The Everyday Story
Padma Warrior
May is mental health awareness month. At Fable, we believe that it is now more important than ever to elevate the awareness for mental wellbeing and remove the stigma around mental health issues.
Lock down. Shelter-in place. Social distancing. We’ve added several new phrases to our everyday vocabulary in the past few months even as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to slow down. We are indebted to many frontline workers fighting the disease, risking their lives to save others. The least the rest of us can do is to stay home and out of their way.Everyday routines have changed dramatically for all of us. For some of us, the first few days of staying home felt okay – online classes, bread baking, Zoom parties, remote work, bingeing TV shows… all this seemed fun, in a back-to-the-future sort of way. But now fatigue is setting in, Instagram dough starters are beginning to sour, and we gape in shock as #dontdrinkbleach trends on Twitter. It dawns on us that a video chat will never replace the warmth of a hug. We feel trapped at home.Everyday our anxiety increases. We are all struggling with what experts call collective trauma – whether it’s due to the loss of a loved one forced to die alone, or the job loss for the sole provider in the family, or the knowledge that some things may never be the same again.Even before COVID-19 turned our lives upside down, more than 264 million people worldwide suffered from depression. 45% of adults in the U.S now report that their mental health is negatively impacted due to stress over the virus. Even worse, as Sara Fischer points out, some Americans are turning to alcohol and unhealthy diets to cope with the stress of COVID-19. A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) calls for urgent early intervention to head off an irreversible mental health and substance abuse crisis.Well, here is some good news – we can often turn adversity into opportunity.Now maybe the best time to focus on things that are in our control and develop healthy habits. As James Clear, the author of ‘Atomic Habits’ points out, “Good habits make time your ally.” So, what are some good habits that can help us improve mental wellness? There are many self-care strategies from watching less news to reading great books!At Fable, we believe reading with friends is the clear winner as far as healthy habits go! That’s why we are working hard to bring you a product that combines amazing stories with social reading. You will be able to select books from one of our many Fable Folios – thematic book selections that are expertly curated by thought leaders and writers; start a reading club on Fable; invite your friends to read with you; or join a Fable featured book club to read with people who share your interests. We hope you have fun while feeling good about your time and attention better spent.Here are a few tips that may help you to make reading a daily habit:Set aside at least 30 mins a day to read. It really doesn’t matter when you read – early morning, over a lunch break or at bedtime – whatever works. I typically take a 30min break to read after lunch between my online meetings. This is a great way to recharge from the mental fatigue of back to back video calls.Select a great book. Funny lines, beguiling characters, an intriguing plot or a non-fiction book that makes you go, “Wait, I didn’t know that!” – mix it up a bit. I often read 3 or 4 books in parallel. These days I am partial to sci-fi, strong women leads and art books.Share what you read with friends. Yes, it’s as cool to #bookstagram as it is to #breadstagram ☺. I find that capturing the essence of a book (without spoilers) in a few words, is a great way to test my understanding. We are more likely to stick with good habits when we have friends to share the experience.I can confidently say that I have been reading a lot more these past few months and this has definitely helped me feel more resilient. These days I am discovering amazing new authors, exploring different genres and re-reading some of my old favorites. Three-time Hugo award winner, N.K Jemisin is my sci-fi crush ☺. I am currently engrossed in her new book, The City We Became, set in a version of New York city. It feels surreal as I read her: “A city is never alone, not really — and this city seems less solitary than most. More like a family: many parts, frequently squabbling ... but in the end, against enemies, they come together to protect one another. They must or die.” You can read a longer review here while I finish the book.In closing, as we enter the mental health awareness month in the U.S, I am reminded of what the author Arundhathi Roy recently wrote in FT, “Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.”I hope you see why we are excited about the product we are building at Fable. Our vision is to bring the world of stories to everyone.Join the wait list and we will let you know as soon as we are ready for you!
Padma Warrior