Sometime during the early days of the pandemic, I started a new habit. Every morning, after pouring myself a cup of coffee, I get back into bed and instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media or checking my email, I purposefully pick up a book.
Then, for the next 20 minutes, I read. I sip my coffee, letting the caffeine do its thing as I pick up wherever I left off in my book (usually fiction). This ritual is one I look forward to, one that I relish in its simplicity. Now and again, I get off schedule, and fall victim to a random distracting thought, like that thing I need to order off Amazon. But my better, more productive days start with an open book.
The benefits of reading are many. Dr. John Y. Lee, assistant chief clinical officer at Executive Mental Health, says reading can help lower anxiety and help with relaxation, "even lowering an individual’s heart rate and decreasing blood pressure."
Lee says reading (novels in particular) can help us develop deeper empathy for others and learn how to identify emotions in others. And it can help us experience and process our own feelings. It can also lead to knowledge expansion and help us learn about other cultures, which can lead to a sense of deeper connection to others.
A growing body of scientific research, including that conducted by the National Institutes of Health, points to reading as a way to improve cognitive health and to help ward off the onset of dementia. A Healthline study titled "Benefits of Reading Books" cites how reading goes beyond brain strengthening into increasing empathy, alleviating depression and reducing stress — which all can lead to a longer, happier life.
Reading can also help with creativity and imagination, explains mental health professional Lee: "Not only does it provide escapist entertainment from the real world, but reading also can help create new neural pathways in the brain and help individuals to think about situations from new perspectives, in addition to acquiring new skills."
From a young age, I’ve longed for a good vocabulary. Even now, there’s nothing I love more than when I’m reading a book and come across a word I don’t know. Often I can figure it out via the sentence’s context. I’ll jot it down so that I can look it up later. I know from my own professional literary experience that a fascination with expanding my vocabulary has expanded my writing skills.
But despite all of the signs pointing to reading as an activity that builds overall wellness, it can be difficult to stick to a regular schedule of actually doing it. So, like so many other things in our lives, we must commit to reading, and make it a habit.
Kara Cutruzzula, author of Do It (or Don't): A Boundary-Creating Journal, says developing a consistent practice is key. "I’m a big believer in making a habit as easy as possible. If reading your current book feels more like an obligation than a treat, find a new book that actually excites you," said Cutruzzula.
Just as there’s no one-size, fits-all time for the act of reading, or the genre you choose, Lee suggests a morning session makes sense because this is when you’re fresher and your "brain is able to tackle new and complex ideas."