Can you really reduce your stress by reading for at least 6 minute a day?
In 2018 we invited you to test the emerging body of evidence that reading is beneficial for our health. The results and feedback from you suggests yes it is.
Through the 6 minute reading challenge participants were encouraged to read anything they enjoyed for at least 6 minutes every day from World Book Night to the end of May. Have a look at some of the highlights for yourself.
Learn more…is stress really bad for us?
Change Your View: Kelly McGonigal’s TED Talk How to make stress your friend provides a different lens by which to view the stress we encounter on a daily basis.
Meditation: Sujan from the Varapunja Meditation Centre led the first talk in our Spring Clean Your Mind series on mediation. It was explained that even monks feel stress and meditation is something that takes time to learn and you never stop learning. Sujan’s book Meditation: Buddhism in Practice is available to borrow from the library.
Chinese Internal Arts: Matthew Knight from the Ruyi School of Taijiquan and Qigong (Tai Chi and Chi Gong) led the second talk in our Spring Clean Your Mind series which focused on the Chinese Internal Arts. For those wanting to explore more Matthew recommended reading Gordon Faulkner’s book Managing stress with Qigong, Dao de Jing; The Book of the Way by Laozi (available from the library) and an article from the Harvard Medical School, The Health Benefits of Tai Chi.
Aromatherapy: Kathryn McIntosh from Re:Treat Aberdeenshire led the third talk in our Spring Clean Your Mind series which focused on aromatherapy with the emphasis on how smells evoke memories and feelings in us. Kathryn recommended looking at the Tisserand Institute's website for more information where among other things you will find a recommended reading list – many of the titles are available to borrow from the library.
Chair based Yoga: Dr Melanie Jones from Paradise Clinic, the 4th talk in our Spring Clean Your Mind programme which focused on the benefits of yoga and chair based yoga. For those wanting to explore more please visit DRU Yoga.
This project has been funded by the Health Improvement Fund