Reading for Well-Being
By: Joanna Pozzulo, Ph.D.
Carleton University
Physical book, e-book, or audiobook are all options that can help you reap the health benefits of reading.
Benefits of Reading
Books can educate and improve the well-being of their readers. Here are more benefits to reading.
1) Helping cognitive function (Chang, Wu, Hsiung, 2020)
Reading more than once a week has been associated with slowing cognitive decline. Start slowly with 5- or 10-minutes of reading a day.
2) Stress reduction (Liu, Han, Li, & Zhao, 2024)
Reading can help reduce work stress and positively influence work performance. One study finds that 6-minutes of reading can reduce stress by over 60%.
3) Improving sleep quality (Finucane, O'Brien, & Treweek, et. al., 2021)
Reading before bed has been associated with improving the quality of your sleep. Make reading for a few minutes part of your bedtime routine.
4) Improving mood (Carney & Robertson, 2022)
Reading can improve mood and emotion. Reading can help lift your mood. With the colder weather setting in, read or listen to an e-book for a few minutes a day.
5) Decrease in blood pressure (Le Pailleur, Helft, & Landais, 1998)
Reading can reduce blood pressure in some situations. Try reading for a few minutes when you are feeling your stress levels increase.
Benefits of community
Although reading is often considered a solitary activity, it also is possible to read within a community. Being part of a community can help (McNamara, Stevenson, Costa, et. al., 2021):
reduce social isolation
decrease loneliness
increase connectedness
Book clubs may allow you to reap the benefits of reading and community.
Reading for Well-Being Community Book Club
I started the Reading for Well-Being Community Book Club through the Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Training Hub (known as MeWeRTH) at Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario). Each month I select an evidence-based book focused on some dimension of well-being, selected as Professor Pozzulo’s Picks, https://carleton.ca/mental-health/mewerths-reading-for-well-being-community-book-club/ . I use an electronic platform to post my book selections and reviews. As well, book club members can communicate with each other through this discussion board.
The objective of this book club is to connect people with the science and strategies for improved well-being.
There are no costs and everyone is welcome to sign up here, https://carleton.ca/mental-health/book-club-sign-up/
Meet the Authors
To help readers understand the science behind the strategies for well-being presented in the books, I started the Reading for Well-Being Podcast where I interview the authors of the selected books from the book club. The podcast is available on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/@ReadingforWellBeingPodcast and where you get your podcasts, https://readingforwellbeingpodcast.libsyn.com
Want to host an in-person Reading for Well-Being Book Club meeting but not sure where to start?
Members may be interested in hosting an in-person Reading for Well-being Book Club meeting in their immediate community. Here are some tips on how to start an in-person book club meeting.
1) Ask your inner circle to participate
Start small with one or two others. Consider asking a friend, neighbour, or caregiver if they want to co-host with you or participate in your book club meeting.
2) Reach out
Connect with your building’s superintendent or the manager at your local community centre or the librarian at the public library to ask if they know anyone looking to participate in a book club.
3) Choose a location for your meeting
Choose a local coffee shop, local community centre, or public library to meet up and chat.
4) Choose your book
Choose one of Professor Pozzulo’s Picks from the Reading for Well-Being Book Club. Check out the current list here, thttps://carleton.ca/mental-health/mewerths-reading-for-well-being-community-book-club/
5) Read or listen to the book
Books and e-books are often available at the library or local bookstore. Don’t forget you can share books as well. Have a read or listen prior to the book club meeting.
If you want to learn more about the book, you can listen to the author directly. Tune into the Reading for Well-Being podcast available on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/@ReadingforWellBeingPodcast or where you get your podcasts, https://readingforwellbeingpodcast.libsyn.com
6) Print the Book Kit
Print the downloadable book kit for any of Professor Pozzulo’s Picks. Book Kits include discussion questions, additional readings, and a snack recipe to enjoy, Here is a sample book kit for Happy Money by Dunn and Norton (2013) https://carleton.ca/mental-health/wp-content/uploads/Happy-Money-Downloadable-Kit-3.pdf
7) Sign up
Join the Reading for Well-Being Community Book Club to receive the monthly newsletter to stay up to date on book picks and access to the electronic discussion board, https://carleton.ca/mental-health/book-club-sign-up/
Happy reading.
References
Carney, J., & Robertson, C. (2022). Five studies evaluating the impact on mental health and mood of recalling, reading, and discussing fiction. PLoS One, 17(4):e0266323. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266323
Chang, Y-H., Wu, I-C., Hsiung, C. (2020). Reading activity prevents long-term decline in cognitive function in older people: evidence from a 14-year longitudinal study. Int Psychogeriatr, 33, 63-74. doi: 10.1017/S1041610220000812
Dunn, E. & Norton, M. (2013). Happy Money: The science of happier spending. Simon & Schuster (pp. 224).
Finucane, E., O'Brien, A., Treweek, S., Newell, J., Das, K., Chapman, S., Wicks. P., Galvin, S., Healy, P., Biesty, L., Gillies, K., Noel-Storr, A., Gardner, H., O'Reilly, M.F., & Devane, D. (2021). Does reading a book in bed make a difference to sleep in comparison to not reading a book in bed? The People's Trial-an online, pragmatic, randomised trial. Trials, 22, 873. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05831-3
Le Pailleur, C., Helft, G., Landais, P., Montgermont, P., Feder, J.M., Metzger, J.P., & Vacheron, A. (1998). The effects of talking, reading, and silence on the "white coat" phenomenon in hypertensive patients. Am J Hypertens. 11, 203-207. doi: 10.1016/s0895-7061(97)00403-2
Liu, P., Han, Y., Li, W., & Zhao, S. (2024). Psychological Effects of Reading on Alleviating Work Stress and Enhancing Job Satisfaction: An Analytical Study. American Journal of Health Behavior, 48(2), 137-149.
McNamara, N. Stevenson, C., Costa, S., Bowe, M., Wakefield, J., Kellezi, B., Wilson, I., Halder, M., & Mair, E. (2021). Community identification, social support, and loneliness: The benefits of social identification for personal well-being. British Journal of Psychology, 60, 1379-1402. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12456