Readaxation, reading for pleasure and FLOW
Why reading for pleasure is one of the best things you can do for your brain and health
Training to work with people with dyslexia was my introduction to the reading brain. And that was my introduction to brains in general and the start of what continues to be a lifelong fascination with “how we work” and how we can build and use our brains in the best way possible.
I’ve written a lot about the science of reading, including and especially reading for pleasure. Here is a link to my resources page from my main website.
Although my background is in how we read, I’m most interested in what reading for pleasure does for and to us. Today I want to focus on how it helps reduce the negative aspects of stress and therefore enables our brains to work better. (Because although stress is necessary and can be positive for short term achievement, too much of it, too often or at the wrong times, is bad for us and leads to worse function, health and achievement.)
Readaxation
You may know that some years ago I coined the word readaxation - reading with the deliberate and conscious aim of reducing stress and feeling better; and in turn with the aim of making our brain work better (because when we feel better, we do better).
Here is some info on readaxation:
Lots of schools have embraced this idea - because school librarians understand the importance of reading for pleasure - and many hold regular lunchtime readaxation sessions where students are encouraged to dive into a book of their choice and properly chill out. I’m pretty sure it’s good for digestion, too!
First, what do I mean by reading for pleasure?
I mean the voluntary act of sitting with a book that you have chosen to read, not because you ought to but because you want to.
Does it have to be a printed book? No. An ebook will work just as well if that is something you enjoy doing and if you are able to be fully engaged in it.
Can it be an audiobook? Yes, as long as you are able to fully engage in it, to be transported in the same way as we can when immersed in a printed or ebook.
Can it be a magazine or something that isn’t a book? Yes, as long as the items you are reading are long and engaging enough for you to be carried away and get into a feeling of “flow” (which I’ll explain below).
Can it be non-fiction? OF COURSE!
Can it be a graphic novel? Absolutely, as long as you enjoy it and can be fully engaged in it.
An important extra point
To gain the greatest benefits, your reading for pleasure session needs to be long enough. Long enough that you can become fully engaged and in “flow”. (Again, I’ll come to what flow is in a minute.)
Reading for pleasure is about being fully engaged in the reading. So it can be anything that allows for that.
Why does reading for pleasure have a readaxation effect?
Reading does many things but why specifically can it help us relax or feel less stressed? There are a few reasons.
While you are fully engaged in your reading, you cannot simultaneously be worrying, stressed or anxious. It allows a period of escape.
You are able to be physically relaxed and comfortable. Your heart rate and breathing will probably slow down.
You have the pleasure of following the characters, entering their world, thinking about or maybe learning about some other human doing some other things. (“Pleasure” can include learning things! Being fascinated, surprised, stimulated - all those are enjoyable, just as much as the pleasure of reading something familiar, easy, smooth.)
You can choose the emotions you want to feel - because you make choices about the book you start reading and you can stop any time you want. You can choose to feel happy, amused, excited, even frightened.
You do not have to talk to anyone or listen to anyone or worry about what anyone is thinking.
And, crucially, it is an activity which allows FLOW.
So, what is this thing called flow?
Flow is a concept developed by the Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. There is a good description of it here. It basically describes being “in the zone”. we’ve all experienced it at some point: those times when what we are doing absorbs us so much that we become somewhat detached from what is going on around us. We stop hearing the annoying noises, we might not even hear what people are saying to us or see what is in front of our noses.
It feels good!
There are occasions when we have a similar - but much less enjoyable - experience of being transfixed on something awful, caught up in either something that is actually happening, or something that we are reading about or something that we are imagining. Although this has elements of flow, it is not flow as Csikszentmihalyi defines it. for it to be flow, not only do you need that concentration and transportation and detachment from reality, you also need the following: a feeling of reward, a feeling of effortlessness and a feeling of control over the task.
Csikszentmihalyi showed not only that flow is rewarding - feels good - at the time but also that having periods of flow are important or even necessary for what he called happiness, but which incorporate what I would call mental strength and health.
Scientists since then have researched what happens in the brain during flow. It is suggested that the prefrontal cortex - the analytical, super-rational part of the brain - is less active during flow. And that gives it a similarity to REM sleep, when we do our dreaming. I’m not suggesting they are the same, just that it’s interesting that the state of flow and the state of REM both show less PFC activity, less analysing, less working things out and more literally “going with the flow”.
Flow feels intense, yet it is giving your brain a break and a different set of actions.
Reading for pleasure and flow
Reading is by no means the only way of finding flow but it is a great one and one that most people can access. It’s an activity that allows a lot of personal choice - not just in the reading matter but the place and time and even the position you do it in. You don’t have to be super-skilled at it, as you just need to choose the material that suits your level and your preferences. It can be done privately, without people knowing whether you are doing it “well” or not. It requires little preparation - you do not have to change into different clothes, or get out any equipment (other than the book!) or set anything up.
But that is not to say it’s always easy. There are things which will make it harder or easier, so let’s look at HOW to make it easier.
How to achieve flow in your reading
1. Choose the right reading material
Right for you. Do not allow other people’s judgements in. You read what YOU want. Otherwise, it’s not reading for “pleasure”!
Readers of all levels and knowledge sometimes need help to choose something. Sometimes we can’t find something or we read a few things in a row without enjoyment and we feel uninspired - so we ask for ideas. On social media I sometimes ask for recommendations and I’ll say a few things I’ve enjoyed so that people get the idea of what I like.
Don’t keep going if you’re not enjoying it. There is NO LAW that says you should persevere! Remember - “pleasure”…
2. Choose the right place and time
Again, right for you. You can read in bed, in the park, in a café, on the floor, on the beach, in the bath. You can read before sleep, or after lunch, or on the bus (don’t miss your stop…), after work/school. You can have a long reading session at the weekend. Wherever and whenever works for you.
But note point 3.
Ideally set a specific amount of time - minimum 20 minutes and plan to read for at least that long.
3. Remove likely interruptions
There are three main sorts of interruption that will block your flow:
a. The people around you - find a way to inform them that for a certain period of time you want to be left alone. This is your time, for reading. They will not get your attention during this time. And if they do interrupt you, they won’t get your attention for even longer.
You could go to a particular room and put a scarf on the door to indicate you’re to be left alone. If everyone in the household is sometimes allowed to do the same, this can become a really good and respectful way for each person to control their space and get peace.
b. Notifications - phone off and out of sight.
c. The need to go and do something - set your alarm so that you don’t have to worry about being in flow for too long. (An alarm will still go off if your phone is on silent!)
Do whatever you can to minimise likely disruptions. You can’t remove everything, I know.
4. Build the habit - using stimulus generalisation
I have written about this here. (There’s a glitch on my website at the moment, which I hope will be sorted soon…) It basically means that our brains build habits influenced by all the things around us, so, if you want to make a strong habit, you do this best by including as many external things in your habit as possible.
For example, if you want to develop a habit of reading for half an hour after work, you would build other external elements in this routine, such as: first changing out of your work clothes; getting yourself a cup of tea in the same mug each time or a glass of iced water with a slice of cucumber/mint/lemon/orange; sitting in the same chair; saying something to yourself such as “now I am going to have half an hour reading for pleasure”; even lighting a scented candle. Any set of things you do, in the same way each time, builds and reinforces the habit in your brain. The effect of that is to make it easier to gain that state of flow.
But before all that…
…you need to believe it’s worth doing, that you deserve and need this simple, stress-reducing and mind-altering action. That it will make your brain healthier, stronger, more ready to tackle whatever you need to tackle. It will make you feel better and function better.
Here’s a handout that might help:
Whether you’re on holiday or not, do this for yourself and see how you can help other members of your household do the same.
You’ll thank me!
Edited to add this downloadable readaxation diary:
I am not a native English speaker, and I randomly picked this book by its title to improve my English skills. Even though I work at a library, I have never completed a book before. Surprisingly, I fell in love with Nicola’s writing style and finished reading Positively Teenage. Here I am, writing a comment, and I am very proud of myself for doing this.
PS- I couldn’t locate the Readaxation diary.
Love this Nicola! I was a librarian and think the term 'readaxation' is brilliant. Choosing the right book is key as you say, so having lots of choice is important. I've always let my children read what they want (age appropriate obviously), even if I'm not keen on it myself as it has to be their choice. I will try the holiday reading pledge as I absolutely love to read but find I have little time for it.