Bibliotherapy: reading makes us happier

Reading can be a great experience if we immerse ourselves in an exciting novel and, furthermore, it can make us smarter if we spend our time reading about topics that provide us with new knowledge. Our readers know it, and that's why they follow us and visit us daily.

And it is that reading, in addition to being entertaining, can be a great source of information. But science has wanted to go further and has discovered new benefits of reading: according to different investigations, reading makes us happier. Do you need more reasons to keep devouring books...

In today's article, we will talk precisely about the relationship between reading and happiness and the effect that reading has on bibliotherapy in people. Interesting right? But first of all, we want to help you be happier, so we are going to recommend some posts that you cannot miss:

• The 50 recommended books that you should read throughout your life
• The 20 best Psychology books that you cannot miss
• 5 books on psychology to read this summer
• The 10 best self-help and self-improvement books

Science confirms it: reading makes us happier

But what exactly does science say about happiness and reading? Well, in summary, science says that reading improves our emotional and physical well-being and helps us face existence. According to the results of a study carried out by the University of Rome III, regular readers are happier and more satisfied. Not only that, but they are also less aggressive and more optimistic. The researchers analyzed the data provided by 1,100 subjects who were interviewed. And to carry out the study, they used different indices: such as the Veenhoven happiness measurement or the Diener scale. The latter registers the degree of satisfaction with life.

On the other hand, according to an article in the newspaper The country, which echoed research carried out by a team of neuroscientists from Emory University (Atlanta), reading helps reduce stress and increases emotional intelligence (mainly self-knowledge and empathy) and psychosocial development.

Bibliotherapy: therapy through books

"Regular readers sleep better, have lower stress levels, higher self-esteem, and less depression," according to an article from The New Yorker in which bibliotherapy is discussed, a method or therapeutic resource that is based on promoting different skills that improve the well-being of people and the relationship with others, taking into account that of the interpretation that patients make of the content of books.

"Reading puts our mind in a pleasant state of mind, similar to meditation, and provides the same benefits as deep relaxation," the same article states. Those people who enjoy page after page when reading books may not be surprised to learn that Reading has many benefits for mental and physical health.

Librarians are aware of the benefits of reading and, therefore, these professionals recommend different specific books to their patients. Bibliotherapy can have different forms of application. For example, one on one in the patient-therapist relationship, or courses for elderly people with dementia or prisoners. One of the best-known forms is "affective bibliotherapy," which focuses on the therapeutic power of reading fiction. And it is that sometimes it is difficult to put ourselves in the shoes of others, but it does not cost much to get fully into the role of a character.

Bibliotherapy improves the capacity for empathy

Biblipotherapists Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin tell The New Yorker what ishis practice dates back to ancient Greece, where it could be seen, at the entrance of the Thebes bookstore, a sign that said: “place of cure for the soul”. So for those who think that reading is for lonely people, know that they are wrong.

"We have begun to identify how literature is capable of improving people's social skills," he explains to The New Yorker Keith Oatley, professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto, in the United States. Research has shown that “reading fictional literature enhances the perception of empathy, which is crucial to theory of mind: the ability to attribute thoughts and intentions to other people".

You can know more about the Theory of mind in this great article by psychologist Adrián Triglia: "Theory of Mind: what is it and what does it tell us about ourselves?"