Ways to Relieve Stress...Read a Book.
Life can be stressful; there is no doubt about that. I have started to look at ways to help us decrease our stress. Here is a stress relief method that I love...Reading!
I began a series on stress relief because of the stress I endured with my divorce. There are countless ways to decrease our stress, and I will look at many. Here is a link to my introduction to this series. If you are interested, take a look.
Here is a quote regarding reading and stress relief that I found online.....
"Reading worked best, outshining other stress-reduction techniques like listening to music, taking a walk or having a cup of tea. Stress levels declined by 68 percent after participants read for just six minutes, leading Lewis to say, "Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation." When you read, your mind is distracted from everyday worries and anxiety, while your muscles tend to relax. In addition, research shows reading leads to improvements in brain function, including significant increases in connectivity that persist for several days after the reading takes place." Dr. Mercola
For me, reading is a distraction. It takes me to a new place and a different time. Reading distracts me from the things that cause anxiety in my life. Because of this diversion, I can relax and step away from the fear and uncertainty of my life, if only for a moment.
Before my husband left me, I loved to read. I would have two or three books on my nightstand that I would be in the process of reading. I was in book clubs and loved spending evenings with my nose in a good book. It is interesting that at the beginning of my sorrow of an unwanted separation and divorce, I could not read. The emotional pain and unsettled feeling of my situation were all-encompassing, and I could think of nothing else. Now and slowly, over the years, I have redeveloped my love of reading. Initially, I had to force myself to read, and many times I would find myself just staring at the pages with no recollection of what I had read. Now I look forward to reading before bed and listing to audiobooks throughout the day.
Before my husband left me, I loved to read. I would have two or three books on my nightstand that I would be in the process of reading. I was in book clubs and loved spending evenings with my nose in a good book. It is interesting that at the beginning of my sorrow of an unwanted separation and divorce, I could not read. The emotional pain and unsettled feeling of my situation were all-encompassing, and I could think of nothing else. Now and slowly, over the years, I have redeveloped my love of reading. Initially, I had to force myself to read, and many times I would find myself just staring at the pages with no recollection of what I had read. Now I look forward to reading before bed and listing to audiobooks throughout the day.
If you have stress in your life, as most of us do in some form or another, try reading. Carry a book with you, and at that moment you feel overwhelmed and need a short break, read a chapter or two. Sometimes it is nice to take a break from our reality, if only for a moment, and when we resurface from our diversion, we can face life with a less stressful mind.
Happy reading,
KathieyV
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