Thursday 7 September 2017

Reading Time

Have you ever felt that there is not enough time? I feel like I am squeezing everything I can into a few daylight hours and craving more and more rest time. One of the reasons I love reading as a hobby is that it is a luxury in time. I have to find those minutes and hours in the day to dedicate to reading and nothing else. It serves the same purpose as meditation for me, turning my brain off and worrying about nothing over my lunch hour and my commute, even though I know I should be doing those little chores like getting shoes re-heeled or going to the bank.

I think people find it difficult to find the time to read because it feels like a decadent activity, suddenly reading becomes wasted time in a busy life. We know that it is not healthy to be so stressed and rushing to the next thing. It is healthy to devote time to doing nothing. Finding time to squeeze in some reading can make me feel so much better about my week. 

If reading is not something that you enjoy then of course, why waste time doing something that you do not enjoy. Luxury should not be arduous or a chore. Everyone has a way to switch off: playing video games, running, exercise, meditation, cooking. This time is where you're not brooding over a problem or on your way somewhere or socialising. This empty beautiful time is so good for our mental health and it is easy to forget how good it makes you feel. Opening a book is like buying time away from my seemingly endless to do list and clearing my mind to disappear into another world. 

If you've slipped out of your reading habits because you "don't have time" I urge you readers to find that time again. In my darkest days I could not read, my depression had taken away my enjoyment of reading, and when I came back to it after turning a corner for the better, the relief and help I got from picking up a book again was so much better than any meditation app. Don't waste time by NOT reading, and make time for that mental luxury. Enjoy. 

"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." - Bertrand Russell

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