Literal literary health benefits
The other morning I was reading Eric Barker’s newsletter, Barking up the wrong tree, when I came across this gem:
“A twelve-year study showed that seniors who read 3.5 hours a day had 17% lower mortality. (Read more than 3.5 hours? Up that to a 23% reduction.) The catch? Has to be books.”
I love it and I choose to take it as absolute truth. But why would that be? Reading books can be relaxing, but it can also be exciting. Books are intellectually stimulating, and I often feel like they’re a sort of interaction between the author and the reader. Maybe it’s because the time spent reading is time that could otherwise be spent doing something unhealthy.
And if this is true, I also wonder what effect writing might have on health. I see the way authors deepen their ability to focus and their clarity of thought through the challenge of writing a book. There are personal and professional benefits to that. But health? I wonder.
What benefits do you think you get from reading or writing?
In case you haven’t thought of this already: go recommend a book to a loved one!
Here’s my recommendation for you—The Princess Bride by William Goldman (yes, the movie was based on a book!) It’s a fun romp, and Goldman accomplishes one of the most difficult things an author can do: writing a book that reads as if it was easy to write.
Ever thought about joining Author Club? If so, find out about it here and join the waitlist if you’d like to be one of the writers I invite in February or March.