Reading Helps to Reduce Stress
I love to read. I’ve even said that I will never get a kindle because reading a real book is therapeutic to me and recharges my mind. What’s more, I co-created an online book club, Blogging Bookworms with Samantha Karol where we can share and read books with other bookworms who don’t have the time for a book club.
Me, geeking out over a good bookSo, when I came across The Telegraph’s article discussing decreased stress levels due to reading, it made me excited.
The article cited research from Mindlab International at the University of Sussex. The subjects’ stress level and heart rate were increased with tests and exercise before they were tested with a variety of relaxation methods including reading, having a cup of tea, taking a walk and listening to music.
Guess which test worked best? Reading. It reduced stress by 68%, cited from cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis. The subjects only needed to read, silently for six minutes to slow down the heart rate and ease muscle tension. They even found their stress level became lower than before they started the test itself.
Dr Lewis, said: “Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation.This is particularly poignant in uncertain economic times when we are all craving a certain amount of escapism.”
Just like I know that laughing makes me feel good, it makes me feel even better that we’ve got the science to back it up. Think about it. We have the tools in our very own hands to lighten our stress level. Both of which are simple and cost effective. Take that for holding the power in your hands.
What else do you do to decrease your level of stress?
