Mental Health Week: The Benefits of Reading for Mental Health

Looking after our mental health is so important to protect our emotional, physical and social wellbeing. It plays a huge part on how we think, feel and act, from early childhood to adolescence and all the way through to adulthood.

It has been found that reading has great benefits for mental health. A case study carried out by a Dr David Lewis has shown that reading for as little as six minutes each day can reduce stress levels by 60%. It can also help to strengthen the neural pathways of our brain while lowering both heart and blood pressure.

Bonding

Spending time together through sharing books can help parents and carers manage and support their children’s wellbeing. The way children react to stories can help identify if they are going through any hardships.

Time to Read is one of BookTrust’s campaigns that encourages families to read together and shows us how reading can help develop children’s learning. Their aim is to interest the children and help improve their literacy and language skills. This will give the children a safe space to express themselves and is a great bonding exercise. 

There are a number of ways for schools and parents to incorporate reading into their daily routines:

  • Arrange activities that allow children to talk freely and express how their day is going
  • Get some fresh air and spend time reading outdoors, perhaps in a garden or park
  • Meditation and similar stress-busting exercises can create a calm and relaxing environment

Educational

Reading can be soothing, it allows you to step out of your comfort zone, and it can educate in matters a ready knows only a little about.  According to Dr. Josephine Chen-Wilson,

“Sharing books with young children helps them to appreciate people have different points of view, a vital skill for communication.”

Educating young children on more serious issues can be difficult, but books can be a great tool to introduce the issue and start a dialogue. Through the thoughts and feelings of characters in a story, young readers will be able to make sense of their own feelings.

Empathy

Reading allows you to escape your own mind whilst you live through another.

Reading increases the reader’s ability to feel empathy for others. A story has the power to introduce readers to many different emotions through the lens of its characters, allowing them to build connections with and care for the people around them.

Sweet Cherry has a range of great books that can help children learn more or learn how to deal with mental health issues:

Teen fiction

Lily couldn’t have planned life better herself. She lives in the best house in town and she’s dating the most popular boy in school. Everything else she can fix. Mum’s apathy? On it! The stuffy gala committee? Watch this space!
Tom has enough on his plate without trying to drag Newton St Cuthbert into the 21st Century. His sister is sick and there’s nothing anyone can do. Not doctors, not his parents, and certainly not Lily Hildebrand.

The Galloway Girls series is informative for young readers as author Gill Stewart tackles a variety of teen issues. Tom’s sister, Sarah, suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a mental health condition that causes extreme tiredness. Throughout the book, readers find themselves rooting for Sarah, who only wants to be a normal teenager. This sweet teen romance series also explores characters with depression and anxiety. Stewart writes a unique and worthy novel and fosters empathy through the lenses of characters and their relatable journeys through mental health.

Classic literature

Did you know that reading complex prose with challenging language sends ‘rocket boosters’ to the brain that can help improve mental health? Our beautiful classic editions of Jane Austen‘s novels and The Wizard of Oz series are a great way to step into the classics. Younger readers can enjoy our Easy Classics editions of Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen and Conan Doyle.

Mula and the Fly: A Fun Yoga Story

Mental health is just as important for children as well as adults. In more recent years, there has been an increased need to raise awareness of the importance of children’s mental health as it has shown a direct effect to their academic performance and, later in life, their career.

Yoga is a great way to improve mental health for all ages. Lauren Hoffmeier‘s beautiful picture book, Mula and the Fly: A Fun Yoga Story is a great tool to introduce young readers to mindfulness, movement and deep breathing.