When researchers set out to discover which traditional method of relaxation works best, reading came out on top. According to The Telegraph, participants of the study first underwent a range of rest and exercises to increase their stress levels and heart rate. They were then subjected to the methods of relaxation like listening to music, playing video games, going for a stroll, sipping a piping hot cup of tea, or reading silently for six minutes. Neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis reported that the latter activity had the largest effect, ultimately reducing stress levels by a whopping 68%.
"Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation," Lewis told The Telegraph. "This is particularly poignant in uncertain economic times when we are all craving a certain amount of escapism." He also noted that it doesn't really matter what pick you pick up. Whether you opt for a gory mystery novel or the latest self-help book to make its rounds, it's the actual act of reading that causes you to enter a more relaxed state. "By losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author's imagination," Lewis says.
