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Best London bookstores, tsundoku & bibliotherapy
Today is the World Book Day. To mark the occasion, last year, I went back to ancient Greece and shared my reflections on ‘Aristotle’s Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life’, a book by Edith Hall. This year, however, I am going to discuss my personal relationship with books and reading, rather than focus on a specific book. I’m therefore going to stay home and simply visit some of my favorite London bookstores. I will then go to Japan to discuss the concept of tsundoku, as well as Marie Kondo’s tips on how to tidy up books. I will also visit Greece to discuss the concepts of bibliomania, bibliophilia,…
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Keep Calm and Carry On & Secrets to Serenity
The iconic ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ poster was originally produced by the British government in 1939 in preparation for World War II. However, it was little known until 2000, when a copy was rediscovered at Barter Books, a second-hand bookshop in the market town of Alnwick, in Northumberland, in North East England. It was not until the late noughties, nevertheless, when the famous phrase printed in sans serif font, in white letters against a red background, and topped with a crown, took the world by storm. Since then, it has been used as the decorative theme for a range of products, from mugs to coasters, and from T-shirts to…
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World Mental Health Day 2019
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. The objective is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health. World Mental Health Day 2019 & Suicide Prevention This year, the focus of World Mental Health Day is on suicide prevention. Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is one of the most recognized figures in art history. It is lesser known, however, that she suffered from many physical and mental health problems, including spinal problems, pain, infections, syphilis, and depression following the death of her father in 1941. These problems continued throughout…
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Back from holidays: routines and structure
September. It’s this time of the year when for most of us the holidays are over and we’re back to business as usual. About a year ago, I published the post ‘10 tips to beat those post-holiday blues’ where I shared some tips that not only work for me (a frequent traveler), but are also based on my professional experience. As a Psychiatrist, I cannot overemphasize the importance of having routines and structure to one’s days, weeks, and life. Routines and structure are important because they provide a sense of security and familiarity, as well as order, direction and meaning. They also help provide a sense of achievement (purpose) as…
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LOVE + FEAR, Love and Angst, & Meaning of Life
A couple of weeks ago, I attended ‘Life Lessons with MARINA’, a conversation between two influential women: Marina Diamantis, a Greek-British singer-songwriter, and Professor Tanya Byron, a clinical psychologist and writer. The event was organized by The School Of Life, a global organization headquartered in London. It took place on the day that ‘LOVE’ (the first half of ‘LOVE + FEAR’, Marina’s fourth album) was released. The School Of Life offers a range of services, including classes, workshops, and events, such as the one I attended. They also offer therapy services and publish books and educational videos on YouTube. A common denominator of all these services is the focus on…
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Vienna: Search for Meaning & the Mozart Effect
I recently visited Vienna for the fourth time in my life. During a previous visit, I went to the Opera and saw Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Nabucco’. This time, I opted for a rather more low-key concert with music by Wofgang Amadeus Mozart. The concert took place in St Peter’s Church (Peterskirche), a beautiful baroque church situated in the heart of Vienna, not far from the famous St Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom). Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it provides the perfect backdrop for the music of the famous Austrian composer (concerts start at 8 am; tickets from 29 euros). I also visited the apartment where Mozart lived between 1784 and…
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Finland and the World Happiness Report
Happy International Day of Happiness! Today is the International Day of Happiness and the theme this year is ‘Happier Together’. The focus is on what we have in common, rather than what divides us. Indeed, research has shown that relationships are essential to our happiness and wellbeing. I do not refer only to romantic relationships; our social network includes friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, teammates and so on. Research has also shown higher mortality among individuals who are lonely. In The Nordic Guide to Living 10 Years Longer: 10 Easy Tips to Live a Healthier, Happier Life Dr Bertil Marklund, a doctor and researcher at the Gothenburg University, shares…
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Buddha’s Brain: The neuroscience of happiness
Just coming across the title of this book (full title: ‘Buddha’s Brain: The practical neuroscience of happiness, love & wisdom’) co-authored by neuropsychologist and meditation teacher Rick Hanson and neurologist Richard Mendius was enough to spark my interest. Even though I am an atheist, Buddha has fascinated me since I was eight years old and first visited Thailand. As a psychiatrist, I am interested in spirituality and the mind, as well as neuroscience and the brain, or perhaps I am a psychiatrist because of these interests. And then there’s happiness, a topic that interests me on a both personal and professional level, a topic that I’ve been reading and writing…
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Religion, maps & meditation
I recently watched ‘Mary Queen of Scots’. Written by Beau Willimon and directed by Josie Rourke, the film stars Irish American Saoirse Ronan as Mary Stuart, and Australian Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth I. It tells the story of the legendary Scottish queen whilst portraying the role that gender, politics, and religion played in British history. Religion I was born and raised in Greece, a country where religion still plays an important role in most people’s lives and is also closely intertwined with the State. This should come as no surprise: religion and politics have been entwined in the country’s history for millenia. According to the latest statistics, 90% of…
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9 Secrets to Happiness from the Cultures of the World
In the foreword of Happy: Secrets to Happiness from the Cultures of the World first published in 2011, Maureen Wheeler, Lonely Planet co-founder, writes that ‘happiness in travel comes from the moments you are aware how lucky you are to be in that place, at that time, and how wonderful the world is’. As I’m reading this book, I’m reflecting on my own travels and what traveling means to me. I first traveled abroad at the age of eight; visiting Thailand and then Singapore was such an eye-opening and character-shaping experience, for which I’m always going to be grateful to my family. As I’ve recently written, for me, traveling is…