Mental Health and Reading
To help spread the message of Mental Health Awareness week the Harris team will be launching a week of content.
Mental Health Awareness Week starts from the 18th May to 24th and at the Harris, we are launching a week of content online to help spread the message of this year’s theme kindness. Mental health disorders come in many forms and affect people from all walks of life but sometimes small things like reading can help.
Reading For Mental Well-being
Reading has been shown to be an effective way to help combat some of the symptoms of mental health disorders. Reading helps reduce stress and can give you a much-needed escape and distraction which is invaluable in these difficult times.
Feelings of loneliness and anxiety are unfortunately all too common for people who suffer from mental health disorders and reading can be an effective way to combat them. We even have some amazing eBooks designed to give you a mood-boost.
Mood-boosting on BorrowBox
The mood-boosting BorrowBox collection includes a wide range of both fiction and non-fiction titles. The books included are part of the Reading Well scheme which were all chosen and recommended by health experts.
Amongst the collection, you’ll find Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig which chronicles his own battles with depression and anxiety. It’s a moving story that aims to inspire people to keep going because there will be better days ahead.
But if you want to read for some escapism then how about The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho? The adventure story about an Andalusian shepherd boy is all about the importance of following your dreams and believing in yourself.
That is just some of the great books available online designed to help give you a mood boost. There are plenty more great eBooks and eAudiobooks available on BorrowBox. And if you’re more of a comic or magazine reader you can all access a huge variety of them online for free.
If you don’t have a library card don’t worry you can apply online and get your library card number and pin emailed directly to you. If you are looking for more resources for mental health be sure to check out the Lancashire County Council website and for help and support in regards to COVID-19 check out Preston Together.
What is Mental Health Awareness Week?
Mental Health Awareness Week was founded in 2001. It’s a national week designed to raise awareness of mental health and mental health problems amongst the general population. It also aims to help inspire action and to promote the message of good mental health for everyone.
Due to COVID-19 many of the usual events have been cancelled or moved online. If you want to take part be sure to check out the Mental Health Foundation’s website to find out more about how you can get involved.
