Escape the Stresses of Life – READ
By Laurel Reed-BeckstedMA, LCMHC
Reading is a great escape from the stressors of daily life. It can help with anxiety and takes you out of the present moment because you become lost in the story. It can help build empathy because it puts you in a safe place to experience things and, physically, it will help decrease your heart rate.
It’s a great escape from daily life. You get to have adventures.
Reading at Bedtime Helps You Sleep Better
Reading a book at bedtime is a healthy bedtime ritual for everyone, not just for kids. It can help you fall asleep faster and, also can help you sleep longer. Even if it’s not bedtime, reading has been shown to have a very positive physical and mental impact reducing depression, stress, and anxiety.
It’s something that I encourage my clients to do, especially when I have clients who are struggling to sleep. I suggest that they read for half an hour before bed. Put your phone away, put your electronics away, and read before you go to sleep. It helps transition you from waking to relaxing and now it’s time to go to sleep. It also lowers your heart rate; it regulates your breathing because you’re not focusing on those anxious feelings.
A World of Resources at the Library
A great resource is your local librarian. Randal Smathers, director of the Rutland Free Library, shared information about how visiting the library can help with your mental health.
“We’re really trying to remove barriers for people who might not have a lot of resources, for people who might need a mental health break,” Smathers said. “We’re working really hard to knock down those barriers so that everybody can feel welcome to come and use the library.”
“We had a woman who was in real serious economic difficulties who had essentially been placed in Rutland because she had lost her housing and there was a hotel room here,” Smathers said. She borrowed a computer from the library for an online job interview; the library provided the space and equipment for a video conference call; printed out a form she needed to sign; and shared social service contact information for help with finding food, healthcare, and housing support.
“She really used almost everything we’re set up to provide in terms of social services, and that includes that we have air conditioning when it’s hot and we have heat when it’s cold. And that’s really a starting point for some folks,” he said.
The library provides a world of resources and opportunities.
- You don’t have to live in Rutland to use the library.
- There are regular print, large print and audio books.
- Libraries make it easy for people who are in need to be able to use the resources.
- Rutland has a book sale twice a month.
- Little Free Library in Rutland, Castleton and Hancock are where people can take a book and drop one off.
- Rutland and other libraries provide late fee forgiveness.
“We serve Rutland City, Rutland Town, Mendon, Tinmouth and Ira, as these are the towns that pay taxes toward our upkeep and so receive library cards at no extra charge,” Smathers said.
Whether you want to read on a device or want to listen to a book in the garden, in the car or at the beach, downloadable books are hugely popular. “Our audiobook lending is up something like, 13% a year the last four years running,” he said.
The Benefits of Reading Are Too Many to Count
A low to no-cost activity, reading is available to everyone. Rutland’s book club for adults meets monthly where 20 to 30 regulars attend most months. “Our Friends of the Library help by subsidizing the books so that it makes it easier for somebody who might be on a fixed income to participate,” Smathers said.
Public libraries in Vermont, funded by local taxes, endowments and donations, share resources through statewide and worldwide consortiums giving access to literally billions of books and publications. Almost every library in Vermont participates at some level in interlibrary loans, which are supported by the state Department of Libraries. The consortium of 23 libraries makes it easy for librarians to ship books around the state.
Every library in Vermont is a standalone library and as a result, there is a huge selection of programs year-round. “Some of the smaller libraries in Rutland County – Fair Haven, Castleton and a lot of the smaller towns – do an amazing job providing programs on a year-round basis,” Smathers said, including story times, holiday crafts, music festivals, book sales and family passes to Vermont attractions.
Feed Your Brain; Boost Self-Esteem and Mental Health
“Reading activates the brain differently than passive entertainment like a computer game or a tv or a movie,” Smathers said. “Reading is just a different process.”
Being involved in a supportive community reading program can boost self-esteem and mental health as individuals, families and groups expand their horizons, create opportunities for socialization and encourage conversations.
Try different genres. Give yourself an opportunity. Explore. Explore what you like. And see if there is a reading program at your local library for you or anyone who needs a new adventure!
Laurel Reed-Becksted, MA, LCMHC, Community Health Behavioral Health psychotherapist
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