Reading Books Reduces Physical and Emotional Stress

Marine Corps veteran Jennifer Grieves has 28 years of service under her belt. During that time, Jennifer Grieves received multiple awards. She also has 20 years of leadership experience as an operations director. One of the pastimes she enjoys is reading, and according to a study, reading for pleasure can significantly reduce stress compared to many other activities.

The study was conducted by the University of Sussex in 2009. The researchers compared different activities, such as reading for fun, taking a walk, listening to music, and drinking tea, to see their effect on stress levels. It was found that reading for six minutes can reduce stress levels by 68 percent. Not only was this higher than the other activities, but it also occurred more quickly.

The scientists believe that this is because reading can fully immerse the reader in a different world, offering them a respite from real-world stressors. This, in turn, slows down one’s heart rate and eases tension in the muscles, allowing the person to relax.