Keeping mindfulness in mind: Reading a great novel is the perfect opportunity for increased mindfulness.
More and more of us are recognising the importance and benefits of mindfulness. Reading is so much a part of everyday life that many of us don’t even realise when we are doing it yet taking some time out of our busy routines to read a novel is a great opportunity for mindfulness.
Do you take reading for granted? Text messages, cooking instructions, news, telephone numbers, lists, we are all constantly skimming and reading-as-multitasking. It’s so much a part of everyday life that we often don’t even realise we are doing it.
Taking some time for ourselves to read a novel is a great opportunity for mindfulness – a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.
Mindful reading means slowing down and focussing on your book, not just skimming a few pages or getting distracted by social media or the TV. It helps you slow down, unwind and create space in your mind for ideas, inspiration, knowledge, happiness, confidence or whatever you need.
Mindful reading also allows time to make connections within the material, draw conclusions and ask questions. You might just find you are better at working out ‘whodunnit’ when mindful reading a crime novel.
My Chronicle Book Box founder, Louise Driffield recognised the importance of reading to her own mental health and helps and empowers people to take the time to enjoy reading great books and benefit from more mindfulness through a monthly book subscription service. “We spend so much time looking at our screens these days and it’s a precious gift to lose yourself in a tactile print book, free from the interruptions of emails, adverts and notifications. It’s crucial to me as a busy working Mum to make space for some mindfulness every day to be at my best.”
Science tells us there are real health benefits to reading, not passive reading, skimming or reading-as-multitasking but mindful reading. It exercises the brain improving memory and empathy which helps in our relationships. It is also a great way to reduce the stress and anxieties which so many of us struggle with and to improve sleep.
Reading a great novel is not some sort of medicine that needs to be taken however, we read novels for the joy of it – the thrill, the comfort, the excitement, the escape, the happy ending. That’s what keeps readers turning the pages and coming back chapter after chapter. You step into a book and see where it takes you!
Crime fiction is the UK's biggest selling fiction genre having overtaken general and literary fiction in recent years. This comes as no surprise to the My Chronicle Book Box team as in these uncertain times crime fiction guarantees, if not a classically happy ending then at least a satisfying resolution. Crime fiction restores a balance that is often sadly lacking in real life - the good guys almost always win, solving the puzzle and bringing justice for all.
My Chronicle Book Box have combined the nation’s love of crime fiction with author interviews for a deeper connection and luxury bookish gifts that add to the reading experience to provide the opportunity for mindfulness on a regular basis.