Mental health issues are becoming increasingly prevalent among those who work under pressure. This can be high-level professionals, middle management and along to students, caregivers and anyone involved in the safety of others (Marks et al., 2020). Many methods have been devised to reduce external stressors in the workplace to make lives easier and increase productivity. We impose on ourselves stressors that negatively affect our mental well-being, so I wonder if there are tools we can use to reduce this. We all know the staples of walking, talking to someone, and improving nutrition. According to Levine et al., (2022), recreational reading is another activity we can pursue towards improved mental well-being.
Recreational reading or leisure reading is defined as voluntary reading, so it is not reading textbooks or manuals for study or work, but rather a novel, magazine or comic etc. something to be read for pleasure. Unfortunately, there has been a decline in recreational reading as we have moved further into a technological age where computer gaming has become somewhat of a norm among young people. With an array of social media options available at the tips of their fingers, many young people have lost or abandoned the benefits of reading for pleasure (Levine et al., 2022).
For many, reading has become either an academic achievement or a work tool. There has been some research into the benefits of recreational reading that found that it had benefits of curiosity, contentment, happiness, kindness and a cheerful disposition. According to Marks et al., (2020), recreational reading is associated with improved cognitive ability and a reduction in psychological distress. Recreational reading is a simple and low-cost tool that may be used to help improve the mental well-being of anyone working or studying in stressful situations.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr Seuss
Moving from reading as a necessity to reading for pleasure is a huge leap for some and suddenly there is no road map to tell them how to achieve the transition. There are some basic steps to follow that will help you along the way to finding motivation. Five steps towards recreational reading: (1) Set a goal (one is okay) and get started, (2) Write a list of some books that you may want to read, (3) If you are having difficulty in starting, try a magazine or comic, (4) Go to your local library and have a look around, (5) Start with something that you love (Watson, 2018), In the words of Watson, (2018), you have permission to quit any book at any time if it just doesn’t cut it for you.
When did you last read a lighthearted story just for fun? What are you reading for pleasure, today?
