Why You Should Read a Book When You’re Stressed
Feel like the weight of the world is crashing down on you? You’re not alone
I have found myself to be very stressed these past few days, but over the past few weeks, I’ve had a general feeling of anxiousness. I’m a rising high school senior, and there is so much that I need to do. Between drafting college essays, working on AP assignments, and emailing teachers about recommendations, it’s all been taking a toll on me. The thing is, I’m not one to freak out over things easily. I always have this feeling that things will work themselves out, but right now I have never felt more overwhelmed. Of course, once this tumultuous period of my life is over, I’ll be fine. But for now, it feels like my to-do list is never-ending. During times of intense stress and anxiousness, I pick up a book to cool off.
According to cae.edu.au,
“six minutes of silent reading can reduce stress levels by 68 percent.”
I’m not alone in feeling that taking a minute to sit down and read does help. But specifically, these are some benefits I get out of reading.
Calm Headspace
I make it a part of my daily routine to get outside at least once to read a chapter of my book. I get a bedsheet, my book, and some pens & highlighters (for annotating), just soaking up some sun while nurturing my brain. I make sure to leave my phone inside, I don’t want any distractions.
Going outside to read is usually one of the first things I do in the morning. It’s quiet, the sun isn’t quite out yet so the temperature is just perfect, birds are chirping, and a light breeze passes by. Hopefully, I’m successful in setting the scene for you, but things are peaceful. Being out in nature while strengthening my mind is a nice thing, but the most important is just forgetting about my troubles.
I get so wrapped up in the book I’m reading that sometimes an hour will fly by without my realizing. The only thing I’m concerned about in that moment is what will happen next to the characters. How will they deal with this or that? I’m currently reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and I find the characters so interesting. Some are so cold, and ruthless, but is their upbringing to blame? Why did this character marry that character, when she causes him so much pain?
Reading, even only a chapter a day, allows you to take your mind off of things you’re dealing with in your personal life. It’s much better than mindlessly scrolling through your phone or binge-watching Netflix (which I am still sometimes guilty of), and instead, you get to take things one page at a time. Reading forces you to stay engaged while being in the moment.
The Feeling of Getting Something Done
This may sound like a weird one but bear with me. When I’m feeling stressed because I have a lot of things I need to get done, I end up resorting to Youtube or my phone. I want to focus on something other than what is causing my stress, but this just ends up making me feel way worse. What ends up happening is I click on a video, watch the first five minutes, get bored because I know it’s not doing me any good, click on another video, and the cycle repeats itself.
When it comes to reading, however, I feel better after the fact. This fact is further proven by psychologytoday.com,
“researchers found that becoming engrossed in a novel enhances connectivity in the brain and improves brain function.”
When I take the time to read, not only am I enjoying myself, but I’m also benefiting myself in the long-run. Although I may not be getting specific tasks on my to-do list completed, at least I’m improving my memory and building my vocabulary, right? I even find that the more often I read, the more productive I am.
After reading a chapter or two of a book, I’m less likely to rush over to my laptop or phone, but rather more likely to do things that truly benefit my well-being, like listening to music, writing poetry, discovering a new podcast, working on AP Latin summer reading, and playing animal crossing (it’s relaxing, I swear!! You won’t understand until you’ve tried it.) I’m not going to continue to list off the scientific reasons behind why reading is good for you, but hopefully, you get my drift.
The Cure to Burnout
When I find that I’m in over my head, that’s when I truly find myself spiraling. I’m too focused on everything I’m not getting done to get anything done (how ironic). When I’m creatively stumped and mentally drained, there’s just no way for me to do anything. But, luckily for me, reading takes no effort at all.
I swear to you, every single time I read a chapter of my book, every single time, I end up forgetting about what I was even worried about in the first place. Sometimes you just need that time to take a step back and allow yourself to breathe. I feel almost recharged in a way after I read. I’ve given my brain some time to blow off steam, and I can even draw inspiration from whatever book I’m reading. I’m able to relate to the characters and what they’re feeling. Before I know it I have loads of new ideas for different things floating around in my head.
I think the main factor contributing to burnout is not being able to step outside of your mind for just a second. Reading a book allows you to connect with those characters and the feelings or situations they’re dealing with. It’s a good way to distract yourself without depleting your energy (*cough* watching TikTok compilations *cough*).
Sure, there’s no end all be all solution to dealing with stress. Some people may find that reading a book while already feeling overwhelmed may just make them feel worse. Everyone’s different. These are just some benefits I find that I receive from reading, and will hopefully encourage you to read more, be it if you’re stressed or not. Reading and educating yourself is a great way to keep your mind occupied, all while relieving any stress you may be dealing with.
