Read. Relax. Chill.

We can all agree that reading is important. It is most definitely an essential skill for life.  Because of this, students are tested on their reading comprehension levels yearly in high-stakes testing.  Schools are scrutinized for their reading scores. Teachers and students at our school have been working so hard to hone those skills, especially during the last year. While we accomplished what we had hoped to, I'm a little worried that we may have overcomplicated things, and I am attempting to make that right, so this year we will read, relax, and chill.

Reading has many benefits that have nothing to do with academics. We tend to make reading into a stressful event when it is meant to do the opposite: help us relax. Well-meaning adults want to enforce "reading rules," saying that reading magazines doesn't count or that reading graphic novels isn't "real" reading. That's ALL hogwash.  All reading is good reading. All reading builds skills AND can help us mentally as well. 

One major benefit of reading is its ability to help us relax. The University of Sussex did a study about the effect of reading on the body ("Reading"). They found that reading for pleasure can reduce stress by up to 68%. In fact, it works better and faster than other relaxation methods. After as little as six minutes of reading, the reader can sense a lowered heart rate and relaxation of tension in the muscles. 

Just do a little research about the negative effects of cell phones and screens on a person's mental health and you may want to trade your device for a book as well, but that is a whole other can of worms.

So here is my plan for the year:

If you enter the SSHS Library this year, you will be transported to the beach.  Hopefully, as you enter, you will hear relaxing waves crashing up on the seashore. You may find that the sound of waves relaxes you. Just being exposed to water (real or virtual) can have positive effects on mental health (Browning, et al). I hope that if you feel anxious or need a break, you will come to sit in the beach shack to listen to the waves.  Perhaps you'll browse a magazine or read a chapter of a good book. I hope this will provide a coping mechanism for stress and increase reading skills at the same time. Let's uncomplicate reading and make it relaxing again.

See you soon!

Amy Hutto

Library Media Specialist 

South Side High School

Works Cited

Browning, M.H.E.M., Shin, S., Drong, G. et al. Daily exposure to virtual nature reduces                       symptoms of anxiety in college students. Sci Rep 13, 1239 (2023).                      

“Reading for Stress Relief.” Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing, University of Minnesota, 2023, www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/reading-stress-relief#:~:text=Simply%20by%20opening%20a%20book,stress%20by%20up%20to%2068%25.