Reading recommendations to boost your health and wellbeing

Whether you like to curl up by the fire with a classic novel, lounge in the bath with page-turner, or read a couple of chapters of a best-seller before nodding off to sleep, there are so many benefits of reading regularly. With Book Week Scotland taking place on 18–24 November, the health experts at YourGP are here to celebrate reading and encourage you to make it a habit.

Top five benefits of reading

1. Entertainment and escapism: Delving into a book is a great way to forget the stresses and strains of everyday life. In fact, it can help to lower your stress levels, reduce your heart rate and help you settle into a better sleep.
2. Improved cognitive function: Reading is not only great for expanding your vocabulary, it can help with memory and analytical thinking skills too. Plus, it’s recommended as a way of fighting cognitive decline.
3. Improved concentration: Reading is a great way to sharpen your focus, making it the ideal lunchbreak activity if you’ve got important work tasks to tackle that afternoon.
4. Enhanced knowledge and creativity: By increasing your understanding of the world around you, reading can spark ideas and inspire new possibilities.
5. Improved mental health: Reading can help you develop greater empathy for others as well as a fuller understanding of yourself, which in turn can improve mental health.

Life-changing book recommendations

Do you have a life-changing book recommendation you’d like to share? Perhaps it’s a healthy cookbook that encouraged you to eat more healthily, a mindfulness book that helped you to prioritise your mental health, or a biography of someone that achieved a remarkable sporting achievement that inspired you to get active. Whatever it is, head over to our Instagram and let us know. We’d love to hear your suggestions! In the meantime, here are some suggestions from a few of our team.

Dr Cathrow
“I recommend anything by the late, great Michael Mosley. He was a true inspiration in lifestyle medicine and his low carb diet plan has been transformational for so many people. The Fast 800 series of books is a great place to start.”

Dr McBride
“I recommend the Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. Each day features a short quote from philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. It allows you to apply ancient wisdom to modern life and to work on resilience and mindfulness. I have had my copy for at least five years and it forms part of my daily routine. It has helped me to stop sweating the small stuff!”

Dr Jackson
“I can recommend the book Relentless Secrets of the Sporting Elite by Alistair Brownlee and Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story by Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee. Alistair started out in a medical degree in Cambridge University and left to pursue his passion in triathlon. Both are inspirational books about the importance of following your own unique goals and the significance of resilience.”

Dr Phimister
“The Food For Life Cookbook by Tim Spector is excellent. Lots of delicious plant-based recipes to prevent disease and promote longevity. It has only just been released but it is already a bestseller.”