Old-fashioned hobbies are certainly making a comeback, and one neuroscientist claimed that there’s one that can regulate your nervous system in a way that others just can’t. When life seems to be hitting you hard, instead of taking out the knitting needles, take out a book instead.
It may feel like your hobbies are just things that you enjoy in your free time, but depending on what you choose to do, they can also be extremely beneficial for your health and well-being. In fact, a study published in Nature Medicine found that simply having any kind of hobby can do this.
Some hobbies are considered more old-fashioned than others, and are even thought of as that thing your grandma does for fun, so they’ve lost some of the popularity they previously had. However, reading, even though a lot of people don’t give it much thought these days, has been scientifically proven to be one of the best ways to prepare yourself for absolutely anything life may throw at you.
People who read as a hobby are way better at dealing with whatever life throws at them.
In an article for Big Think, Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff explained that reading is one of the oldest skills we have as humans, even though the written word is only about 5,000 years old. Before we had reading as we know it now, our ancestors read signals.
Cristian Benavides | Pexels
Whether it was animal tracks or the weather, humans have always used their “reading” skills. “This ancient pattern-recognition system is what we access every time we open a book,” she shared. Instead of human brains creating new pathways associated with books, we just do what neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene referred to as the “neuronal recycling hypothesis” and use the same pathways that we’ve been using for different kinds of reading for centuries.
Le Cunff explained that this activity works to soothe the nervous system. Specifically, it moves your autonomic nervous system from the anxious fight-or-flight state to a much calmer parasympathetic state. This slows down your heart and your breathing, among other things.
Reading fiction does even more for your nervous system.
It would be easy to think that reading nonfiction is superior because you can learn so much, but Le Cunff said that if you want to relax, fiction is the way to go. When we read about a fictional character going through something, our brain reacts as if we are experiencing that thing ourselves.
In other words, as Le Cunff said, “Your brain processes fictional experiences as low-stakes rehearsals for actual life, building neural pathways that can be activated when similar situations arise beyond the page.”
Additionally, reading fiction allows the brain to take a break and “fully disengage from active problem-solving.” If you’ve ever picked up a novel and felt like your worries just melted away as you got lost in the story, this is why.
It can be hard to slow down with a book these days, but it’s worth it.
Of course, actually sitting down and reading a book is far from the most popular hobby in the digital age we live in. Some people would make the argument that looking at a text or social media caption is technically still reading, but it’s definitely not the same thing.
StockLite | Shutterstock
Interestingly, when writing for Very Well Health, Lana Barhum said that reading before bed is one of the best ways to unwind before you rest. However, this effect is pretty much lost if you’re reading on a phone or tablet because the blue light can ruin your sleep cycle. It seems like picking up an actual book really is the best thing you can do, or choosing a tablet specifically designed for reading that does not give off blue light at the very least.
Everyone has different experiences with reading, and some people just truly don’t like it. But, as someone who has enjoyed reading her whole life, I can personally say that it has proven to be one of the most relaxing activities for me. Picking up a book and giving it a chance might just surprise you.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
Comments are closed.