It has been said a reader lives a thousand lives. But, could reading actually enhance your well-being and make this life longer?
The feeling of accomplishment after completing a book or series; the new perspectives you’ve learnt from characters which you’ve come to admire, trust, love, hate; the ability to shut the world out for a while and wake up somewhere new. For these reasons and infinite more, reading fulfils us and can form an integral part of a well-being routine which benefits both body and mind.
Follow our top five tips for self-improvement and nourishment through reading and use your journey into fiction as a personal journey to better living:
Setting an alert on your phone is a good way to remind yourself to read
1. Keep calm & read
You may have noticed, when you read it is like practicing mindfulness. It focusses your attention and helps you to be present. Reading is like exercise but for the brain. You know the feeling after a good workout and how doing a sport regularly can keep your body fit and healthy. Well, that is the same for the brain power. Regular reading can benefit your brain function, make you smarter and keep your brain active. Overall, this can improve concentration.
2. Read before bed
Reading before bed can help you sleep. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) advise that doing a relaxing activity before bed, such as reading, “helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep.” Plus, it makes you swap your smartphone for a book and NSF claim “the light from their screens can alert the brain and make it harder to fall asleep”. What better reason to snuggle up with a good book before bed?
“Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem”
3. Boost your self-confidence with a book
Gain a book and gain more confidence too. Mental health charity Mind state: “Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem and encourages social interaction.” They suggest reading a book could be one of the ways of doing this. Reading can provide you with a wealth of knowledge. And having more knowledge means you have more to talk about in social situations, giving you a confidence boost as well. Investing just a few minutes a day can be beneficial for your personal development.
4. Take a break from fiction and pour over a self-help book
There are literally shelves and shelves of self-help books available. They all offer something unique to target and improve a specific aspect of your life – but with a never-ending list of books out there, how do you choose which one to read? The Self-Care Project by Jayne Hardy, founder of the mental health foundation: Blurt, international bestseller Ikigai, which provides “the Japanese secret to a long and happy life”, and “your route map to inner joy”, Happiness by Andy Cope, are just a few The Independent recommend. Alternatively, take this quiz to find out which one is right for you.
Find inner happiness through reading a self-help book
5. A chapter a day will keep the doctor away
Finding time to read is difficult, especially amongst the hustle and bustle of current society. So, take a little “me time” and set a specific period for reading each day. A recent study, published in the journal of Social Science and Medicine, revealed that people who read books just for 30 minutes a day live longer than those who do not read at all. And the best thing – by taking time to read this article, you are already on your way.
