How Reading Becomes a Safe Place: The Mental Health Magic of Escaping Into Stories

If you are someone who is feeling overwhelmed at the moment, you are not alone!! I too have been feeling overwhelmed! Life is hard and we all have moments where we just want to escape to somewhere else. I have this feeling on a daily. Whether your stress is financial stress, sickness stress, work stress, or any other kind of stress, I get it. You just want to go somewhere else for a little while. Well.. for me that is achievable. That is why I read. I can ignore all my problems and jump into another reality for a little while. If you have not read for a long time, give it another try! There is something for everyone.

Why Reading Feels Like a Safe Space

There is actually science behind this... The brain responds to being absorbed in a story with reduced stress, slower heart rate (unless you're reading something really exciting or scary), and you guessed it, lowered anxiety. Your body enjoys this distraction and responds by calming down. Therefore, your stress seems to melt away with it. Amazing right?

When you are reading, you get to create emotional distance from your real-life stressors. You take a dive into a whole other world. Forget about the bills, your crying kids, and needy husband (just kidding), and jump into a good book. Books provide you with a stress free new reality where you can enjoy a good story. I know most of us were read to as a kid, this was something we looked forward to and made us feel safe. That same feeling can be achieved just by picking up a good book.

So, although we cannot call reading therapy, although I would, we can call it "bibliotherapy". This term is the idea of using stories as emotional healing without calling it therapy. Now, some of you might be thinking, I hate reading. Well, you can also listen to audiobooks as well. My commute to SUNY Oneonta is about 35 minutes. This provides me with a lot of time to either jam out to music or listen to an audiobook. I once utilized this time to listen to I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. This was such a compelling story. I didn't want to read the book, so instead I listened to it.

The Power of Escaping Into Fiction

Fiction, books that are not real, can give us permission to breathe, reset, and step outside our own thoughts. We can spend time in a world that is not real, it is much like watching a show, except you can read anywhere. I read on my lunch breaks (I am a substitute teacher). All day kids say "six seven!" and I get to jump into a book where those words are never said, and it is beautiful.

Remember, escaping isn't running away, it's pausing long enough to recharge. Sometimes all it takes is just a chapter in a book to feel like I can breathe again and focus on the rest of my day. I also enjoy reading at night before bed, that clears my mind by getting my thoughts away from my every day stressors. It is okay to take time out of your day for yourself. I know that this is not something that we usually do, but that we should normalize doing, because it is so important for our mental health!

Genres That Support Mental Health

• Romance → comfort, predictability, hope

• Fantasy → imagination, adventure, empowerment

• Mystery/Thriller → safe adrenaline, problem-solving outlet

• Cozy Books → warmth, softness, emotional grounding

• Memoirs → connection, shared humanity, validation

• Mention how different moods crave different stories.

When Escapism Helps (and When It Doesn’t)

Healthy escapism is when we take breaks for emotional calming and grounding. These breaks can be reading, or listening to music, or doing a little bit of stretching. Unhealthy escapism is avoiding real life responsibilities long-term. I know we all don't want to clean the house or sit down and do a budget when it needs tweaking. But, those are things we have to do. We cannot use escapism to get out of doing the things that need to be done, but we can use escapism to take a moment for ourselves.

The difference is easy, ask yourself, am I doing this because I am taking a moment for myself? Or am I doing this because I really don't want to do this other task I was supposed to do today? My tip for you is to set yourself a timer. Say you have a few hours to work with, set yourself an hour timer and read for an hour. Then spend the rest of the time completing a task. Or, work the opposite way. Use your reading time as a reward for completing a task.

How Reading Builds Emotional Strength

Reading can do so much for us. It can teach us so many things and build our emotional strength. Books teach empathy, resilience, and self awareness. Characters in our books overcome struggles and can mirror our own experiences. There have been many times that I have been reading something and I read something that I previously dealt with and I realized a new perspective on it. If you have been here since the beginning you know my past where I dealt with domestic abuse. I have read many stories that have mirrored parts of my own. In my character's healing, I found parts of my own.

The stories we read can make us feel seen, understood, and less alone. There have been so many times in my life that I felt alone. Some experiences can feel so isolating, like you are the only one to deal with this struggle. But, by reading, I realize that I am not alone, and others, whether fictional or not, have had similar experiences. Let's not forget the important fact that reading boosts our mental clarity and reduces overthinking. We get to pause our thoughts and jump into a good story.

In Conclusion

I want you to give yourself permission to provide your brain with some rest by reading a good book, or listening to an audiobook. This can really help provide you with some mental peace. Books are more than entertainment, they are safe spaces. We can jump into a reality that is not our own, one where our problems melt away and we can experience a good story, something we all enjoy. When the world gets heavy, may you always find a story that reminds you you’re safe, you’re held, and you’re never alone.

Jacasa Currie

Blooming Thoughts Blog