Notes on a Nervous Planet – Haig *Book Review*

Love: ‘Only love will save us.’

My aim – ‘To feel every moment, to ignore tomorrow, to unlearn all the worries and regrets and fear caused by the concept of time. To be able to walk around and think of nothing but the walking. To lie in bed, not asleep, and not worry about sleep. But just be there, in sweet horizontal happiness, unflustered by the past and future concerns.’

The things that have almost always been… CLIFFS. TREE FERNS. Companionship. Sky. The main in the moon. The sentimentality of sunrises and sunsets. Eternal love. Dizzy lust. Abandoned plans. Regret. Cloudless night skies. Full moons. Morning kisses. Fresh fruit. Oceans. Seas. Tides. Rivers. Lakes as still as mirrors. Faces full of friendship. Comedy. Laughter. Stories. Myths. Songs. Hunger. Pleasure. Sex. Death. Faith. Fire. The dee silent goodness of the observing self. The light made brighter by the dark around it. Eye contact. Dancing. Meaningful silence. Sleep. Dreams. Nightmares. Monsters made of shadows. Turtles. Sawfish. The fresh green of wet grass. The bruised purple of clouds at dusk. The wet crash of waves on slow-eroding rocks. The dark slick shine of wet sand. The gasping relief of a thirst quenched. The terrible, tantalising awareness of being alive. The now that for ever is made of. The possibility of hope. The promise of home… – Matt Haig

After reading ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ – I needed to read the follow up ‘Notes on a Nervous Planet’. Another open and honest book written by Matt Haig with a focus on the current digital age. Like his first book, Notes on a Nervous Planet is a short and easy read. The short chapters are well written and cohesive. His words speak truth and makes the reader truly feel and think. Again, it is beautifully written and his words melt into your soul. It awakens the tired and hopeless self. It made me stop and reflect. I enjoy his writing style. Like his first book I can see why it has become a best-seller.

Matt shares and offers advice on how to deal and cope with anxiety and depression especially on the ‘nervous’ planet and age we are in. I love his tips and advice offered. I think there is something for everyone in this book. As I mentioned in my previous review of his book, there is something uplifting knowing that he is referring to his own personal experience and journey. Like many others, I feel I can relate to him. He reminds us to live and enjoy the moment. To create our own bubble of peace and happiness away from technology and the other things the ‘modern’ world drags us down with. His words makes you look at everything in a slightly different manner. He understands. Reading his words is as though he has walked around the avenues of my mind, collected my thoughts and feelings and presented them right in front of me. So you can imagine how good it feels to have someone else writing your feelings down and have someone you can relate with. Someone truly incredible who has a deep understanding and honestly shares it to help others.

Out of the two I personally prefer his book ‘Reason to Stay alive’ however I enjoyed reading this one just as much.  It very relevant to today and in general. I think at times we become too immersed in the world of technology and social media that we lose ourselves. We forget the meaning of life. The simple things. Everyone is guilty of this, we get lost in our square-shaped screens. You can imagine what it is all doing with our mind. Our mental health and well-being as well as physical. The internet is amazing. You are a click away from everything but at the same time being ‘offline’ from time to time is good for the soul.

Let me know your thoughts below. Which book did you enjoy the most? ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ or ‘Notes on a Nervous Planet’?