Some people adore reading as a pastime and couldn’t go without it! Others find reading a tedious chore and prefer other types of activities. But could everyone do with a bit of reading?
Reading is the best way to lower stress, research claims. A huge international survey called the Rest Test, found that reading was the best way to find respite from the pressures of modern life, beating other relaxing activities such as being in a natural environment, being on your own, listening to music and doing nothing in particular.
Find out more: The ten most restful activities
Professor Raymond Mar from York University, Canada, believes reading could help relieve stress and anxiety by helping focus your attention outwards and away from yourself. “It can be a relatively calming, almost meditative experience,” says Professor Mar on Just One Thing.
Reading on your own or as part of a group has become a valuable resource for many people with symptoms of depression. Some studies suggest that it could even have a lasting impact on mental health, with the potential to reduce symptoms for up to three years.
A workout for your brain
By reading a novel you can activate large swathes of your brain beyond those that you would expect for processing language.
Words like “lavender”, “cinnamon” and “soap”, for example, have been shown to elicit a response from areas devoted to dealing with smells. Other studies have found that reading a age could activate other sensory parts of the brain. Astonishingly, these effects appear to linger for a few days afterwards, suggesting reading could help create new neural pathways in your brain.
Recent research has also suggested that this type of brain activation could help you embody other people’s experiences. Professor Raymond Mar’s own research has found that reading stories can activate the same network of brain areas that you use to navigate interactions with others and understand their motives, suggesting a link between reading and social skills.
