This is One Effective Way You Can Address Burnout That You’ve Probably Never Thought Of

LifeStyleMarch 17, 2020

Reading is a hobby that many people enjoy. However, most would scoff at the thought of sitting down with a ‘hard book’, especially right after a stressful day at work. After all, going for the uplifting and lighthearted material would be one’s reaction when faced with challenging times.

However, picking up a hard book can actually count as a form of self-care to deal with the signs of an oncoming burnout. These are the many ways challenging books can give people catharsis instead of further draining them.

Learning to Focus Again

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Immersing in a difficult book allows you to focus on one thing at a time and get rid of distractions like your phone or laptop.

Burnout can manifest in a variety of ways depending on the person. For some, it can announce itself when one begins to notice their attention getting scattered making it harder to address pressing issues at hand. This may lead to the inability to get even regular tasks done or easily feel drained once they’ve been accomplished.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, reading hard books can help in easing the feelings of frustration that comes with burnout. Since they require one’s full attention, an individual can let themselves get fully absorbed in the fictional world of the story they’re reading.

The Feeling of Accomplishment

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Take a break from the repetition of everyday life and try to make a dent into your reading list by finishing challenging books

Sometimes, burnout can be triggered by the repetition of seemingly endless tasks from commuting to and from work to trying to keep up with the bills. Books, in a way, are the opposite of this. Although they may not be told in chronological order, every story has a beginning, middle, and end. What more, books tend to be divided into chapters, which can then serve as markers for people to gauge their progress.

And reaching the end can similarly bring one a sense of accomplishment, especially in the case of difficult or heavy books. This feeling of completion can be a rare occurrence in people’s lives and is, therefore, a welcome change.

Guilt-Free Hobby

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Unlike binging your favorite shows on Netflix, devouring a book for hours is a guilt-free activity that won’t make you feel bad for taking the time to relax

Another great thing about reading is that it’s one of the few leisurely activities that doesn’t leave a person feeling guilty. With the emphasis on hustling and being productive, people may feel bad for taking the time off to just sit back and relax.

Settling down with books like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ or the great Russian novels will make one feel accomplished and entertained at the same time. There’s also the fact that people will likely feel better for justifying their ‘me-time’ to friends and coworkers by wielding an impressive book.
Feeling extra stressed these days? This may be the unusual solution you’ve been looking for.