Stress Management And Reading: Shutting Off A Worried Mind

When it comes to Stress Management and reading there are countless books on the subject of dealing with stress and anxiety that can be beneficial and even life-changing but those types of books aren’t what I want to focus on.  Reading is a hobby or a practice that can be used as a stress management tool; it can merely be used as a way to shut off your mind at the end of a busy day or it’s something that can be used to quiet your thoughts in the morning before you head off into the real world.

Now, I’m not an expert, I’m not a doctor, and I certainly don’t think of reading as some sort of medicine.  Don’t pick up a contemporary or classic piece of literature if you’re having a panic attack and think all will be well.  Rather, what I’m talking about is turning off your mind to your day, worries, and concerns, and simply escaping. Now, reading is very much an active pastime.  Television, for most of us, is passive, in that we’re just watching, but reading more so requires you to comprehend, think, and follow.

Yet, it’s using the time that you’re reading to simply forget, and that’s important.  If you have a lot going on at work or school and you need to just have some moments of peace in the morning, then read a novel for half-an-hour or more before you head out the door.  Some people, like myself, benefit from reading and losing ourselves in a story at the end of the day because it helps us to begin the shutting down process before bed.

I know reading isn’t a cure all for stress, but I firmly believe, that if you can get your mind away from worrisome and stressful activities or the things you just have to get done, you’ll be all the better for it.  Enjoying a fun or intriguing read for just thirty minutes (or much longer if you can spare it) is going to pay dividends and like exercise or sleeping, it’s not a bad daily practice to help your mental health.