How To Gain The Mental Health Benefits Of Reading Books

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Disclaimer: My blog is intended for educational purposes only, and is not considered medical advice or a substitute for therapy. I have personally used and benefitted from any books, products, or programs that I endorse on my site. If you purchase anything with links from my site, I might receive a small commission but rest assured that this comes at no extra cost to you.

If you’re someone who enjoys reading, but just can’t get yourself to read these days, this post is going to help you fall in love with reading again. And also gain the many mental health benefits of reading.

I too, have always loved reading books. But there is no doubt that within the past few years, my ability to focus when reading has dramatically declined. And I really started to miss it.

I blame my phone. After a busy day, it takes much less effort for my brain to scroll mindlessly through social media than it does to focus on a page in a book. 

But the rewards of settling into a really good book, whether before bed or on a lazy Saturday are so worth the self-perceived “effort.”

The Mental Health Benefits of Reading Books

1. Reading prevents cognitive decline

When you read, you engage your brain, and when you engage your brain, you’re activating your neurotransmitters and strengthening the connections they have with each other. This improves memory and cognitive functioning both in the short and long-term. 

2. Reading can help you develop deeper feelings of empathy

“Theory of mind” is the psychological concept of understanding that other people have feelings, beliefs, and experiences that may differ from yours.

When you delve into the inner experience of a character through a book, you’re engaging in the practice of “understanding someone’s story.” This can help you better understand yourself and others.

3. Reading reduces stress and lowers blood pressure

When you’re stressed, one of the most effective practices you can engage in is distracting yourself from your anxious thoughts. Reading is a healthy hobby, and one of the most positive forms of distraction. 

Remembering that reading is good for you (and also that it’s simply enjoyable) may help encourage you to do it more often. 

But if you want to form a new habit, making that habit easier and more accessible is key. Because when something is easy, we are much more likely to engage in it. 

3 Tools To Fall In Love With Reading Again

The Goodreads App

Have you ever had someone recommend a book, so you open up your notes on your phone to jot it down, but then forget about it completely?

This is where The Goodreads App comes into play. If you don’t have it on your phone yet, I highly recommend you download it!

Goodreads is so wonderful because it keeps a list of all the books you want to read in one place. So now, whenever someone recommends a book to me, I quickly add it to my Goodreads “to read” list. 

And, the app can help you set a reading goal for 2022 and keep track of the books you “have read.”

One of my favorite parts about the app is you can connect with other friends who are on it, see what books they are reading, and also see how they’ve rated those books. 

And! You can also scroll to see what books people are recommending and add them to your “to read” list with a click of a button.

So yea, technically Goodreads is a form of social media, but it is by far my favorite platform. 

So, once you have this nice and tidy list of books all in one place, how are you going to read them? At $20 a pop, reading can start to become an expensive habit… 

unless… 

you get your books for free. 

Which brings me to my absolute favorite tool in the Reading Trifecta, and one of the best kept secrets of NYC, The Public Library.

The Manhattan Public Library (Or Your Local Public Library)

I LOVE THE LIBRARY!!! I LOVE THE LIBRARY!!!! (This is me shouting virtually from the rooftops about how much I freakin’ love the public library). 

When I got my library card a few years ago, it changed my life. Because having access to books gives you access to education. And having access to education WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

I think it took me about 10 minutes to go in to my local branch and sign up. And I think the card itself cost $1. But I have easily read hundreds of dollars worth of books by getting them from the library.

And, you don’t even have to step foot in it! 

All you have to do is go online, search for books that you want to read and add them to your cart. That’s it. 

If you decided to check out a hard copy of a book, you have to go pick it up. However, if you happen to have a Kindle or some other kind of reading device, you can download the books in an instant. FOR FREE.

And, one of the best parts about getting an eBook from The Manhattan Public Library, is it’s automatically returned on its due date. So there are no late fees!

The only downside of the library is that sometimes there is a waitlist for the book you want to read. But usually there are several copies of each book, and the wait is never as long as it seems. 

And, as soon as your book does become available, the library will email you. IT’S ALMOST TOO EASY!

When I get a notification that my book is ready to be picked up or downloaded, I experience a jolt of pure unadulterated joy in my heart. 

(Pro tip: if you read ebooks, and the due date comes but you aren’t finished with your book yet, you can put your kindle on airplane mode and the book will stay in your kindle library. Woohoo!)

(Pro tip for New Yorkers: Brooklyn and Queens have their own separate library systems. Which means, if you live in either of those boroughs you can get both a Manhattan library card AND a card for your borough. So if one of the libraries has a long waitlist for a book, check the other!)

Okay, I think I’ve spent enough time fangirling about the Library. Just go to your local branch, get a card, and enjoy. Trust me. 

A Kindle

If I’m being perfectly honest, I love myself a good, old-fashioned, real life hard copy of a book. 

I love the smell of the freshly printed pages. And even the dusty scent of a worn out, used book. I love the way the paper feels as I flip through. And although I try my best not to judge a book by it’s cover, I must admit that I do like to look at the cover every once in a while.

However, I have also grown to really appreciate my Kindle. I got it years ago after joining the library, because I saw how much easier it was to download an eBook on the spot.

I think my Kindle is a 7th generation, so it’s old. But it still works totally fine, and it has been instrumental in getting me to read more. Because having a Kindle makes reading so much more convenient. 

It holds several books at once, so when traveling, I don’t have to lug around a bunch of books. 

Plus, I end up saving a bunch of money on books because I download them for free from the library. (Let’s take a moment to relish in the magic of the library once again. Ahhhh.)

And, let’s not forget that less paper is being wasted when a book can be downloaded over and over again. And, if I ever want to upgrade, I can send in my used Kindle for a discount. 

So, even though I love to read a live-in-the-flesh book, and still do occasion, the convenience of having a Kindle is so worth it to me.

I hope that the powers of these tools combined will help you find your reading mojo. And that soon, you will be reading your heart out once again!

But before I conclude, I must bring up one of the ultimate tools for someone who wants to fall back in love with reading, which is — 

a really good book. 

One of the best books I’ve read in a long time is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It really helped me get back into reading.

And I’m dying to know – what is your favorite book? Please share it below so I can add it to my Goodreads list. 🙂

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  1. Pingback: Quitting Social Media: The Good, The Bad, and Everything in Between

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Hi! I'm Paige

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I’m a Licensed Psychotherapist based in NYC. 

I write about mental wellbeing, personal growth, and the never-ending journey towards self-fulfillment. Sign up below to get notified when I post a new article.

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