Reading can Help Chronic Illness

I love reading but, something that surprised me is that reading can help chronic illness, and it has helped me a lot. I thought as it is World Book Day tomorrow, we would chat about how reading is good for us.

How reading helps me

Reading has always been something I have enjoyed, fiction or non-fiction does not really bother me. Most of the time I am reading witchcraft books and do a lot of book reviews over on my YouTube channel.

I find curling up with a good romance or fantasy book to be my favourite though, they are so different to normal life I can escape and imagine a whole other world. This allows me to get away from reality for a while and imagine what a completely different world would feel like.

My favourite series so far have been The Mortal Instruments etc, I love the world of supernatural hunters, and that world exists alongside ours, but we cannot see it. I also adore Zodiac Academy etc a whole part of the world hidden from ours and a war to save the fae world.

For me, reading is an escape from not being able to work due to my pain and fatigue, and from being a disabled carer which can be incredibly tiring. I am so lucky to have a home and a wonderful husband and that me and my mom get along, but life is not easy.

Reading can help chronic illness, because it allows us to relax and have some me time, along with a cup of tea, it can be such good self-care. A big part of living with chronic illnesses or disabilities is about looking after yourself the best you can or relying on others to help you to.

Reading is wonderful because it is something you can, mostly, do for yourself, whether it is a physical book, an eBook on an iPad or kindle, or an Audiobook. However, I also like reading with others and reading out loud which can be so much fun.

I spent hours reading along with books on tape as a child.

Books can help keep our brains going and to stretch our imaginations so that we can keep learning and growing even if we are unable to work. This is so important as it stops us losing cognition and becoming bored which is awful and can lead to depression.

So, for World Book Day tomorrow, please leave a comment and let me know what you are reading I would love to know. I am currently reading The Modern Witch’s Guide to Manifestation, Pisces Witch, and The Pumpkin Spice Café.

Reading can help chronic illness, because it allows us to relax and have some me time, along with a cup of tea, it can be such good self-care. Share on X

Reading every day

The problem with chronic illness and disability is that we often have to think outside the box to make it work, so this is how I read everyday:

• Set time aside – This is a big one for me, I am often looking after the dogs or helping mom and so it is important to plan reading time. For me, this is generally at lunchtime as I have a cup of tea and take my meds, or I listen to an audiobook as I sleep. Setting time aside is lovely because you can look forward to it and people around you know that is your time to be quiet and relax.
• Choose the easiest way to digest – There are so many ways to enjoy books, from people reading books out on YouTube, being read to, second-hand books, eBooks, its more accessible than ever. This is a wonderful thing for those of us who are disabled as it means we can enjoy them just as much as anyone.
• Read a little at a time – If you have energy limiting illnesses, do be careful of reading for too long. It takes a lot of brain power to understand words and to use your imagination so limit your reading. I can read one chapter from two books in one sitting on a good day, and there are some days where I cannot read at all. Remember you are reading to enjoy it not to push yourself to the limit so slow down there is no rush.
• Don’t force yourself – Whether the book you are reading is not what you thought it was, or you are starting to feel tired, don’t force yourself. It is okay to give up on a book and to put a book down early for a rest, maybe switch to listening instead of reading.

Most of all, reading can help chronic illness if you follow these tips, it should always be enjoyable. Don’t forget to leave a comment so I know what you are reading, and let me know how you manage to read.

Thank you xx

If you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi as a one-off tip or on Patreon for just £2 a month!  that can help me keep my YouTube & blog going xx