Wellness author Nita Sweeney joined us to answer some key questions on mental health, exercise and dogs! Her story of battling a major depressive episode through running is a tale which has inspired many. Read on to discover more about the best selling writer of five beloved titles.
Your award-winning running and mental health memoir Depression Hates a Moving Target continues to receive a lot of attention. What do you think it is about the message of this work which resonates so deeply with people?
An estimated 280 million people worldwide live with depression. More than 50 million people in the United States run. Seventy-One million U.S. households are home to a dog. And, there are a ton of scientific studies showing that exercise improves mental health. Given those statistics, a memoir about how running with my dog played a huge role in my overcoming a major depressive episode seemed like a sure bet. Gratefully, Brenda Knight saw the potential, scooped my manuscript out of the slush pile, and made it happen.
The title also plays a huge role in the book’s success. The original title wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t have any zip. When the editorial team requested other options, this phrase that my friends and I tell each other when we need a boost popped into my head. “Depression hates a moving target,” summarizes the experience I hoped to convey in the book and that hashtag continues to do well across all platforms.
Additionally, the book’s cover sends a powerful message. When I saw that photo of a woman and her dog set against that stark landscape, it hit my gut so hard. It shows what the book is about even before a reader sees the title.
Luck and timing played a part, too. In 2017, when I first pitched the book to agents and publishers, the public was eager to learn more about and find solutions for mental problems. The book might not have received the same warm welcome if it had launched a few years earlier or later.
I firmly believe it took all of these things working together to make the book succeed.
Your books range from meditation guides to journal inspiration and more. What do you believe is the key theme that ties your writing together?
All of my books are mental health memoirs. Some are disguised as self-help or how-to, but they all share that mental health thread of my experience living with—sometimes barely surviving, and other times thriving—and navigating bipolar disorder II, chronic depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
Readers who enjoy my books appreciate that I write from a vulnerable place. I’m honest about how tough it can be and do my best to share what tools work for me. I offer my life to others to take what they might like to try. What helps me might not help them, but I put it out there so they can choose for themselves.
Anyone who knows you knows you are a massive dog lover! How do you think our furry friends can tie into our mental health journeys?
The unconditional love we receive from pets is unmatched. And each of my dogs has been a Zen master, coach, and confidante. That head tilt, curl of tail, and those goofy antics make my day.
Make Every Move a Meditation was featured in the Wall Street Journal a while back. Are you pleased that organisations such as this are really focusing on brain health alongside the physical?
I was over the moon when the reporter from WSJ reached out. I still can’t believe it was featured there. Again, I think the timing played a big part in that book receiving such favorable treatment. The world was not only ready for meditation, people wanted to meditate in motion. I offered a method to do that in a simple, accessible way.
Why do you believe writing to be so beneficial to mental health?
My experience has proven that writing can heal. Studies on various writing practices confirm what I’ve found to be true. Writing, especially by hand, helps us understand our lives, make sense of things that happen to us and in the world, and process the emotions we feel around these events. Writing can literally rewire your brain.
What is the single most important wellness message you would like to impart to the Books That Save Lives supporters?
Please stay. The world needs you. It may not feel like it right now, but everything is changing all the time, including you. We want a world with you in it.
Nita Sweeney’s Make Every Move a Meditation is available on Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble.