This might seem like an unimportant, if slightly depressing, side effect of people’s attention being fixed on screens. But a new review published in Psychological Medicine suggests that reading for pleasure—sitting down and focusing on a book you actually look forward to cracking open—can have significant impacts on your brain and wellbeing.
But reading for pleasure shouldn’t stop in childhood. Studies of adult reading habits show benefits as well. In the review, the authors note that readers often mention in surveys that they feel less lonely after they read. “‘It made me feel more connected to others. It made me understand other people's point of view better, and gave me more empathy.’ That comes up a lot in surveys,” Sahakian says.
Surveys indicate a link to stress reduction as well. “With reducing stress, it seems to happen really quickly,” Sahakian says. “If you get engrossed in a book, then your mind and your attention are really focused on reading and the content, which means it takes your attention away from other things. You don't start ruminating about problems that you have…you forget all of that. So it's a little bit like mindfulness in that regard, because the attention is so focused.”
The benefits of reading in older age
If it’s been a while since you’ve read for pleasure, there’s no need to start with War and Peace. Reading works best when it relates to something you are actually interested in, says Sahakian. Try a magazine or book related to a hobby or special interest to start.
Do audiobooks count?
Perhaps more importantly, when it comes to reading for pleasure, people often listen to audiobooks while they are doing something else—like driving, gardening, or doing the dishes. That suggests, says Sahakian, that they aren’t producing the same feeling of absorption that reading text does.
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