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As a child, I have fond memories of staying in bed on days off, propped up with a couple of pillows and a good book in my hands. I can still feel the flutter of excitement I had when holding the book, weighing it, stroking the cover, reading the title and then opening it and diving into a new story. I would lose all track of time immersed in the journey alongside my heroes. The disappointment when I had to put the book down and the eagerness to return to it, finding my way back to the adventure where the bookmark was left. Finally, that mixed feeling when I reached the last page. Flicking back to re-read the last chapter to make it last a little bit longer.
Every day I experience great joy turning the pages of a book for leisure or for work. I love that connection between my fingertips and the paper. Reading a “paper” book is such a sensory experience. Not just tactile but also the smell of the cover, the crisp sound of the pages, the colour of the ink, size of the characters …
Whether it was in my grandparents or my parents’ home, books were everywhere (including the toilets!). All sort of topics and all kind of sizes: poetry, comics, novels, biographies, fiction, cooking books, dictionaries and encyclopaedias. From very ancient leather covers, protecting delicate yellowish pages, to hardcover or paperback, there was always something so reassuring about having those books around.
Nowadays a lot of our reading is done on screens and online.
So how is that different to paper reading?
Paper reading is linear, one line, paragraph, page, chapter, after the other … A rhythm with little distraction. The reader might pause, re-read and ponder for a moment. It is a slower process involving a deeper level of thinking.
Online reading is non-linear, more like scanning and skimming. We jump lines, look for keywords and our eyes follow a F or Z pattern. Our brain has to deal with more distractions in the form of hyperlinks, illustrations, animations and notifications.
Paper and offline reading offers a multitude of benefits. It stimulates our brain with problem solving and analytical thinking, broadens our vocabulary and knowledge. It also boosts our memory and improves focus and concentration.
The cherry on the cake is … relaxation! Yes, reading silently for just 6 minutes is more relaxing than having a cuppa!
Can you believe it? Reading has been shown to reduce stress levels by 68% compared to 54% when having a cup of tea of coffee*.
Imagine how deeply relaxing it is to combine both!
This month I dare you to cultivate a new book reading habit.
Pick a book that you are keen to discover (preferably paper but you can get away with e-book if it is ‘offline’)
Choose a space for your daily reading (an area where you won’t be interrupted)
Set a time (experiment with bedtime, first thing in the morning or mid-day pause)
Leave all electronic distractions in another room
Finally … enjoy the experience!
You might want to set a habit of 1 page a day to start with and it is a very realistic objective. You will soon find that you are turning more and more pages.
" Turning the pages of a paper book is like leaving one footprint after another on the trail - there's a rhythm to it and a visible record of how far one has travelled. " Ferris Jabr
To explore more relaxation techniques and feel in control of your technology, get in touch. We will arrange a free conversation to explore possibilities that will fit your needs. I guarantee it will be 15min of your time invested mindfully.
References:
* Reading ‘can help reduce stress’
Image credits: Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
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