Continuing my theme of rest and leisure, I mentioned at the start of my holiday my re-reading of the book ‘The Art of Rest’ by Claudia Hammond. In my walk this week, I wish to write about the why we read, which scored the highest in the 10 activities outlined in this book regarding relaxation.

Firstly,I would like to ask a question.

If you are a reader, why do you read?

If you don’t read, why don’t you?

Why do I read?

Here are my thoughts about the benefits of reading, expressed as a poem that explores both fiction and non-fiction texts.

                                                                  Rest, Read and Reason

How many worlds do we find in books?

The plot lines, people, timelines and hooks,

Into the many minds of

Storytellers

Scholars

Saviours and

Shepherds

guiding us through their words of wisdom or wonder

as we pour into the pages

Forgetting

Loosening

Pausing through life

and all its strive.

How many times do we turn a page

The content, chapters, lines to gaze

Into the many covers of

Emerging

Evolving

Enlightening and

Enriching

guiding us through their journey of either fact or fiction.

As we pour into the pages

Searching

Hoping

asking for more,

as we walk through their door.

Opening the passageway to

Knowledge

Imagination

and freedom of expression.

Knowing there are no limits to where we might go,

on venture and voyage

of discovery and delight.

Tales in paper binding formed

and weaved together to create

a tapestry called life and living

that can never be hidden.

Spilling consciousness on to the page

of hopes, ideas and art.

A canvas of paper

In black and white

yet revealing all its colours.

To read captures all of this

No wonder many people love its bliss.

@Helen Marshall August 2024

To pick up a book is good for us:

There are a whole host of studies as to the many benefits of reading. Here is just one which you could read.

.The evidence is clear that reading is good for our emotional and physical health.

When do we like to read?

For me, I find it easier to read at night and unwind before sleep. In the mornings, I like to listen to music and prefer to write or work on my lesson planning. Reading at the end of the day, when the work is done, is psychologically good for me, and is a relaxing reward for the day’s activities and commitments.

How many books do we buy and is it increasing?

Having explored some data on this, it appears we bought more books during the COVID lock-down have been exploring different types of books and ways to read. In ‘The Art of Rest’ the author cites that in 2018, in the UK, there were 1.6 billion book sales.Take a look at these statistics if you enjoy numbers on the growth of book purchases, including reading in digital format.

However, the way we read appears to be changing as we purchase more e-books and listen to audio books. Reading demands a high level of cognitive function and I’m wondering if the same brain work is required for listening to audio books. I am curious to do some more research to see if there is any cognitive difference.

As we journey through books, how is it different to other forms of leisure like social media or TV?

At a bookshop, library or shopping online book stores, we choose our book with an intention. Even if we browse the shelves, we are often looking for something specific. This is very different to scrolling for news to read on our phones or glancing through the TV guide. We enter a world of our choosing or because we are intrigued by what lies behind the pages. Reading helps us focus and increases our attention span while social media can do the opposite.

Finally:

Social media had led me away from physical books but now I’m embracing them again with renewed vigour. I have tried a Kindle and even an audio book, but nothing compares to the smell of fresh, crisp paper, a book cover and pages to dip into. I tend to read more non-fiction books, but recognise the value in being transported into another world with a great story. I would like to read more fiction, not just for increased creative writing skills but solely for pure pleasure.

I hope you too can be persuaded to give reading a closer look if your gaze has been elsewhere.

Until next week…..

Photography is from my walk this week at Castle Rising, Norfolk on the old road by the chalk river. It was a perfect hot, sunny day with the clearest of blue skies and the sheep were shading themselves from the sun within the cooling trees. It is one of my favourite walking places.