How reading 50 books a year helps me to stay sane
As someone who is naturally bad at doing things in moderation (especially the unhealthy ones), I could easily spend hours mindlessly scrolling through the Gram or binge watching Friends on Netflix. From time to time this is quite alright, but we all know that this is not the best possible use we can make of our precious time.
Finding headspace through rockstar biographies
So a few years ago, in a quest to spend more time off the screen, I decided to pick up an old hobby of mine: Reading. And because I am also not naturally so good at executing my good intentions either, I set a little challenge for myself: I would try to read no less than 50 books a year. It might not be as fancy or sophisticated as playing an instrument (I haven’t picked up my Ukulele in such a long time that it’s probably been eaten up by mice already) or learning how to rock-climb (too afraid of heights, so I’ll definitely pass on this one, sorry!) but to me, sitting down with a nice book is just the perfect way to clear my head and leave stress and worry behind.
Do not get me wrong, this is not about self-optimization! This is not about reading books that help me become more productive at work, better at speaking in public or more efficient in dealing with my personal finances (although I wouldn’t mind some expert advice in that area!). I do read work-related books, and we all should, but reading a book on management styles or the latest trends in marketing is not what helps me to wind down after a busy day.
So instead, I mostly read personal essays, autobiographies and memoirs by people I find inspiring (with a strong preference for rockstars and feminist activists) and modern fiction. Only recently I discovered the beautiful world of modern-day poetry and I’m definitely catching up in that field as well. I also try to make sure to read mostly books that were written by women and people of LGBT- or minority backgrounds.
Saving Ulysees for my next life
I have been sticking to this self-imposed challenge for more than three years now, and I am so glad for every minute I have not spent mindlessly clicking through a quiz on Buzzfeed (What your favourite cheesecake says about you, anybody?) or watching forgotten 90s pop videos on YouTube. Reading helps me to better deal with stress and anxiety, and there is always at least a tiny bit of wisdom or knowledge that you can take away from a book. Extra bonus: Reading in the evening helps me to fall asleep faster!
Although 50 books per year is quite a lot, having fun is the most important thing. So I never force myself to read a book I don’t enjoy. Ulysees might be one of the most important books of all time (says who, anyways?), but after only a few minutes I knew these 900+ pages were not for me. Maybe in my next life! If a book does not feel right for you, just toss it. That’s one of the perks of being an adult after all, no annoying teachers force us to finish books we don’t care about. Yey!
An act of self-care
As with all goals in life, choose them in a way so they motivate you, but do not shame yourself. Consider reading an act of empowerment and self-care, and not yet another duty to tick off your to-do list.
If by any chance you feel inspired now and want to set a reading goal for yourself as well, here are some of my current favourite reads to get you kick-started:
- Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre — Panikherz
- Rebecca Solnit — Men Explain Things To Me
- Carrie Brownstein — Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
- Rupi Kaur — Milk and Honey
- Hanya Yanagihara — A Little Life
If books are not really your thing, how about subscribing to a (text-heavy) periodical such as The Economist, The Atlantic or Die Zeit? Reading stuff on an e-reader is perfectly fine, but try to stay off your phone or laptop!
Just try to commit to a regular reading routine and you will soon see how much better you feel! And if you are interested in catching up with my current reads, please feel free to follow along on Instagram @heroinestories.
Happy reading everyone!
