Mental Health: 9 - Reading

Hobbies are a good way to stay positive because they allow us to disconnect and just enjoy ourselves. Everyone is different, but some hobbies are enjoyable for everyone and reading is certainly one of them because there is genre for everyone. It is definitely a hobby worth trying out.

“Recently I did something I hadn’t properly done in months, maybe longer. That was to sit down and read a book. Not just for college or as some sort of study, just because I was interested in the book and I felt I would enjoy it. In fact, as it turned out, not only did I enjoy it but once I started I could not put the book down until I had it complete.

Reading is not something many people do that often anymore, especially young people. And by reading I mean a physical book, not scrolling through articles on your phone, although some of the more thoughtful articles online are beneficial, a lot of times they are shallow pieces of news designed to make people click on them. The book could be about anything at all, fact, fiction, autobiography, crime, music, economics, history, the list goes on. But reading recently made me realise how enjoyable it is again.

Seeing the topics mentioned above, it is inevitable also that you will learn something from the book you are reading, so its not going to be a waste of time, or boring, or some of the other negatives I have heard thrown out about reading.

Also, and importantly in my view, it is a way of relaxing after studying or before you go to bed. This is true even in a lockdown. Reading can allow you to have time to yourself if that’s what you want, but it can also be a topic for discussion and a way of being introduced to new ideas. All these things are good for the brain in my opinion. If you can find a book you enjoy, then sitting down to reading it will be something you look forward to. Say you pick a particular time to read, then every day you will look forward to reading at that time.

Reading is also another way to combat the negative side of phones and social media. There are definitely positives in my view to the more connected world today, but for some people this can get overwhelming and reading is a good way to get away from that, if that is important to you.

From writing this it has occurred to me, that reading isn’t just something that can be used to cope in these weird times, but it might also be something that you enjoy, in the same way we enjoy playing sport or watching Netflix or television. Many students will probably view reading as something they have to do for their assignment or their exams, and if that’s the perception it will, naturally, feel like a burden to read so why would anyone do it then. My point is if you can find a book that interests you this will actually go a good bit of the way to stimulating your brain and hopefully make you feel good having read it, be it an hour each night or half an hour in the morning or at lunch time.

This won’t suit everyone for many different reasons but if you’ve never tried it, then I suggest you give it a go, as it doesn’t take long and might end up being something not just that helps us cope, but actually enjoy ourselves.”

Tá laethanta níos ghile romhainn.