, boredom and anxiety. It was found that many almost everyone has this sentimentality with some events in past. While remembering about the good events and attachments in the past, one feels a pleasure and gives a feeling of having a continuity in life, reminding him/her of his/her roots. It gives a texture to life and strength to move on. It gives a will that the life had good events the problems were resolved so it gives a hope that everything can be solved. In fact, while sharing your nostalgic memories gives a kind of relief and attachments to others. Couples who share their thoughts and memories of their past tend to become closer. When you share your experiences with others, the other person understands you better and the bonding becomes more stronger eventually. It reduces stress and feeling of loneliness.

Experimenting if it’s true or not

To test whether it's true or not some researchers did a very interesting experiment. They made some people read about a very deadly disaster to study their behavior. Expectedly they were worried about the victims of disaster and their feeling of being alone so they became more nostalgic. The experiment was a success as they practiced some nostalgic activities or exercises and then they felt less depressed.

Memories can be also a mix of sorrow and joy

These exercises are not always Joyous and stress relieving. Sometimes some memories are not always content. Sometimes they are mix of both the sorrow and joy. We remember the good parts, good time and events spent with a particular person but when we remember that the particular person in no longer with you, it becomes painful to remember. As long as you face the truth and share more good side of your nostalgic attachment, nostalgia remains a healthy activity. But when you keep remembering and not sharing the bad sides of your past for example any trauma, any person you lost, or sometimes people overthink and try to feel and bring back the older themselves that doesn't feel any more in you as you evolve day by day, then nostalgia becomes a problem. This sense of loss of others or yourself causes anxiety and mental illness. But according to researches nostalgia is not the only or main cause of anxiety in such rare cases, there are many other factors involved for example any genetical disorder, any other mental or neurological disorder that has nothing to do with nostalgia.

The positive results of nostalgic exercises are way more than the negative ones that have been seen very rarely. And it is also not clear that the negative outcomes are even the result of nostalgia or not.

This means that we cannot relate nostalgia to home sickness as in early centuries it used to be referred as. In fact, it is a healthy activity to get a relief from stress or something disturbing you. But indulging too much in your past is also not good as you enjoy less in your present or your mental health gets affected if you keep remembering about past unhealthy events. So, conclusively Nostalgia is not a neurological disorder but if practiced occasionally in appropriate manner it can become a healthy activity to get rid of daily stress.