We, as readers and writers, love escaping into words. Whether it’s a fantasy book with new, unknown worlds, or a poetry book we can empathize with, we breathe a world of imagination into languages — but why, exactly, do we love it so much? And why do we use it as a way to unwind from a long, hard day at work, or a stressful day? Read on to find out the mental health benefits behind our favorite hobbies!
Escapism
Reading and writing can offer an escape from the world. Like most hobbies, such as painting, or even going to the gym, while we’re reading or writing, we’re often not thinking about the world around us and our responsibilities — especially in today’s fast-paced world. Reading and writing can offer us a space to just slow down and relax — a space to only think about the plot, or a favorite character.
Additionally, when we’re reading, or even writing, we tend to put ourselves in the narrator’s shoes, which allows us to be someone else for a little while, and when life is stressful, that can be such a stress reliever. Especially when you compare your problems to those of a fantasy protagonist. What’s a stressful day at work compared to The Hunger Games? Books and writing have a way of allowing us to realize that maybe our problems aren’t so big after all, and we’re going to be okay. After all, Katniss Everdeen survived, and so will you.
It’s Like Therapy — But Cheaper
Readers and writers tend to be introverted people. If you ask a reader or a writer how they’re feeling, chances are, they’re likely to be a little awkward about it. I mean, we find our friends in fictional characters and our dream partners are usually made up, too. So, when we want to talk about our feelings, we might shy away from it, but reading and writing can offer us a space to connect to people (or characters) who perhaps feel the same way without ever having to say the words out loud.
Personally, as a writer, I tend to find it easier to write my feelings than express them out loud (Peep my poetry book here if you’d like to buy, where I discuss all sorts of mental topics!). Reading or writing can help us realize that maybe we aren’t as alone as we always feel sometimes. There’s someone out there, feeling the same thing you are, and that similarity helps us connect as people through books and writing. We can share the emotions of a character/narrator and live our life vicariously through them, which can be cathartic.
It’s a Positive Outlet
Let’s be real — reading can be insanely expensive. But, despite how expensive it can be, it’s a positive way to let out stress from your life. There are far worse hobbies to develop in response to stress, trauma, etc., and reading is more of a positive one, even if your wallet disagrees. Writing, while not as expensive, is again, a positive hobby and outlet to have in your life. Sometimes you might want to strangle someone, but writing about it is a far better idea than actually doing it!
Reading and writing are some of our favorite stress-relievers as book-lovers. What’s your favorite way to unwind?
For our book recommendations, check out our page on Bookshop here!
For another article on mental health and books, click here.
