Reading as Self-Care

Reading sometimes feels like a guilty pleasure or something I have to justify. It’s a one-person activity that doesn’t involve helping others, saving money for the future, or contributing to making the world a less awful place. It doesn’t help me build relationships or invest in my health. Or at least I thought it didn’t until I started researching what self-care is. Self-care is generally defined as practices done by a person to reduce stress and maintain and enhance a person’s health or well-being. Goodbye guilt and justification. Hello self-care reading. Here are some ways that reading can be considered beneficial for my health:

It recharges me. Reading for pleasure is a way for me to recharge my batteries. As an introvert, I need to spend time alone in order to feel fully rested and to not want to seriously maim my family members and co-workers. It’s beneficial to both me and my loved ones for me to pay attention to whether or not I’ve had any down time. Down time is different for different introverts. For some it means spending time completely alone and in silence, while for others it means spending quality time with people they are close to, or unwinding by doing an activity they find refreshing. Either way, restorative time is essential to feeling healthy and well-balanced. Since reading a book I picked out for my own pleasure is a solo activity, it helps me feel rejuvenated. I can do it while surrounded by others and still feed the introverted need for solo time. It allows me to unplug from work, family, social media, and stress, and focus my cluttered mind on one task rather than feeling pulled in all directions. Once I’ve spent some time reading, I have more energy and am able to tackle tasks with more focus.

It inspires me. Reading a great book makes my brain feel good. As a writer, it makes me want to create. On days when I feel like I’ve used up all my words and don’t think there’s an original way left to string them, reading a good book gives me hope that maybe there are still a few stories left that are worthy to be told, that people want to hear. Whether it’s a new twist on a classic or a candid memoir of someone’s bravery, I get inspired. This inspiration leads to more creativity, more work, and a stronger sense of purpose. When I’m being more creative, working more, and have a purpose, I am taking care of myself.