How to Use Bibliotherapy
Increase your insight., Facilitate reflection., Gain empathy., Normalize your mental health or medical problems., Relieve anxiety and stress by reading.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Increase your insight.
Books can help you gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you.
Reading literature can help you identify with a character and engage in a journey of self-discovery.
When you identify with a character, it can help bring insight to your own situation or life circumstance.For example, if you relate to a character who is in a psychiatric facility, it can help you piece together your own experience and understanding of mental health treatment.
Another example is if you’ve endured a loss and are reading a book about loss, you might feel relieved when the character cries over mundane things because you do that, too.A character can help to reassure you that your reactions may be normal or that other people have similar experiences, even if it’s just in a story.
Outside of fiction, a workbook or nonfiction book can help prompt you to accept the symptoms you experience as part of mental illness or show you how your anxious thoughts influence your behaviors. -
Step 2: Facilitate reflection.
Whether you’re reading a fiction book or completing a workbook, you can reflect on your experiences in a meaningful way.
For example, if you’re reading literature, you may notice moments when you identify with the character or remember a past event in your own life.
A workbook may have prompts for you to reflect on the ways that stress affects you.
Ask yourself, “Have I ever felt the way the character does? What was that like?” Use these moments to reflect on your experiences, how you handled them, and how you will handle them in the future. , Reading has been shown to increase empathy, which is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and try to understand their challenges, motivations, and how their experience might differ from yours.
This can help you understand what other people in your life are going through and make sense of their behaviors, especially if their choices are very different from the ones you would make., You might feel like nobody understands your mental health problems, leading you to feel isolated and alone.
If you have depression and feel like nobody understands your pain, it can be comforting to meet a character in a book who shares your struggles.
The character in the book may also go to therapy, just like you.Reading a book about mental health or medical problems similar to your own can help with feelings of loneliness and can build hope. , Reading a great book can transport you to another world in which you forget about your daily stressors and things that cause you anxiety.
One study found that reading a book for a mere six minutes can reduce your stress levels by 68%, which is more than listening to music or taking a walk.If you suffer from anxiety, try devoting even just 20 minutes to reading a good book. -
Step 3: Gain empathy.
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Step 4: Normalize your mental health or medical problems.
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Step 5: Relieve anxiety and stress by reading.
Detailed Guide
Books can help you gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you.
Reading literature can help you identify with a character and engage in a journey of self-discovery.
When you identify with a character, it can help bring insight to your own situation or life circumstance.For example, if you relate to a character who is in a psychiatric facility, it can help you piece together your own experience and understanding of mental health treatment.
Another example is if you’ve endured a loss and are reading a book about loss, you might feel relieved when the character cries over mundane things because you do that, too.A character can help to reassure you that your reactions may be normal or that other people have similar experiences, even if it’s just in a story.
Outside of fiction, a workbook or nonfiction book can help prompt you to accept the symptoms you experience as part of mental illness or show you how your anxious thoughts influence your behaviors.
Whether you’re reading a fiction book or completing a workbook, you can reflect on your experiences in a meaningful way.
For example, if you’re reading literature, you may notice moments when you identify with the character or remember a past event in your own life.
A workbook may have prompts for you to reflect on the ways that stress affects you.
Ask yourself, “Have I ever felt the way the character does? What was that like?” Use these moments to reflect on your experiences, how you handled them, and how you will handle them in the future. , Reading has been shown to increase empathy, which is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and try to understand their challenges, motivations, and how their experience might differ from yours.
This can help you understand what other people in your life are going through and make sense of their behaviors, especially if their choices are very different from the ones you would make., You might feel like nobody understands your mental health problems, leading you to feel isolated and alone.
If you have depression and feel like nobody understands your pain, it can be comforting to meet a character in a book who shares your struggles.
The character in the book may also go to therapy, just like you.Reading a book about mental health or medical problems similar to your own can help with feelings of loneliness and can build hope. , Reading a great book can transport you to another world in which you forget about your daily stressors and things that cause you anxiety.
One study found that reading a book for a mere six minutes can reduce your stress levels by 68%, which is more than listening to music or taking a walk.If you suffer from anxiety, try devoting even just 20 minutes to reading a good book.
About the Author
Gary Thompson
A passionate writer with expertise in lifestyle topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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