The good and the bad of reading as a habit

The month of September is the time of the year when we talk more about books and reading, and we often talk about how reading can affect our lives positively. We know that reading involves both a physiological process and a mental or cognitive process, and that reading a book requires a lot from you, such as your time, attention, emotions, and more. Like other habits we develop, reading too, can have both good and bad impacts on an individual, and keeping this habit healthy is a matter of managing the good and the bad.

 

The positive effects

A 2009 study by the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. When you read a good story, you tend to travel mentally to a different realm and this can help a reader temporarily escape from everyday troubles. We know that reading stimulates mental activity. To stay healthy, every part of our body needs exercise, and the same goes for our brain. Reading gives it regular exercise and keeps it healthy and sound.

Reading allows you to gain tranquillity. Health experts say that people suffering from high blood pressure or anxiety can find peace in reading and people suffering from mood disorders can also feel better with reading habits.

A deeper understanding of self: Psychologists have established the fact that literature is a valid resource to learn about mental health issues. Books can also play a vital role in mental illness recovery. Bibliotherapy; reading as a therapeutic tool helps mental health therapists to help their clients to understand emotions, give them the power to make the connection between their thoughts and actions, expand their world views and deepen their understanding of serious issues like trauma.

Developing empathy: The concept that reading can better help us connect to the broader human experience is more than simple observation, it has been supported by extensive research. Studies show that reading can help children build emotional intelligence and empathy, and it enables them to better connect with other viewpoints and others’ experiences. It also encourages values about social behaviours, helping them to understand and deal with those who are different from them.

In the fictional world, individuals might see things through the eyes of the narrator and have access to their internal minds, their thoughts and feelings. That helps them to properly understand why others act the way they do. Because of that, they start to empathise with others in the real world.  

 

The negative effects

Most readers seldom experience the negative effects of reading. However, excessive reading may have negative effects as well. Frequent readers need to take note of the potential negative effects of excessive reading. If you know what they are and what symptoms will normally indicate that you are becoming prone to one of these negative effects, you can take precautions to control a further infestation.

Unrealistic expectations: Over-identifying with the characters in the story can cause readers to have unrealistic expectations of people and situations in real life. When real-life people then don’t meet these expectations, readers are disappointed and risk losing out on the joys of real life.

Guilt: Some people get so involved in the book they are reading that all other aspects of their life get less attention. They spend less time with their families and don’t have enough time for normal daily chores. This realisation might lead to feelings of guilt.

Escapism: A serious negative effect of reading is that because you so enjoy living in the fictional world of the stories read, you want to escape to a fictional world whenever you can’t cope with your problems in the real world. Instead of trying to resolve your real-world problems, you ignore them and escape to a better world by reading a book. A person who uses this technique to hide from problems uses reading in the same way a drug-addicted person will use drugs to escape from reality. Like all compulsive habits, reading addiction stems from the need to escape and control.

Physiological problems: Although reading as a hobby has many benefits, excessive reading might cause negative effects for some readers. These not only include physical aspects like eyesight degradation or sore neck, but also mental and social aspects like adverse interpersonal behaviour.

 

Decreasing habit of reading 

In this age of technology, the habit of reading books is seen to be decreasing day by day. The most probable reason behind this can be the online availability of video and audio material. Among other reasons behind losing interest in reading can be stress, exhaustion, lack of sleep, or weighty responsibilities. Understanding the root cause of losing interest in reading will allow you to address the issue and regain your interest.

Taking care of your physical and mental state is the first step to maintaining healthy brain function and in return, a longer attention span. There are, however, a few easy steps to help you focus while you read. Steps that can eventually train your brain to read faster while still retaining the information you are reading. These steps include reading on a schedule and minimising distractions, especially by keeping electronic devices away, since the internet and social media are some of our biggest distractions when reading.

(The writer is a mental health professional and has, over the past 10 years, contributed to several Sri Lankan media publications in both English and Sinhala languages, focusing on topics related to psychology and counselling)