Why reading can be good for mental health

 Reading can be good for mental health

Sydney Timmins is the creator of the Mental Health Book Club Podcast. She is a survivor of mental illness, having been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, anxiety, and depression, as well as relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Here are her top eight mental health advantages of reading on National Book Lovers Day.

It should come as no surprise that I am the creator of the Mental Health Book Club Podcast. Picture books, thin books, thick books, colorful books, e-books... I make no distinctions. 

Today is National Book Lovers Day, an annual celebration of books and reading. To commemorate the occasion, here are my top eight mental health advantages of reading:

1. Reading is enjoyable.

When you start reading a really fantastic book, you frequently find it difficult to put it down since the tale captivates you and time evaporates as you become absorbed. When you come to the finish, you're either upset because it's done, or you're so excited for the next book in the series that you email the author every day! It's a magical feeling, and reading a book can give a variety of other advantages.

2. Reading can help you relax.

Losing yourself in a good book has been found to lower stress levels. According to Dr. David Lewis's research, reading as little as six minutes per day can reduce stress levels by 60%heart rate, reducing muscle tension, and improving your mood. Reading was found to be more effective at relieving stress than music, drinking tea, going for a walk, and playing video games in the same study.

When I remarked to my tea-obsessed co-host Becky Lawrence that reading was better for stress reduction than tea, her response made me laugh: she asked whether she could have books and tea at the same time. Because they might be able to overcome all of her stress if they worked together. That's something she'll have to explore!

The ability to escape from the real world is closely related to stress reduction when reading. As a child, I did this a lot as a coping method for dealing with the emotional damage I received from my family. I was frequently engrossed in that universe, which let me forget about my troubles. Escapism is more complex than merely reading for light enjoyment, according to research, but it did demonstrate that people found the process transformative, affecting the way they interact with the world and others.

4. Reading fosters empathy towards others.

People who read fiction have been demonstrated to boost their empathy, or their ability to empathize with others and understand another person's beliefs, feelings, and thoughts. This is known as the theory of mind. According to research, those who were exposed to fiction predicted the results of an empathy task and were even positively connected with social support (but keep in mind that correlation does not imply causation!). Further investigation into the effect of fiction on empathy revealed that it was momentarily elevated after reading fiction.

5. Reading stimulates the brain and helps to prevent memory loss.

Participating in cognitive activities such as reading throughout your life (both early and later in life) has been demonstrated to prevent memory loss when compared to people who did not engage in cognitively stimulating activities. The same study discovered that participating in reading, writing, and other hobbies later in life lowered the incidence of mental deterioration by 32%. Those who engaged in infrequent stimulating activity saw a 48% faster decline than those who engaged in the typical activity.

6. Reading groups can help with mental health difficulties.

When I'm feeling down, I usually read, but the scientific study suggests that reading and then talking about what you've read might help you feel better. Reading could be advantageous to one's mental health and well-being. There is something known as bibliotherapy, and it has a significant impact on persons suffering from depression. Over a 12-month period, the Liverpool Health Inequalities Research Institute studied a two-week reading group program for persons diagnosed with depression and found a significant increase in mental health. Participants reported increased attentiveness, emotional comprehension, self-awareness, and the ability to communicate relevant problems about themselves and their being.

7. Reading helps teenagers gain insight into what it means to be an adult.

Being an adult can be difficult; many things change during this time, and understanding one's self-identity is essential. Reading for enjoyment has been demonstrated to improve academic performance, social involvement, and personal growth in teenagers, according to research. Fiction aided teenagers by providing substantial insights about mature relationships, personal values, and cultural identity, all of which are critical in the journey from childhood to adulthood.

8. Reading can improve your intelligence.

I frequently feel smarter after reading books because I learn new things, encounter different cultures, and gain a greater understanding of myself, and science has proved that reading does do make us smarter. There have been cognitive changes observed. between those who read a lot and those who read a little. People who read more are more likely to have a larger vocabulary, general knowledge, and verbal skills.

If you want to reduce your stress, educate yourself, become more empathetic, and even smarter than you are now, The Secret Psychiatrist's Mental Health Book Club Podcast has reviews and recommendations on over 20 fiction and non-fiction books depicting mental health issues, expertly backed up by her professional knowledge.

We believe that everyone in society benefits from good mental health.

We believe that it is acceptable to not be okay.

We believe that books and media have a significant impact on how we perceive the world.