Reading for Well-Being

Reading has the power to educate and improve well-being. Intriguingly, a study has found that reading for 30 minutes can reduce blood pressure and heart rate to a similar degree as 30 minutes of yoga. Even 6 minutes of reading has been found to reduce stress, possibly by distracting you from what is stressing you.

If you are interested in a curated list of evidence-based books on different dimensions of well-being, I created the Reading for Wellbeing Community Book Club, housed at the Mental Health and WellBeing Research and Training Hub at Carleton University. The book club is open to all without any fees.

If you want to hear the authors of the selected books, you can listen to the Reading for Well-Being Podcast, which is available where you get your podcasts. Each month, I interview the author(s) of Professor Pozzulo’s Pick. The podcast provides an opportunity to hear directly from the author(s) sharing the science behind the strategies recommended in their books for improved well-being. Listeners who are part of the Book Club can submit questions for the authors to answer on the podcast. Check out my interview with Dr. Marc Schultz, co-author of The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, on:

Libsyn: https://readingforwellbeingpodcast.libsyn.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KZbuUv4gfnFPLyipUiYcC?si=fa0c70a9fac74450 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/reading-for-well-beingpodcast/id1771920126

To sign up for the book club, you can visit here.

As the winter sets in, it is a wonderful time of year to enjoy a warm drink and your favourite book.

Happy reading (and listening)!

Joanna Pozzulo, Ph.D. Chancellor’s Professor Department of Psychology Director,

Mental Health and Well-Being Research and Training Hub (MeWeRTH) Carleton University