It’s that special time of year again – we are into the month of roses, romance, chocolate boxes and plenty of celebrations. While cupid’s arrows might pierce hearts, Valentine’s day often comes with its own set of darts; to-do lists and the ever towering pile of dirty laundry. Love and chores don’t go hand in hand and if we’re not careful, these chores can sneak in and pause quality time together! So with this mind, we’ve put together a guide to a relaxing Valentine’s Day that will put love back into the equation!
Immersing yourself in a good book is a wonderful feeling. It can transport you to a different time, a different place, or even a different world. These are just some of the benefits of reading.
Relaxation
Emotional intelligence
Builds vocabulary
Sleep preparation
Improve focus and concentration
Builds relationships
Improves memory
Time filler
Relaxation
Research shows that reading a fictional book can reduce your stress level by up to 68%. As your brain engages with the story, your heart rate slows down and your muscles relax. This is because you are no longer thinking about the stresses in your life, and instead are focused on the story in front of you.
Reading, especially to/with children, can help develop emotional intelligence. Books contain multiple characters who deal with multiple emotions. Children can identify these emotions, and evaluate whether the characters dealt with them in a negative or positive way. This can help them reflect on how to deal with their own emotions.
As you read, even as a child, you will begin to recognise words and their meanings. The more you continue to read, the more advanced your vocabulary will become. Pushing yourself to read books outside of your comfort zone, such as Shakespearean literature or books containing a different language, the more advanced your vocabulary will become.
Looking at screens, such as a phone, can make it hard for you to fall asleep. Instead of looking at your phone for hours on end, try reading a book. Reading is great for sleep preparation for several reasons. Firstly, it is usually done in a comfortable position so it is already getting your body ready for sleep. Secondly, as previously mentioned, reading relaxes the body, lowering your heart rate and releasing tension in your muscles. Finally, there are no bright lights in books to stimulate your brain, just words to be read from a page. Read a few pages of your latest novel before bed, and find yourself slipping into dreamland in no time.
To successfully read and understand a book requires a lot of focus and concentration. Unlike when watching a film, you can’t check your phone or hold a conversation whilst reading, you must be fully immersed in the story in front of you. If you have a limited attention span, reading can help improve your focus and concentration. Challenge yourself to read a chapter or two of a book every day, without taking breaks to check your phone or chat, and soon you will find your ability to concentrate improve.
Reading is a great way to build relationships. As previously mentioned, reading can help to improve emotional intelligence, making emotions easier to detect and handle appropriately. This emotional intelligence can translate to helping identify emotions in other people, making it easier to empathise with people. In addition to this, reading is a great way to bond with children. Reading to a child captures their attention and establishes a time that you are sharing one-to-one with each other.
Unless your book is short, or you are a very fast reader, it is unlikely that you will be able to finish a full book in one day. This means that you will have to remember what has happened so far in the story the next time you read it. This will help to improve your memory, and has even been proven to slow down cognitive decline in old age.
Becoming immersed in a story is a great way to pass the time. It is perfect for when you are waiting for your washing machine to finish it’s cycle, or your clothing to dry. Simply sit down, open your book, and forget about the stress that comes with sorting your laundry.
Reading is not only incredibly fun, but also comes with many benefits. Don’t let doing your laundry get in the way of your reading time, let us do it for you. Simply head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app to book your order today.
