Could reading be your stress reliever?

Whether it’s because of a busy schedule, feeling overwhelmed at work or the stress of everyday life, everyone’s looking for ways to relax these days.

Have you considered reading?

Even in small doses, reading is shown to reduce stress, improve sleep and build empathy, explains Andrea Ball, MLS, MultiCare’s research and education librarian.

One possible explanation for such benefits could be reading’s meditative qualities, adds Arthur Fink, MACP, LMHC, MultiCare lead employee wellness partner.

When reading, you’re focusing on a task, which allows your other thoughts to take a backseat. Once you get through the initial difficulty of sitting down and shifting into that mindset, reading can be a calming experience.

So, what can reading do for you?

A moment of calm 

Regardless of the genre or style you prefer, sometimes simply escaping life through a book can help you have a moment of calm, Fink says. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need a laugh, you’re worried and looking for a distraction, or you’re in need of inspiration to cope with anxiety, there’s something for everyone.

When stressed, you may feel pressure to fix or address everything as fast as possible. As an employee wellness leader in the high-stress field of health care, Fink often has to remind staff they need time to recharge.

It’s the classic story of a nurse working a long shift, commuting and then being hit with the stress of managing their home and social life, he explains. The question he poses to them: “Is anything bad going to happen if you take 15 minutes for yourself?”

Sitting down with a glass of water in a quiet room to catch up on your favorite magazine is one way to create a calmer and smoother transition from work to home. It can also be a helpful tool to wind down your day.

Reading before bed is one way Fink calms down from the high excitement of the day and fall asleep easier.

You must give yourself the freedom and permission to relax, he adds.

Mental reset 

In high-pressure work environments or highly rigorous academic fields, the calm that reading brings could also be beneficial to your performance.

“You’ll often find recreational reading collections in academic libraries,” says librarian Ball. “Quite a few studies show that students say having those books there and reading even just a chapter has been beneficial.”

Giving your academic or high-stress mindset a rest allows your brain to simmer in what you’ve learned or experienced, she explains. Plus, engaging with different styles of writing and genres can encourage critical thinking skills.

Ball has been an avid reader all her life, but in her everyday work — digging through journal literature to answer provider questions — she finds that taking an occasional “light” reading break during her workday is beneficial.

“I’m reading on a computer all day long and analyzing the literature … it’s very intensive and it takes a lot of mental energy,” she says. “If I go from one search to another and another, I get less efficient and I lose my focus. I often use a 15-minute ‘just for fun’ reading break to parse out that work.”

That break allows her to come back with a clean slate and focus on the next subject, Ball says. The approach could also be applied to any kind of mentally intensive or redundant work that so easily taxes our brains.

Education and empathy 

Of course, reading is a foundation for learning, but it’s also been shown to improve empathy — a critical skill in today’s world.

“Reading is one way to investigate and learn about people who are different than yourself — different ages, races, genders, cultures and so on,” Ball explains. “But it’s also a private way to do it and feels easier and safer.”

You don’t have to read scientific journals to gain that deeper understanding, though. Reading anything, whether fiction or nonfiction, can provide a new perspective. With that new lens, you can gain a better understanding of the stressful headlines you read in the news or scary scenarios you see others in.

Reading comes in many different forms, but each can teach you something, Ball says. And maybe if you’re like Ball, just knowing the information is out there and other people are asking the same questions and sharing their stories can help put your mind at ease when stress arises.

“Don’t be afraid to pick up something new,” Fink adds. “Maybe you just haven’t found the right one for you, yet.”