Stress is one of the hardest things to cope with and understand and it can stem from anything. For students, it ranges from the excessive amounts of school work, jobs, sports, and the immense stress of applying and getting to college can break some people down. Stress doesn’t just affect high school and middle school students, it can affect anyone.
What if I told you that there was a way to reduce your stress, and lift some of the weight off of your shoulders? And that it only took six minutes. “The research was carried out on a group of volunteers by consultancy Mindlab International at the University of Sussex.”
The main concept of this study was to take subjects through a series of high pressure tests which elevated both their heart rate and stress level. Then subjects were taken out of the tests and given a book to read, as well as different methods of relaxation. Within six minutes their stress level and heart rate decreased tremendously, and the study proved that reading a book over the other methods of relaxation worked faster and more efficiently.
“Subjects only needed to read, silently, for six minutes to slow down the heart rate and ease tension in the muscles, he found. In fact it got subjects to stress levels lower than before they started.”
I believe everyone relaxes differently, and the article agreed to an extent. For my sister, its curling up on the couch with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning and diving back into her current series on Netflix. For my brother, its ordering Buffalo Wild Wings and flipping channels till he finds a football game on. And for me, its spending time with friends and family.
“As a stress reliever I turn to spinning at soul cycle, it is a big stress reliever for me and lets me focus on one main thing, allowing escape from reality for a while.” -Skylar
For my classmates, it was different for everyone as well. Everyone has their own way of reducing their stress and escaping reality for a while.
“Personally I get my anger out by hitting the ball down as hard as I possibly can while aiming at someone on the other team, maybe reading would help reduce some of my anger and stress before a game.” -Claire.
“When I’m stressed I like to go to the gym and then immediately head for the shower, I’d like to try reading first.” – Sam.
Six minutes? Yeah, surprisingly, that’s all it takes. Wondering if six minutes could actually calm my body down and slow down my thoughts for a minute, I decided to try this. Given that I’m not a reader, I was very skeptical. But to my surprise, it worked. I came home from school with two tests to prepare for, a paper to write, poster to finish, and absolutely no time. Instead of my usual breakdown, I chose to hop on the couch with my book and set a timer. Six minutes flew by, and I didn’t fell as stressed.
I think of reading as escaping reality and indulging in someone else’s life for a while. Where all of our worries and problems magically disappear, and we are simply a third party, living and experiencing another world. I think you should try this.
Citation
2009, 7:00AM BST 30 Mar. “Reading ‘can Help Reduce Stress'” The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
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Avery's Blog 