EMOTIONAL TIES Matt Haig on the little things that help him battle anxiety… - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Celebrity EMOTIONAL TIES Matt Haig on the little things that help him battle anxiety… By You Magazine - March 3, 2019 Bestselling author Matt Haig on the weirdest-ever family heirloom, his fluffy comforter and the little things that help him battle anxiety… Gemma Day Gemma Day Betsy, our maltese terrier, is the first pet I’ve had since childhood. I always imagined having a large, wolfish dog, but my children [Lucas, 11, and Pearl, nine] had other ideas. Betsy has changed my mind about small dogs. She often sleeps in our bed, and when she doesn’t, I don’t sleep as well. Gemma Day I’m a writer who lives on toast, so I cannot survive without my 50s-style toaster. My grandma ate toast with Marmite and peanut butter. That’s now my snack of choice: a family heirloom recipe! People find it weird, but the tastes are really compatible. Gemma Day My wife Andrea and I got this Chinese solitaire game when we moved to Brighton. Most of our stuff was in storage as our house was being done up – this was one of the few things we had for entertainment. I find it very calming. Gemma Day This electric piano was a Christmas present to myself. Piano is the one instrument I’ve always been ok at. I took lessons when I was younger but I became self-conscious and stopped, which I regret. This represents picking up where my 13-year-old self left off. Gemma Day These early Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass editions have been passed down through generations of my family, starting with my great-great-great grandmother in 1890. These stories inspired me more than any others in my writing life. Gemma Day These Nike trainers represent how important running is to me – I use it as an antidepressant. My dad suggested I take it up after a breakdown in my 20s. I nearly gave up so many times, but I kept going. Now it’s a safe space for me; a reprieve from my own mind. Gemma Day I am happiest when heading off somewhere, passport in hand. I have a panic disorder, which used to be so bad that I couldn’t even go to the corner shop. Now travelling shows me how far I’ve come. Sri Lanka, Arizona and Iceland are a few amazing places I’ve been to recently. Gemma Day We went over Niagara Falls in a helicopter two years ago. That was all about helping with my anxiety and conquering my fears – of heights and of flying. The children really wanted to do it so I had to swallow all the fear. It worked – I am a lot less afraid now. Interview by Charlotte Pearson-Methven Matt’s latest book, Notes on a Nervous Planet, is out now in paperback (Canongate, £8.99*); to see Matt on tour, go to faneproductions.com. To order a copy For £7.19 until 17 March, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640, P&P is free on orders over £15 RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR 50 of the best celebrity Halloween costumes of all time Shirley Ballas ‘ Strictly gave me back my hope’ Davina McCall discusses how men can help women going through the menopause Popular in Celebrity TV chef Gino D Acampo on Sardinia Sophia Loren and scary salads May 25, 2017 The Evergreen Goddess Exercise guru Diana Moran on looking fit and July 10, 2017 More more Julianne Moore November 13, 2017 Author Jill Mansell on designer notebooks commissioning art and the family January 16, 2018 EMOTIONAL TIES Kelly Hoppen on vodka vintage finds and being a April 4, 2018 ‘ I have no regrets’ Millie Mackintosh on divorce debt and reuniting May 20, 2018 EMOTIONAL TIES TV presenter and tennis player Annabel Croft shares her July 1, 2018 Stella Parton ‘ Dolly and I have always been close’ August 12, 2018 Anna Friel on getting jeered in the street shared parenting with September 23, 2018 Queen of primetime Charlotte Riley on juggling rising stardom with pregnancy October 21, 2018 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. All Rights Reserved