Reading Between The Lines

I had the pleasure of speaking with Ellen Phinney, author and entrepreneur, about the power of reading. Ellen and I met through work years ago, and discovered we both find joy in health and wellness, particularly when it comes to mindfulness, including activities like yoga, meditation and running. She is also an avid reader and writer and recently wrote & published a book for young readers called A Dog and His Boy- The Switch. 

We found ourselves talking about the benefits of reading and how we can incorporate reading into our daily lives, especially when it seems our days are filled with obligations.

Benefits:

There are many mental and physical benefits of reading. 

1. Reading reduces stress and research has shown that even 6 minutes of reading can reduce stress by up to 60%, which is good for our physical and mental health.
2. It can help improve your mood and overall feelings of well-being. Stories allow you to escape, provide comfort, and offer a sense of perspective. This in turn decreases your feelings of anxiety and increases positivity through reading positive narratives.
3. It can enhance empathy and social connection. When you read about characters and their inner world, you can learn to better understand other people and their situations. In this way we improve our current relationships and are open to meeting others we might not have otherwise gotten to know. Our compassion also increases, which further improves relations with others.
4. Reading helps our cognitive function and focus. When you read, it takes a level of concentration that trains your brain to work and stay active. It improves our memory as well, as you’ll need to remember what you’ve read in order to follow a story. It builds our cognitive reserve, which actually lowers our risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. 
5. Physically, it supports better sleep. Reading before bed helps signal the brain that it’s time to wind down. It creates a calming bedtime routine. What this does is shorten our sleep onset time, the overall quality of our sleep improves. 
6. Reading may reduce muscle tension. This is because when the mind relaxes, the body naturally follows. Reading shifts the nervous system into rest and digest mode, easing any tightness or discomfort.
7. And finally, it may help with pain management. Reading can provide a distraction, so that the brain focuses on the narrative rather than any pain you may be experiencing in your body. 

Ellen shared some tips for incorporating reading into your daily routine.

1. Join a book-club, as this will expand your reading repertoire and improve your social connections. You’ll often read something you might not have chosen, and as a result, learn something new.
2. Try to make reading a habit you do daily. Even if it’s just a page. The idea is to be consistent.
3. Keep a book with you and you will find easy moments to read, like standing in line, sitting in the waiting room, being on hold on the phone, or while you’re traveling. These turn unpleasant moments or tasks into something pleasant and even welcomed.
4. Make it a habit to read before bed. Turn off the electronic devices and shut down from those external communications. You will find calm and sleep better.

We’ve only scratched the surface of what reading can do for you mentally and physically. Let it be one other tool in toolkit to optimizing your health and wellness.