ask the expert
READING
for WE LLN E S S
Written by Delaney Daly of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library
When we consider wellness as a daily or weekly practice, the tendency might be for our brains to drum up images of us executing perfectly formed sit-ups or meditating our worries away or if you’re anything like me, maybe you too have one of those enormous 74 oz water bottles that encourages you to hydrate throughout the day. Yet, without even realizing it, as you continue to read the words I’ve written, you are fulfilling a vital and oftentimes overlooked wellness practice. Numerous studies performed within the last 20 years, many of which by the likes of prominent universities and research institutes across the globe, have concluded 34 jan • feb 2022
that the act of reading not only reduces stress and slows cognitive decline but can actually lengthen our lifespan by a number of years. And for parents and caregivers with young children, adding a quick family story time to your daily wellness routine ultimately serves everyone involved. I’ll be honest—the majority of the books I read on a daily basis as a children’s librarian are not 80,000 word novels throwing me into epic stories of love or loss or the inevitable life lessons we learn as we age but rather 30 or so page picture books wherein pigeons drive vehicles and dinosaurs act up at bedtime and crayons go on strike
