How Reading Can Benefit Your Health and Wellness
A chapter a day might help to keep the doctor away. We’ve long known that reading is good for out intellectual wellness and that it’s a nice way to unwind after a long day, but did you know reading has other health and wellness benefits? Just in case you need another reason to visit your local library, here are some of the wellness benefits associated with reading.
- Reading reduces stress.
- Listening or reading a book for just 5 minutes can reduce stress by nearly 20%. Not only can reading support you in the moment but can also help you manage future stress more successfully.
- Reading makes us feel less lonely.
- Studies have shown that people who read, especially fiction, feel less isolated and more connected. This is especially true for populations who tend to be more isolated, such as the elderly.
- Reading helps us sleep better.
- People who read before bed report getting a better night’s sleep. Reading is an emotionally and mentally engaged form of relaxation and this can help our brain “switch off” at night.
- Reading helps us navigate difficult situations.
- Reading helps give us perspective on situations in life. Sometimes we see ourselves reflected in the books we read, other times we learn about the lives of people different from ourselves. Both of these help us to navigate life and gain perspective.
- Reading gives us “survival advantages”
- The specific form of cognitive engagement we experience while reading helps us make connections to other events taking place in the book. This skill can translate to making connections in life as well. Additionally reading helps us to develop empathy, emotional intelligence, and social perception.
Head over to your local library, stock up on a few books and start reading to increase your overall health and wellness. Reading these books will help improve your sleep, increase your emotional intelligence, and help you feel less lonely. Reading for pleasure is good for more than just relaxation.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5105607/ https://australiareads.org.au/news/benefits-reading-mental-health/
