HMHB definitely promotes reading as a way to relax, reduce stress, and enjoy yourself. I have always loved reading - and recall heading off to my local library as a child, excited to see what I could find. I was an avid Tintin fan, as well as Asterix (did you know they are still producing new Asterix stories, even though the original writers have sadly passed away - but sadly no Tintin, as Herge requested that before he died). My mum was a dedicated Agatha Christie follower, which I inherited (I have every book), and this has led to a love of crime fiction.
According to psychologist Dr. David Lewis from Mindlab, losing yourself in a book lets you escape the real world and allows the mind to wander. The study found that muscles relaxed and heart rate fell during reading.
The first reason for this is simple distraction - your mind cannot worry about work if it is processing the words in front of you - but it goes deeper than that. According to researchers at Emory University inn the United States, the part of the brain called the Central Sulcrus - which is associated with empathy - fires into action, so when you are reading your mind is fully immersed in the story. This takes you away from your daily life, and the issues and problems within - helping your relax.
The secret is to find a genre that you enjoy. Some like Fiction, others Non-Fiction. It may be Romance, Science Fiction, Crime Thrillers, Westerns, Horror, Fantasy, Suspense etc. You may like comedy, biographies, books on historical events etc. There is bound to be something that you want to dive into.
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