5 Ways Reading is Good for your Mental Health

Just like eating right and physical activity is crucial to maintaining physical health, reading exercises the brain and helps the mind unwind after a long and stressful day. Reading helps increase self-esteem, confidence, slows down signs of dementia and symptoms of depression.

Here’s why you should visit Regina Public Library more often:

  1. Helps you Relax

Reading helps reduce your stress levels and is one of the strongest activities that help the brain and the body, relax.

So, the next time you find yourself exhausted after a tough day at work, pick up a book and let yourself disconnect from the world for a few hours.

  1. Increases Empathy

Reading stimulates our brains to increase empathy for others. Reading literary fiction evokes the most empathic response as compared to non-fiction reading material. Humans are social creatures, and fiction helps us relate with the characters and understand their struggles- which in turn helps increase empathy.

  1. Increases Mental Flexibility

Reading poetry and other poetic material causes fascinating changes to the brain cells. Reading complex text like poetry increases activity in key areas of the brain which promote mental flexibility.

Avid readers are more likely to seek creative solutions rather than just being led by instinct and habit.

  1. Increases Spatial Intelligence

Spatial intelligence is related to the concept of one’s place in space and how distances and directions interact. Spatial intelligence helps in activities like map reading, building, planning, and sports.

  1. Battles Depression

Keeping your mind occupied is very important in your fight against depression.

While experiencing depression an individual either keeps his/her mind inactive or occupied with negative thoughts but when you read a positive book, you fill your mind with positive content which further generates positive energy.

This blog post was created as part of our response to the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information about our response, including changes to our service delivery and other resources, please visit: https://familyserviceregina.com/covid19-a-message-from-the-ceo/