Happy Wellness Wednesday~ one of my all time favorite wellness activities is reading!! Reading has always been something that I LOVE to do. There is rarely a time that I don’t have a book that I am currently reading. Even when life is busy and hectic, (& whose isn’t) I usually read at least 1 book a month. Sometimes it is more than that, if I go out of town (I always read during travel time) or if I have more free time than normal. For example, currently I am recovery from a hamstring repair surgery. This is forcing me to have more down time than usual. I am not able to even sit yet, but on the bright side I am getting in more time to read books!!! I actually read the 2nd book I am talking about in 2 days 🙂 While I love to talk about books and find out good books to read, I am not a book critic. I thoroughly enjoy reading. I prefer actual books compared to the electronic kind, but I still enjoy reading on my nook as well as audio books when needed.
Benefits of reading:
- Books can give you a perspective that you don’t have or will never have in real life
- By reading a book you can “live in someone else’s shoes” or challenge the way you feel about a situation. This can be done by reading a non-fiction book like an auto-biography or by reading books about different historical times. Even fictional books have opened my eyes on what it is like to experience something different.
- Grow your bucket list by reading about traveling to other places.
- Increase knowledge and learn new skills
- Give your mind a break from every day life- there is nothing like getting lost in a good book to give you a break from reality!!
How to find more time to read:
Life is busy for everyone! Just like anything, having a plan and making what is important to you a priority is the only way to make it happen! Adding a little creativity can be beneficial too!!
- Have some accountability
- For me I am in a monthly book club. The book club that I am in is through texting (that’s where some creativity comes in). It is with my mom, my cousin and my aunt. My cousin and my aunt live in a different state (that is why we use texting). Each person (we go in alphabetical order of last name) takes their turn to pick the book. Once everyone is done with the book the person who picked the book asks a few questions. Once we are done answering questions, the next person in order picks the book and we repeat with the new book! There are lots of different ways to be part of a book club. There are traditional ones that meet at a location each month and discuss books, you can find ways to do this online, or get creative and think of what works for you!!There are always reading challenges you can take part in. Our local libraries have Summer reading challenges or Winter reading challenges. They give opportunities to also win prizes along the way! Bonus 🙂
- Read during down time
- Maybe you don’t feel like you have any downtime. But we all do! Think about the time that you spend on Facebook or Twitter. Or time that you are in the car or waiting in lines. That equals time that you could be reading! Audiobooks open a whole new way to read. When I was finishing my bachelors degree there was a literature class that I had to take. I was working full time, going to school and taking care of my family. To find time to read some very long books was tricky. At the time I was also training for a 1/2 marathon so I decided to use the time I had already put aside to train to listen to books. It was great! Not only was I able to get though these books, but it helped my running go by way faster. So audiobooks can be used in the car while driving, waiting in the carpool line, while waiting in line, while walking, running or other types of exercising.
- Block out time to read
- One of my favorite places to read is the bathtub! Grab a glass of wine and jump in the bath. There is nothing to distract you, except when the water turns cold
- Set aside 10 minutes before bed to read. Use your alarm to remind you, even set a timer for 10 minutes to stay on track!
- Maybe you have an evening or afternoon that is less busy. What a great time for the whole family to take a 1/2 and hour to snuggle on the couch and read!
What I read in February:
The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper was my book club book for the month.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Shop my February book picks:
Take care of yourself and be well today and thanks for stopping by!!
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