Dr. Abeer Fahim on Literature, Emotions, and Letting Go
- Education
- April 14, 2021
In 2019, Dr. Fahim carved a place for herself with her debut novel ‘Her Seven Days in Bali.’ Unlike many books that focus on betrayal, healing, and self-discovery, Her Seven Days in Bali is different. It concentrates more on the inner workings of the mind and the eventual road to letting go.
On this, Dr. Fahim talks about how literature can pave the way to understanding ourselves better – something she tries to bring around with her books.
The Link Between Literature and Empathy
Using literary devices, Dr. Fahim believes in delivering powerful emotions. In a 2017 TED Talk by her, she explained how literature could help readers develop empathy. It enables the reader to feel what the other person feels. The video titled ‘Reading and the Narratives of Life’ then explores the impact of literature on life.
Turning the Page
Several poems and quotes by Dr. Fahim portray the themes of new beginnings, turning the page, letting go, and moving on. The ‘letting go’ includes letting go of our pasts, overthinking, expecting closures, and giving up the hunt for perfection. A lack of closure, for instance, may make the act of letting go even that much harder.
Her Seven Days in Bali had a similar introspective theme that explores the protagonist in depth.
Dealing with your Anxiety
One of the most formidable ways of tackling a panic attack is to stand up for yourself. Dr. Fahim, through her novels, tells how important it is to be confident and articulate your thoughts and feelings.
If you are upset about a certain situation, Dr. Fahim talks about how important it is to learn to let off some steam or take a walk without bottling your emotions inside you. If you are afraid, learn to ask for help. Similarly, if you are being negatively affected by certain individuals or their actions, learn to evacuate those people or those toxic environments without feeling guilty.
Dealing with panic attacks and the numbing and paralyzing sense of anxiety can be a tricky affair. It is going to be hard to do that efficiently and would require you to be more confident and harbour a steely resolve.
Having confidence and faith in yourself can take you quite a good distance in your fight against panic attacks and help you tackle them with ease.
Overthinking isn’t a Good Idea
Overthinking can do more harm than you would think. You may sleep more or less than usual, accompanied by a change of appetite that is unrelated to your diet. These changes will result in constant fatigue and a noticeable loss of energy.
What’s Next?
Dr. Abeer Fahim revealed that she has been penning two new books – “Stars in the Wrong Sky” and the other is “The Glass will Always be Half Empty.”
Dr. Fahim has presented her findings on the subject at various conferences across the globe. Durham University, Oxford University, and Harvard University are just some of them.