The Pineapple Chicken Blog

Hey everyone!

Happy weekend 🙂 what did you all get up to? I am currently in a cafe and blogging from Rotterdam (very cool and chic) which I can’t wait to share with you all later, once I have processed my thoughts!

Following on from Art & Wellness blog post last week, I wanted to touch upon Reading & Wellness. This is something that is very close to my heart as well. There is a lot of research and articles in this space; so I am not going to try and reinvent the wheel but thought it would be useful to share a few articles which I have found to be helpful.

Reading has personally been very positive to my wellbeing. This is also why it is one of the more important new year resolutions I want to complete and would like to encourage others to make it one of theirs.

Reading & Wellbeing

• Reading is relaxing – I constantly struggle to find time to do everything; as for many of you, do you feel like there is always a conflict of what one wants to do and the time available to us? I have been trying to actively make time for myself (working progress), often I use it to read or visit a gallery/museum. Reading is one of the most relaxing past times and I can easily get lost in a good book and not move for hours. For those looking for a comfortable cushion, I really recommend the L shaped IKEA cushion for only £7 (not an ad, just really love this cushion!).
• Reading is a work out for your brain/mental stimulation – keeping the brain mentally stimulated has been proven in studies to slow down the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s. I believe that keeping your brain active and stimulated would help later in life. I think it is comparable to as being physically fit would keep you better equipped for bumps and pains when one gets older. With personal experience of dementia in my family, I would wish everyone to keep their brain active so that it stays healthy and happy! My aunties always tell me that mahjong does the same thing, so whatever works for you!
• Reading can help with depression – following nicely from the previous point, studies have found that reading can help with depression. A wonderful personal account by Raifa and I think she delivers a very important message that reading only complements professional help; it is not the magical solution for those who have a mental illness.

The sense of community that one finds in books, a companionship with the narrative voice or the characters, can help provide a friend when in need and tackle one symptom and possible cause of depression – loneliness. – Rafia Rafiq

• Reading improves your memory – it has been found that making new memories can also help consolidate existing ones. I think this is similar to the idea of giving your brain a workout and helps you concentrate.

There are a lot of other reasons why one should read, such as more interesting conversations and better vocabulary. I hope I have persuaded that reading is amazing :)! For those who would like to read more, I found a great article on 14 ways to cultivate a lifetime reading habit! Or if you aren’t ready to read another article, there is a great TED talk on trying something new for 30 days!

Thank you for reading my blog post today and may you continue to have happy readings!

With Sweet & Sour Love,

Pineapple Chicken