When I’m unhappy or stressed, I don’t read very much. Reading just seems like too much work…something I should “save” for when I’m in a better mood. So I spend my time pointlessly surfing the internet in hopes that zoning out will make me feel better.
As you can probably guess, this tactic usually backfires, and I wind up feeling drained.
Caring for two small children is tiring, and sometimes it’s difficult for me to find the motivation to read. I slump down on the couch at the end of the day and think, All I have the energy to do is watch Seinfeld. Sometimes Jason and I do just that. But when I do pick up a book, often with the intention of soldiering through just so I can say I did, I quickly remember how much I enjoy reading, and how much the act of reading—even when I feel too tired—ultimately refreshes me.
Because that initial motivation is often rare, I’ve taken to writing down little daily reading goals for myself, like “Read 50 pages.” Picking the book up in the first place is the hard part, and once I’ve read those 50 pages or so, I usually keep on.
In many ways, reading is the mental equivalent of going to the gym or doing yardwork. Expending energy to gain energy seems counter-intuitive, but it works.
Do you read more or less when you’re stressed?
I read signifcantly more when I am stressed or really worried. It takes me to a different place where my problem doesn’t exist.
That’s a good point.
As I’ve said to you before, I always feel better when I read. An hour or two with a book leaves me charged up. An hour or two with the TV… not so much.
Being upset makes me read even more for both pure escape and to get my mind off the hamster wheel of obsession. What I read changes though, since I often can’t concentrate on anything too leisurely or thoughtful. Thrillers, exciting science fiction or fantasy, anything quick paced with a compelling plot that pulls you in wondering what will happen next. It does help if it’s well written and complicated so that the subplots and characters engage my brain enough to divert me from real life. These are the times for John Sandford, not Anthony Trollope.
I agree Anne. In a stressful time I read differently also. I lean more toward lighter stuff. Nothing to serious but something fast paced and with characters I don’t have to work hard to like. I have found some wonderful books this way I may have never read under other circumstances. I can however, live without the stress given the choice.