If you are a regular reader, especially of fiction, did you know it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself?
Actual studies, such as this one conducted by the National Library of Medicine, have concluded there are many benefits to reading besides mere entertainment Still, a stigma remains as reading is considered to be a passive activity. Non-readers often dismiss reading as a useless or lazy hobby, or say that reading is too solitary of a pastime.
(And they can kiss our collective bookworm butts!)
But seriously, I’ve been a lifelong reader and never stopped to think about how good reading is for me, beyond the pleasure I get from it. Recently, I declared this the Summer of Self-Care, and posed this question to my newsletter subscribers:
What is your favorite form of self-care?
It’s Unanimous
When my readers responded, many listed the usual rituals of manicures, pedicures, massages, and bubble baths. But overwhelmingly they answered, “Uninterrupted reading time.”
(Notice how they qualified it with the word, “uninterrupted”? I did too.) I mean, they are fiction readers, so it was not an unusual answer, but it made me wonder if there was more to their reasoning than the fact they liked to read books.
Why was reading fiction considered to be the ultimate in self-care by my readers?
Let Me Count The Ways
Here are some of the ways reading is good for you:
- Immersive- reading allows you to fully immerse yourself in the story. There are no ads to interrupt you (yet, and I hope they never figure that one out!). It is easy to forget the entire world exists when you’re reading, and become part of the story.
- Stress Relief- it’s relaxing, even when there’s danger and the stakes are high, because it’s not really happening to you. And when the problems are resolved, you feel a sense of relief and satisfaction, don’t you? As if you had solved all the problems facing you in the real world. We know it’s not real, but our brains react as though the story we are reading is real.
- Better sleep- reading regularly does facilitate better sleep by relaxing you, unless you can’t stop turning the pages. Then it may keep you up past your bedtime (and is often worth it).
- Brain stimulation- reading improves critical thinking, creativity, imagination, and cognitive abilities. It increases your word comprehension and expands your vocabulary.
- Creates Empathy- much as traveling does, reading creates awareness that there are other beings in the world who are not exactly like you, and provides reasons to care about them. It also widens your worldview to include other countries, planets, and imaginary worlds, where beings have different customs, talents, jobs, and relationships.
- Fosters community- especially in these days of social media, reading connects people. Online and physical book clubs, reader and fan groups, author newsletters, book events, and book related posts are ways readers can connect with others and form friendships.
- It’s fun- reading provides a dopamine hit and is a pleasurable activity. It’s relatively inexpensive (depending on your buying habits) and books can be reread over and over again.
Is There A Downside?
Some aspects of being a reader are stressful:
- A TBR (To Be Read) pile so large that you will never read them all
- Coming upon spoilers accidentally
- Having to DNF (Did Not Finish) a book
- Getting in a reading slump where nothing sounds good
- Having to wait for the next book in a series
- Not having enough money to buy ALL the books you want
- Getting interruptions while you are reading
There are many more, I’m sure. What do you have to add to this list, both as self-care and what is stressful about reading?