As we eagerly embraced a new decade almost a year ago, full of positivity and aspirations for the year ahead, we were blissfully unaware of what lay ahead. No one was prepared for 2020...
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Studies show that reading as little as six minutes per day can reduce stress levels by up to 60%. It does this through reducing your heart rate, easing muscle tension and altering your state of mind. It has been argued that reading is better for relieving stress than music, video games, walking or cups of tea.
As I said before, reading can be the ultimate escape – it gives you the opportunity to withdraw from the real world and all of its problems.
When leafing through a fiction book, you begin to learn more about the characters and learn to understand how they feel. Being able to develop empathy for fictional characters is something you can then transfer to real-life when needed.
By carrying out cognitive activity and working your brain, you are preventing memory loss, as your brain is being constantly stimulated. A study showed the rate of mental decline reduced by 30% when people participated in reading and writing. Feeling stimulated and knowing you are working your brain will help to keep you out of the pattern of having nothing to do, other than scrolling mindlessly through Instagram every five minutes. It’s hard, but also important that when you are struggling you find ways to keep yourself occupied and your brain stimulated, as these things can really help boost your mood.
