READING AND SLOW LIVING

This Ancient Therapy Will Leave You Feeling Calmer And Better About Life

It doesn’t cost and arm and a leg either.

Photo by Marlon Alves on Unsplash

It’s as though almost everything is commercialised these days. Even the basics required to live a decent enough life, in some cases have a price tag to it.

Clean water, healthy food, access to green spaces, and even basic healthcare. In parts of the world these essential living aids are monetised, and one must pay a price to have access to them.

It’s a sad reality we live in. Yet there are some free activities that thankfully have lasted the test of time. And are still mostly free in all parts of the world. One of them is reading.

Reading books, poems, essays, and more. If we look around there’s always something we can read that can help improve our lives, or help us better deal with whatever emotional mayhem we might be going through.

The value of reading for mental wellbeing

Reading books is free therapy. Whatever emotional turmoil we encounter, there are words for it. There exist narratives, insights, biographies, memoirs, poems and other literally pieces that we can connect with.

There’s a poem, book, essay, short story, or public diary entry to match every mood. Or every mental wellbeing challenge.

Because at the core of it, reading is taking in the thoughts and life experiences of others.

Through reading we can tap into the wisdom, challenges and insights of others, who have overcome whatever dilemma we are encountering.

Reading makes us less lonely in the world, as we feel connected to a story or message of the author.

In life modern therapy has a price tag, and some still see a social stigma attached to it. There exist barriers to access.

Reading has none of this. As long as one has learned to read, one has the ability to read almost anything.

For me I love how reading has been a

• trusted companion
• helped me feel seen
• offered me wisdom
• clarified my thinking
• helped me learn new things
• helped me understand myself better
• slowed my life down
• helped me live more intentionally
• provided me an endless source of entertainment, that doesn’t leave me brain fatigued
• helped me process complex emotions
• helped my spiritual, financial, and emotional life

Reading is truly free medicine for the soul.

In this increasingly distracting world, it can be harder to build a reading habit. But it isn’t impossible.

Encouraging a regular reading habit is one of the most wholesome things for your mental health.

Reading keeps yourbrain sharp.

I’ve always loved reading ,books,poetry and all things related to words and literature. To me books are more exciting and interesting than watching anything on social media.

I often find consistency helps to build a reading habit. I’m part of a weekly accountability group. On one occasion, one of the participants shared how he wanted to read at least a page a day. This might seem insignificant, but is actually a great way to build a reading habit.

He made his reading goal so low, that way ensuring there was no resistance to the process.

Often times he shared he’d read more than one page. So if you’re hesitant on reading more because you think you have no time, keep your reading goals super low — a page, a paragraph even. If you need help in maintaining consistency this simple toolkit can be useful to you.

I think one of the reasons reading allows us to process life better, to heal, and to live contemplatively, is because it slow us down. It takes time and patience to read.

This helps settle us. It ground us physically in the moment, even though our minds might take flight.

Reading is a nourishing activity, that encourages the slow, considered life.

In a world that puts fires by our arses to ever be speeding up, and running to the next thing. It can be so soothing to be able to rest a while in a place. With a singular activity to focus on.

• Focus in life is healing
• Focus is grounding
• Focus allows us to do deeper into the richness of the moment.

Distraction and being scattered brained brings anxiety and an ungrounded energy to our being.

Reading more makes our life experience richer.

So if you’re feeling some kind of way about your life, and need a way of processing your emotions, or working through some deep emotions. Consider reading a book that aligns with whatever is going on in your life. Do some research and get a short collection going.

You won’t regret it.

Over to you

• Are you a reader? What books are you currently reading?
• What genres or subgenres do you enjoy reading the most?
• What role does reading play in your life?
• What are some of the challenges you face in building a reading habit?

*Written by a human who loves to read, no AI used. ✍️

*if you gained any value from this, I appreciate a tip to fund my tea drinking habit☕

The Cosy Reader’s Toolkit 📚 helps you track your daily pages read, and also the number of books you read. It’s an aesthetic and simple way to develope and maintain a reading habit.

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