Diary as doctor for mental well-being: LU professor’s innovative notebook gets patent

Lucknow: Now a diary, and not necessarily a doctor, is what you may need to take care of your mental health.The magical diary, one with a mirror, and 7 questions, records one's moods on a daily basis and helps increase self-awareness and identify patterns in emotional states.
"It has been designed to offer numerous benefits for your mental and emotional wellbeing. The diary has a mirror, and a person has to answer the question written in the diary by viewing the mirror," said Prof RP Singh of Lucknow University's English and Modern European Languages Department, the man behind the invention, which has been awarded a patent by the Indian govt. "Users answer 1 question each day for 7 days while looking into the mirror. Based on the responses, the team recommends literary support—such as books and journals—to help improve the user's mental wellbeing," said Prof Singh, who along with assistant professor Alka Singh of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University's English Department and researcher Joy Chauhan have conceptualised the project. According to University officials, this was the first patent for LU's English Department. He added that after reviewing the 7 responses, the team will suggest reading material tailored to the user's needs. For instance, someone experiencing loneliness or depression may be recommended books with influential content aimed at motivation and healing. Prof Singh said the human psyche and literature are intertwined. "Literature is a powerful boost in controlling the psyche of the people. It is important to understand the conditioning of the mind of an individual. An individual's understanding and background knowledge is not only a product of the socio-cultural, economic, and political discourses that one comes across, but also what he or she reads and gets stimulated by, knowingly or unknowingly, to respond and behave," said the LU professor. "There is a list of Hindi and English literature that does this function. For instance, iconic texts in Hindi literary studies that evoke these powerful emotions of courage are Mahabharat by Vyas—think of Arjun's courage in Gita—and Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, where Rooda's bravery in battle is so vibrant," he said.