5 Reasons to Read More (and in turn, eat less) – PART 1
In a world that’s constantly trying to find ways to speed things up, it’s important to remember that living life at a faster pace comes at a cost.
Sure, speed is fun and entertaining, but is it worth what it does to our attention span and lack of presence (for both ourselves and others)?
The more you see things speed up, the more you’ll see books, articles (like this one), and classes helping you slow down.
In fact, “mindfulness” is a word you’ve probably heard a lot more lately and for good reason.
In the work I do with my clients, mindfulness, for one, plays a huge role in allowing us to be more fully in the present, not only so that we make better decisions when it comes to our food choices for instance, but also for the reason that it helps us savor our food – really taste it, enjoy it, and appreciate it.
Today I’m going to make a case for good old-fashioned reading, because reading helps us slow things down, and in turn reading builds our “mindfulness muscle.”
I hope you begin to think of reading not just for fun or the purpose of acquiring new information or for personal/professional development (although those reasons are all great), but also for the purpose of developing mindfulness, by being able to be fully present, focused, and absorbed in a good book.
Today, I offer you two reasons to read more (three more are coming next week).
My hope is that you choose to read more, and as a result, you may just find yourself eating more thoughtfully – a “win-win” in my book (no pun intended)!
In no particular order…
REASON #1: To slow down
In our digital world, time seems to go faster than it really is when we’re switching from one thing to the next or scrolling our social media feeds.
Time doesn’t really go faster, it just feels like it does.
I don’t know about you, but regardless of perception or reality, I don’t want my time to fly – in fact, I want MORE time (or at least the feeling of it), not less.
What reading does is help “slow down” time, so to speak.
Just about every evening, my partner and I watch a little Netflix and read.
To me, an hour of Netflix feels like half of that, while an hour of reading feels like double that!
I get something from both reading and watching Netflix, but again, time seems to stretch when I’m reading, and shorten when I’m watching TV.
Because reading helps “slow down time,” it can build our capacity to be more present.
In turn, just like the practice of “thinking before you speak,” slowing down can also grow your ability of “thinking before you eat.”
REASON TO READ #2: To build your attention muscle
Yes, like any muscle, attention is also a “muscle” that must be strengthened or else it atrophies.
The problem is that in our “digitally-distracted” world, it’s just too easy to scroll or switch our attention from one thing to the next.
We’re slowly but surely becoming a society that’s building more of an “entertainment mindset” rather than an “engagement mindset.”
In that one slim, sleek, little handy dandy device you carry around everywhere you go, which is called your phone (but should be called a mini-computer or I like how author Cal Newport calls it “your constant companion”), you can easily switch from checking your email, to social media, to the weather, to your messages, to your calendar, and more, ALL in a matter of seconds.
I get it – it’s convenient and makes us feel productive.
But let us not be swayed by this feeling (and look) of productivity and getting things done, when it’s more likely that in reality we’re just “busy being busy.”
So, consider how this constant “task-switching” weakens our ability to stay focused and present and how that can translate into other areas of your life, including your food choices.
The regular practice of reading, on the other hand, builds your “attention muscle” by helping you stay focused on doing just one thing, instead of switching your focus from one thing to the next.
Two possibly helpful tips:
* Start short – you don’t have to start trying to read undistracted for an hour every day, even if that’s the goal you’re shooting for in the long run.
Start with 5 minutes, then 10. See how long you can keep your attention focused on just the words you’re reading, nothing else.
* Put your phone in the other room – the only thing you should have beside you when you’re reading is possibly a cup or coffee, tea, or a glass of water, but not your phone.
Before you begin reading, set your environment up for success, meaning, get the distractions out of reach – out of sight, out of mind
Next week, I’ll share three more reasons to read more (and in turn, eat less), but until then, consider cracking open that new book you haven’t gotten to yet, or dusting off that old book you “haven’t had time” to finish and see how long you can read, without distractions, in one sitting.
Start there. It’s a great place to build from.
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