Website design By BotEap.comReading. Something we do every day, in many ways. We read street signs, we read directions, we read texts and emails, we read instructions on everything from setting up a crib to how your manager wants you to approach a new project.

Website design By BotEap.comAs an author, I read all the time. My own work (“that was awful” – delete!), other people’s work (endless), even my bottle of wine. Oh yeah, my new favorite is a wine labeled “Well Read”! I kid you not, the label is a painting of a cozy corner with book shelves. How could I resist?

Website design By BotEap.comThat being said, the thing about reading is that we mostly take it for granted. We recognize the usefulness of reading, but that is all. And yet there is so much more to read. No, not just in terms of entertainment or new knowledge, but in terms of your health.

Website design By BotEap.comIndeed! Did you know that according to research carried out at the University of Sussex, reading can reduce your stress level by up to 68%? That’s huge! Not only that, but reading can slow your heart rate and relieve muscle tension, which in turn makes it easier to relax. It doesn’t take much. Reading for just six minutes will relieve stress. Without any of those annoying side effects that come with various substances/medications. You can even read for free! How’s that for a bonus? Public libraries still exist and are still well stocked with all kinds of literary works.

Website design By BotEap.comThe question is, what to read to achieve stress relief? Reading the news (online or offline) often increases stress, so it’s not a good option. Reading what you should study for work or continuing education is rarely enjoyable. No, the type of reading that reduces stress is more of the fiction variety. A novel that takes you out of your ordinary existence and transports you to another time, to another place, to another planet, is ideal. A book that doesn’t require too much active thinking on your part, where you can mentally sit back and just enjoy the characters and their story. Because it is the distraction from our daily worries and problems that provides the stress relief that is so beneficial to our overall health and well-being.

Website design By BotEap.comYes, you can certainly benefit from an audiobook, although in general, the written word, whether read on your computer, iPad, eBook reader, or in pocket format, tends to engage our senses more fully. Therefore, a more complete distraction from the everyday.

Website design By BotEap.comMy personal stress relief reading is historical fiction. I love being transported to ancient Egypt, Tudor England or the Italian Renaissance. I enjoy collecting a bit of historical facts along with made up characters and situations. Your joy may come from stories of alien empires, fantastic fiction, masterful detective work, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that whatever book you choose or play, you can slip into that world in your imagination easily and comfortably. And leave that world satisfied once you close the book for now.

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Reference:

Lewis, D. (2009) Galactic Stress Investigation. Mindlab International, University of Sussex, UK