Reading to Relax

Do you remember the last time you got completely lost in a story? Reading for pleasure can pull us into the world of the author and transport us into a fictional world with characters so real that we miss them when the story ends. It’s a wonderful way to reduce stress and recharge. 

Research also shows that reading increases our empathy - our ability to understand others feelings and behaviors. Improving our empathy is important in developing relationships and compassionate behavior. 

Brain health

Reading has also been shown to strengthen neural networks in our brain. Keeping our brain engaged and healthy is so important for our overall health as we age! And, might even help us live longer: 

“A long-term health and retirement study* followed a cohort of 3,635 adult participants for a period of 12 years, finding that those who read books survived around 2 years longer than those who either didn’t read or who read magazines and other forms of media.” 

Not a bad reason to pick up a book!

Try This

Check out your local library for suggestions to books in your favorite genre. Librarians always have a great reading lists! 

You can also get audiobooks through your library and other sources such as, HooplaDigital and OverDrive.

References:

• Benefits of Reading Books: How It Can Positively Affect Your Life
• Reading is Self-Care
• THE SURVIVAL ADVANTAGE OF READING BOOKS