Recently, I've been struggling with my reading. Uni has knocked me for six and it hasn't officially started. I haven't really read any books I've loved this year. Yet, I keep on reading and there are times when I have to ask myself, why? Why continue? Is it out of obligation or out of joy? It got me thinking, why do I love reading? So, I decided to write this blog post and I came up with four reasons why I love reading.
Mental Health Benefits
I'm going to start with the big one and point out the benefits on your mental health. There is probably someone out there with much more knowledge on this than me, but I will attempt to explain why it helps with my mental health. When I'm having a bad mental health day, I like to escape into worlds that aren't my own. I will come back and explain my thoughts on escapism a bit more later in this post. I'm sure a quick google search will provide you with a list on why it benefits your mental health. It provides that break from reality that can make things, for a while, a bit better. It can also be quite a calming activity. I love to curl up at the end of a long day with a book and loose myself for a while. Most times, when I'm not feeling great, reading a book cheers me up. It allows my brain to engage with something other than what's on my mind and actively forces me to take a break from whatever is worrying me. Reading before bed often means when I go to sleep, I sleep a bit better as I have separated myself from my worry.
Learning
Maybe I'm just a massive nerd, but I love learning new things. Bonus if I can learn new things from books. A lot of the things I've learned in life have come from books. Mostly my vocabulary. I've learnt so many words from books. As someone who is also interested in writing professionally, I've also learnt a lot about what does and doesn't work well in books. I've learnt how to create characters, how to structure stories and so much more. It's a two for one situation, I have fun and I get to expand my knowledge.
Escapism
I've already touched on this briefly but escapism is a big part of why I love reading. The ability to loose myself within a book and momentarily forget the world we live in, is a great comfort. It provides that respite from day to day life. There's also something reassuring about being able to visit these amazing fictional places and go on this incredible journeys all from the comfort of your own home. Especially at the moment, with life being so difficult, the ability to take a short break from everything is what we all need.
Entertainment
Lastly, but by no means least, books are fun. They're a solid form of entertainment. They're also one of the few forms of entertainment where you don't need to leave the home and you don't need wifi for them. With most of my life being moved online, I've noticed I'm craving that time away from screens. Reading provides that time. I put my phone to one side, only to use it to listen to music and I drown myself in fiction. Unlike films and TV shows, where you know how long it is going to take you to watch them, you have no idea how long it will take you to read a book. As the story progresses, you find you can't put the book down. I get equal, if not more enjoyment, from reading a book compared to other forms of entertainment. There's something about physically holding it, if you read physical books, and have to move the story forward yourself by turning the pages. They bring me endless supplies of joy and entertainment.
Those are just some reasons I adore reading. Why do you enjoy reading?
Carenza :) x
