Matt Haig: Self-criticism, anxiety triggers, and imagination

About this episode

<p>The bad times are intimately connected to the good. Author Matt Haig thinks happiness is only happiness because sadness exists.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In this chat, Fearne and Matt talk about how hindsight can be an incredibly healing perspective shifter. He’s found closure, progress, and contentment by revisiting memories that were previously traumatising.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>How good are you at facing up to your traumas rather than running away? Matt explains how he stopped finding excuses and blaming external factors – people or places – when really there was internal work to do. Plus, by trying to avoid triggers, are we just making ourselves more anxious?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Fearne and Matt also chat about our ever-shifting notions of success, and why it’s useful to feel like a failure sometimes.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Matt’s novel, The Life Impossible, is out on August 29th.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about suicidal ideation.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>