When I was at school, in class, I would do my work, then pull out my book to read quietly. I read Gone with the Wind this way in year 7! I now realise it was a way to block out the craziness and noise of the classroom. I also would read on the bus to and from school. I know now this was my way of calming down and having space between transitions.

As I got older and became a ‘responsible’ adult, I got the message that reading was a ‘waste of time’ and not productive… I also got very overwhelmed with being a parent of young children, and reading for pleasure took a back seat. Lately, I have realised that reading IS productive. It helps my mental health and emotional regulation more than I often acknowlege.

A few weeks ago, the weather was lovely and I took myself to my favourite cafe, treated myself to afternoon tea, and sat in the sun reading a book. It was amazing. Afterwards, I felt calmer and had more energy and focus than normal in the late afternoon. This is something I need to do much more often.

When I go on long drives, instead of listening to music or the radio, I listen to an audiobook. This seems to keep me in the moment much more and helping with the drive more than listening to other things. I wish I had discovered it much sooner than I had.

I am now working on ways to build reading in to my days much more often than the little snippets of time I usually afford myself. I realising the importance of reading to my everyday life and know that this is not just a hobby, it’s an essential service!

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