Reading Escapism: Mental Health Boost from Stress and Overthinking for Adults
I came across an article today about reading and mental health. The article by MHFA England, The Benefits of Reading for Self-Care, listed six ways reading can boost mental health, but the one that stood out for me was healthy escapism. The other items on the list were digitally detox, cultivate emotional intelligence, boost self-confidence and self-improvement, help to relax, and boost cognitive stimulation. What are the benefits of reading escapism? For adolescents, it can be a tool for forming the foundation for identity and individualization. There was a even a study on this, link below, that found fictional escapism that includes reading helped to form the building blocks of empathy for young adults as fictional settings puts them in situations similar to real life. For adults, escapism through reading can mentally lift individuals from unpleasant situations for a period of time, kind of like giving your mental health a vacation from reality and overthinking, which can in t...
