Anxiety is a common disorder that most people face on a regular basis. Whether you struggle with social anxiety, panic disorders, or even certain phobias, you are not alone. Symptoms of anxiety can include not being able to sit still, nausea, dizziness, loss of sleep, and so much more. However, not everyone feels comfortable being medicated for these symptoms and would prefer to find simple remedies that can be done at home. So, what is an easy way to calm your nerves you might ask? Read a book!
Reading has countless benefits when it comes to literacy or cognitive development, but another important advantage of reading is its ability to help you cope with stress. Reading is proven to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as ease muscle tensions within a short time period.
Another interesting fact that you might not have realized is that this serves true regardless of the genre you are reading. Are you a fan of horror or thriller books? Curl up with one! The "thrill" you experience in these books is still relieving your anxiety, even if it feels like the anticipation is killing you.
Reading can also serve as a way to detach yourself from reality. Life can get overwhelming, especially if you struggle with anxiety. While you can't escape your problems indefinitely, a break can be beneficial. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%, just by calming yourself and having a way to escape your problems from time to time. It is also proven that reading serves as a better and faster way to relieve stress than listening to music or sipping on your favorite hot tea, although there is certainly no rule against doing both! Give yourself a break, you earned it!
Something else that might not come as a shock to you is that reading fiction can actually lead to developing a greater sense of empathy. When reading books, you learn different sides to debates that you might have never realized before or you sometimes learn to see the world in a different person's eyes. In a 2006 study, people were asked to take an empathy test and be scored on how much empathy they possessed. The result of the study was that avid readers scored much higher. Many people might feel as if they lack the amount of empathy that they would like to have, but all hope is not lost. Reading a book can broaden your mind and lead you to be a much more understanding person later in life.
Along the same lines as becoming more empathetic and sensitive to other people's problems, reading can help ground you. It is easy to feel like you have the worst problems in the world and no one has it as bad as you do. This type of mindset can bog you down and worsen your anxiety or depression. However, reading about other people's struggles can give you the perspective that you need to handle the issues in your own life. It is crucial to feel like other people have problems, too, and that if other people can handle it, so can you.
So what are you waiting for? You are not alone in your struggles with anxiety and you can do something to help it. Pick out your favorite romance novel, a new bestseller at the library, a fashion magazine, or even another Odyssey article by yours truly! It is never too late to become a book worm!
