Feel clear-headed, calm and more content
Why reading for pleasure is key to emotional wellbeing
If you have kids, you might have strong feelings about World Book Day.
Even if you don’t, you almost certainly know it’s considered an Amazon panic buy-fuelling inconvenience by many parents. But highly-flammable Hogwarts scarves aside, there’s more to it than being another bloody thing on the endless litany of parental admin.
For almost 30 years, the initiative has been encouraging families to read, and distributing book tokens to kids who might not have many books at home. And this has never been more important.
The National Literacy Trust reports that the UK is experiencing a 20-year low in children reading for enjoyment. Last year, they found that only 35% of children (aged 8-18) said they enjoy reading in their free time.
Encouraging kids to want to spend their spare time reading has enormous benefits.
It helps create well-rounded children, because stories create empathy. And in terms of future achievement, reading for fun matters more than family circumstance, parents’ education, or even income in determining success.
But the most important thing that reading can do for kids is not to do with success in tests or future careers. When the children who said they enjoy reading gave their reasons why, the top two were ‘to relax’ and ‘feel happy’.
Guys, reading can do this for you too!
In fact, not only has reading for enjoyment been shown to ease stress and improve focus - it even slows cognitive decline. In other words, it’s good for your health.
But so many of us have fallen out of habit of reading. Who has the time, right? I can certainly relate to wanting to read the novel that everyone’s talking about, but real life sees me mindlessly reaching for my phone when I’m eating lunch/on the tube/in bed.
A mindset shift is required here, and I know just the person to ask for help.
Daisy Buchanan is the author of Read Yourself Happy: How to use books to ease your anxiety - as well as the founder of the excellent Creative Confidence Clinic.
I asked her to share her advice for bringing reading for pleasure back into your life. Over to you, Daisy.
Make it peaceful
“It’s really hard to make time to read when your life is busy and demanding (and I think that applies to all of us). If you’re going to focus on a book, you need to make sure your reading environment is as peaceful and pleasant as possible. My favourite places to read are in bed, and in the bath. You might be happiest sitting in a cafe. We’re all entitled to space, peace and quiet. I love using Loop earplugs and bringing the quiet wherever I go.”
Practise
“If you haven’t read for fun in a while, it might take a moment to remember why it feels so good. The trick is to try it little and often. Sometimes I don’t love the book I’m reading straight away, but after four chapters I’m curious, and by eight, I’m hooked. Don’t wait until you have a free hour. Try to read for just ten minutes a day, every day for a week, and see how you feel at the end of the week. My money’s on you being calmer, more positive and more optimistic.”
Be patient
“If the book you’re reading doesn’t grab you straight away, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad book, and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad reader. It’s OK if reading takes a little while to click. I’m constantly on my phone, a device designed to be instantly engaging and addictive. Sometimes we need to wait for the slow magic of reading to work. You can always quit a book, just don’t quit reading itself.”
Go back to the past
“We’ve all got one brilliant book that we discovered at a formative point in our lives - the one that felt as though it was written just for us. Mine is Ballet Shoes, but I’ve talked to people who felt this way about Haynes car manuals, or recipe books. Read that book again, and reconnect your past self. They were a reader, and they have wisdom to share with you.”
Get passionate
“You don’t need to read novels, and you don’t need to read the ‘hot’ books of the moment. Read about what lights you up. You might love gardening, or travelling to Japan, or twentieth century art, or twelfth century history. No matter what it is, there’s a book about it.”
This week I’m…
Quite obsessed with the reaction to With Love, Meghan
Finding the take I need on the news right now with Tina Brown’s Fresh Hell
Working my way through the Women’s Prize for Fiction long list
Thank you for the Women’s Prize long-list, I need novels to read, this is perfect x
I’m an avid reader and can’t imagine not having books to fall back on. And I’m lucky that both teenagers also choose to read for fun. But my eldest stopped reading as a leisure activity during his GCSE’s when he had to read texts that he felt were entirely irrelevant and boring. They studied in detail A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, Othello, An Inspector Calls and endless war poetry. I mean, it’s enough to suck the joy out of anyone isn’t it! The state school curriculum needs to have a rethink of the texts! Also, I do feel for parents of kids who don’t read, it’s yet another way to be made to feel like you’re failing 🤦🏻♀️