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The Joy of Reading

by | Apr 4, 2022 | Uncategorised

The Joy of Reading

Reading is as much a part of my life as writing.

I have always loved to read, from being a very small child I remember asking for the same stories over and over again, my Dad still rolls his eyes if I mention “Daisy Dog’s Wake-up Book”. It was my favourite for a quite a long time I think.

As I got older and was able to read myself I always had a book with me, we had a big tall bookcase next to our bunkbeds so that I could reach my books from the top bunk and books were a godsend on wet caravanning holidays.

I loved reading a series so I really got to know the characters. Whether it was Meg and Mog, Dorrie the Little Witch, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Dr Dolittle, The Chronicles of Narnia… I could always find a series that captures me and allowed me to go off on adventures from the comfort of my own bed. 

Why is reading so important?

It probably doesn’t surprise you to learn that I love reading, I don’t really hide the fact that I love books. Why is reading so important though? Well, quite simply, the more you read the better your writing becomes. As an ex-teacher, you could always see the difference in the spelling and grammar between the children who read more confidently and those who didn’t enjoy reading. Obviously all children develop at different ages, and many caught up, and indeed overtook, their peers in time, but those children who just didn’t enjoy reading didn’t have the same grasp of language in their written work.

It’s obvious really that the more you read the more you see correct spellings, you learn grammatical rules just by hearing them so often that they become automatic and you learn new words and expand your own vocabulary too.

There is so much more to reading than just the benefits to your reading and writing styles though. It is proven that people who read more have greater levels of empathy than those who don’t, it reduces stress and even helps you sleep. 

Known benefits of reading

There are many known benefits to reading, here are just a few:

  • Strengthens your brain
  • Reduces Stress
  • Increases empathy
  • Helps you prepare for sleep
  • Builds vocabulary
  • Improves depression
  • Prevents alzheimers and dementia
  • It may even help you live longer!

 

Reading

Reading is a wonderful pass time. 

For me, reading is a way to travel without leaving my own home, a way to experience many lives as well as my own and a way to learn a myriad of things. As a life long learner reading is vital for my happiness.

I love to read. Do I read every day though? Well, I read something every day, I don’t always pick up my book to read every day though. I also don’t tend to set myself reading goals, or worry about reading so many books a month etc. For me this puts pressure on something which should be a joy. 

I do love to read, but sometimes my eyes are tired and I can’t concentrate on what I am reading. Like everyone, if I read when I am too tired I end up having to re-read huge sections again.

Reading shouldn’t be a competition. It should be pure pleasure. 

Audiobooks

The controversy of the audiobook

There is huge debate about whether audiobooks count when discussing books you have read. Why wouldn’t they? Admittedly there may not be all the benefits of reading a printed book, but you still experience the story, it could be argued that you experience it to a greater degree. 

My Dad has a divergent squint and gets terrible headaches when he reads for any period of time. Every night my Mum reads a chapter of the book they are reading together to him. 

It is one of the greatest acts of love I have ever witnessed. My Mum loves to read and she wants to enable Dad to experience the joy of these stories too. They could listen to audio books and that would be the same thing, but Mum chooses to read so they can stop and discuss things as they go along. It is beautiful. 

On a similar theme, we wouldn’t pass judgement over someone who had sight impairement for listening to audio books, they are a valid way to digest information and stories, especially in a busy world. Many people listen to books on their commute. This is a wonderful use of your time. What could be better?

Reading, in whatever form, should be joyful. Of course there are times when we have to read things, which may be less than enjoyable, but, if we are sitting down to read, we should look forward to that time. 

Whether we are reading a business book or a fantasy novel we are giving our time to that content and our time is precious. If you get part way through and you aren’t enjoying it, put it back on the shelf and read something else, you can always come back to it later. Sometimes we just aren’t in the right place to read that particular book.

reading

On another day we might not be able to put it down. There is nothing more wonderful than finding a book that we just want to keep reading. I can remember starting a few books over the years that I have ended up reading while making tea, while I get the children ready for bed (literally supervising toothbrushing while reading another few lines!), and not being able to sleep until I had finished. That is a good book. A book that draws you in and captivates you to such a degree is magical. If you have never experienced that feeling, don’t give up, the right book will find you. The right book can change your life forever, really.

The most important thing is that you keep reading though. Whatever it is you enjoy reading. You might love Young Adult fiction – great! Perhaps you love reading about Ancient Egypt or the internal workings of the combustion engine – brilliant! It doesn’t matter what you read, or even how much you read, the important thing is that you read. 

What is your favourite book? What is it about that book that you love so much? Let me know in the comments.

Find out more about the benefits of reading and writing:

The Power of Words

Eat, Pray, Love – the life changing power of books

The benefits of reading

Benefits of reading video

 

The Power of Words

by | Mar 22, 2022 | Uncategorised

power of words

Words have Power.

Words are powerful, we all know it’s true. Whether it is an unkind word said to a child on a playground that changes the way they see them-self forever, an advertising campaign that makes you rush out and but the latest product, or a witches spell in a storybook.

Words are perhaps the most powerful thing in the world. They are how we communicate, how we calm someone down and how we let others know what we need. They are also how we can be manipulated and upset. Truly powerful.

Words start wars, seal fates, declare love for another under the desk at school and keep loved ones informed about what we are doing.

It is hard to even imagine a world where words hadn’t evolved.

There are times when words just a means of passing on information; when we ask someone to pass us the milk, or to close the door. Even then though they have purpose, and we would struggle to make ourselves understood without them.

 

Fascination with words

I have always been fascinated by words. I love finding new and interesting words like: 

novalunosis which is the state of wonderment you feel while gazing at the stars.

eudaimonia the state of being happy, healthy and prosperous or

querencia the place where you are your most authentic self, from where your strength is drawn.

 

Aren’t they wonderful words? I have a whole book full of magical words I have found over the years.

Words aren’t just a way of expressing ourselves and making ourselves understood though. They carry an energy and can actually change the state of things. 

The work of Dr Emoto

Dr Masaru Emoto is a Japanese business man who has reseached the power of words on water. He photographs the water molecules and how they change shape depending on the emotion they have had spoken to them and directed at them. The shapes vary greatly. It is truly fascinating.

When we then consider the fact that our body is 60% water and when we, or other people, direct emotions at that water all day every day, that is really cause to think.

What if every time we say something unkind to ourselves, or someone says something hurtful to us, the molecular structure of the water in our body changes? What impact could that be having on us?

change

The power of a name

The idea that knowing the name of something or someone gives us power over it, is found in almost all the major world religious teachings, as well as folklore and oral traditions. We see it perhaps most obviously in the story of Rumpestiltskin. At the end of the story Rumpelstiltskin declares that the miller’s daughter must discover his name if she is to keep her baby. He clearly guards his name carefully and doesn’t want anyone to discover it! 

The name someone is given is important too, isn’t it? I can remember when my children were born realising that they did or didn’t suit the name we had chosen for them. Certain personalities seem to come attached to certain names. 

I remember when I first began reading widely, realising that if there was a Katherine, Kate or Katy in a book they were feisty, stubborn and often trouble. While my sister, Jen’s namesakes were always meek and mild mannered. I don’t think I need to fill in any gaps for you there!

Spell

Spelling

It would be remiss of me not to mention the notion of spells while talking about the power of words. The origin of the word spell in this context is from the German spel, which refers to talk, gossip or storytelling, it is the same origin as gospel.

Years ago people spoke words, or spells, over objects to protect them and keep them safe. It became associated with superstition and magic much later, around the 16th Century. 

Many people, magical or not, still use the concept of spoken spells for protection. Without wishing to upset anyone, it is effectively prayer.

Whatever context you are considering, words are powerful things. Whether spoken or written words are how we express ourselves, how we identify ourselves, they allow us to pass on knowledge and wisdom through generations. Without words we would have no books, no films, no poems, no social media. We would have no way of sharing our inner world with others at all. 

Often when we experience challenges the most powerful thing to do is to share it with someone, equally the first thing we want to do when we have successes is to shout it from the rooftops. We couldn’t do either of those things without words. 

The written word

What about those things that we know we need to get off our chest but we don’t want anyone else to know about though? We don’t want to tell anyone about those things. 

That’s when journaling and writing things down is important. We can write things down and never share them with a soul, but still get the same healing benefits from having discussed it with another. We often find comfort in the words that appear on the page. They heal us and help us to forgive ourselves or move on from whatever pain we are experiencing. 

Cosy change

Journaling, or writing down our thoughts and feelings without judgement, can help us heal emotionally and physically from challenging times. Research shows that journaling can even heal a wound more quickly. There really is nothing more powerful than words. 

Do you use the power of words to enrich your life? 

Perhaps you keep a diary, or enjoy reading. Maybe the thing you love most is a good chat with your best friend. However you use words, they really are powerful, it is important to chose them wisely and with kindness, especially when talking to ourselves. 

Find out more about the power of words:

Spelling out the history of spelling

Dr Emoto and water consciousness

A little word told me… Journaling membership group

Good mental health as a way of life

by | Mar 18, 2022 | Uncategorised

Mental health

Mental health crisis

I firmly believe we are heading for a mental health crisis. I know this isn’t my usual positive message, but it is a painful truth. The whole world has been living in a state of fight or flight for over two years now and all we are doing is kicking the can down the road. At some point it is going to catch up with us. 

I have been in a state of crisis with my mental health. I have woken up in tears and felt unable to get out of bed. I have been so depressed I couldn’t sleep and felt numb all the time. 

It is because of this experience that I then went out and found ways to stay mentally healthy. For me it was a string of circumstances that caused me to feel that way, so it was relatively easy to remove the culprits.

 

I made myself promises like:

  • I will never stay in a job that makes me feel like that again
  • I will never allow a man to treat me like that again
  • I will always speak to someone if I start to feel like that 

It was a few more years before the penny dropped that I needed to do more than just walk away from stress in order to be mentally healthy.

At that point I started journaling again, I made a conscious effort to meditate every day, not just when I thought about it, and most importantly, for me, I realised that my diet had a huge impact on my mental health as well as my physical health. 

It does make me a little sad though because when I look at my family, friends and clients, the ones who actively look after their mental health are all the ones who have been at this extreme point. Only then have they realised that they needed to do things to care for their mental wellbeing. 

 

My ever growing toolkit

Of course over the years I have added countless other tools to my mental health toolkit; journal therapy, Reiki, crystals, tree spirit healing, mindfulness practices, breathing techniques… There are so many things we can do to support out mental wellbeing.

Do you know what still lifts me faster than anything else when I feel myself slipping though? 

Singing. 

change

I love music and putting on some uplifting music and having a good sing, even dancing round my office or kitchen, is guaranteed to lift my mood and energise me. No training needed. 

 

Three easy things I do to support my mental health

Singing is actually scientifically proven to lift help with anxiety, I wrote about it a little while ago. When we sing we alter our breathing and it works as effectively as any breathing technique.

Another thing which instantly makes me feel better is sunshine. Unfortunately that is much harder to regulate but getting outside whatever the weather always helps. 

The last, and most joyous thing which helps is seeing my loved ones. Whether it is a catch up with a good friend or a family outing. Seeing my loved ones and having a good chat and a hug is guaranteed to make me feel as though everything is going to be ok.

 

Top 5 things anyone can do to support their mental health

Imperfect change

  1. Get enough sleep – while we sleep our body processes stress so when we don’t get enough sleep we wake with yesterdays stress still in our system.

  2. Eat well – our diet doesn’t just affect our physical health. Fatty foods, sugar, alcohol and caffeine can all have a big impact on our mental health.
  3. Get enough exercise – exercise doesn’t just improve our physical health. Movement is one of the only ways our body can process all the chemicals we produce when we are stressed. Get moving!
  4.  Write – just grab a pen and a scrap of paper and write out exactly how you are feeling. You don’t have to show anyone, you can destroy it as soon as you have finished writing, but releasing those thoughts and emotions onto paper is incredibly healing. (If you want help with writing therapy get in touch, I am happy to support you with this.
  5. Be more mindful – mindfulness isn’t something formal and scary. You can meditate while you wash up. 

Incorporating things like mindfulness into your day might feel daunting. You may not know how to start, you may think you can’t do it, you may believe you don’t have time. Let me tell you, it’s easy, you can and you do. If you want to learn about how you can be more mindful every day, have a read of this blog I wrote a while back: Every Day Mindfulness.

Have I convinced you yet that you need to start thinking about your mental health as often as you do your physical health? 

We need to start encouraging people to spot the warning signs of depression and anxiety in the same way we do strokes and heart attacks. There should be media campaigns and people going into schools teaching our children how  to prevent mental health issues.

We don’t need a sticking plaster after we’ve fallen, we need to be taught how to walk the tightrope of mental health as proficiently as we possibly can in the hope that we never fall off.

 

Support for your mental health:

These are wonderful websites and apps which can support your mental health if you are struggling.

Young Minds

Calmer Classrooms

Mind

Calm

NHS England

The Folk of the Faraway Tree

by | Feb 14, 2022 | Uncategorised

The Folk of the Faraway tree

The Folk of the Faraway Tree

Most people have a book that is synonymous with their childhood, I have many, but I think The Folk of the Faraway Tree is the book that probably had the biggest impact on my life. I was 7 years old when I was bought this copy of the book and, also, The Magic Faraway Tree. I have no idea who bought them for me, but I would hazard a guess that it would have been one of my aunties.

These beautiful little hardback books are the perfect size for little hands. They feel grown up enough to not be babyish, but they aren’t so big that they can’t easily be held to read. As a child I shared a room with my sister Jen and we had bunkbeds. My parents very cleverly had a tall, thin bookcase at the end of the beds with tip on reading lights so we could always read at bedtime. 

It was genius because we didn’t even have to get out of bed to choose another book. I would reach over from the top bunk and grab a Faraway Tree book and the snuggle down under the covers to read for as long as I thought I could get away with it. I remember many times quickly clicking the light off and tucking my book under the covers when I heard my parents on the stairs. They very cleverly turned both myself and my sister into readers by making it something that was both universally approved of and also had a cut off time, which of course made us want to keep reading even more!

These magical books were firm favourites with both myself and my sister. The fact that you could read one chapter and have a complete adventure made them easy to devour at bedtime and we would dip in a re-read favourite chapters and enjoy eating ‘pop biscuits’ with Silky and Moonface or visit a favourite land at the top of the tree.

I’m so glad my Mum kept most of my children’s books because there is something special about holding a book that you read almost 40 years ago and seeing the name you wrote in the front.

Faraway tree books

Controversy

Of course there is now a lot of controversy around the writings of Enid Blyton. Whilst she was a staple of my childhood, my generation, she has faded in popularity with more recent generations, partly due to her inclusion of characters such as Golliwogs (which were always portrayed as naughty) and also the view that her books are sexist, xenophobic and racist. This has lead to revisions in more recent editions which have seen Goblins replace the Golliwogs in Noddy.

Enid Blyton, it could be argued, was very much a product of her time but I feel it is important to separate the author from the work at times like this. She was such a prolific author that some of her books are bound to have ruffled a few feathers as she is very much of another time. 

As a child I loved her books and having started with Noddy, I moved onto the Faraway Tree and then onto the Famous Five and Secret Seven. Far from feeling sexist (although I can see aspects of that in some of her work), these were books aimed at children where the girls adventured with the boys. I wanted to be George. She was amazing. I was a real tomboy as a child and loved climbing trees and playing with bows and arrows and on my bike. I rarely played with girls because, apart from my sister, most of the children round my street were boys. I loved the adventures and taking a picnic off and exploring for the day. Blyton’s books showed me that that was ok. 

Kate

Empowering girls and developing imagination

Reading Enid Blyton’s books showed me that girls could go off exploring, there may have been some difference in the attitude between the girls and boys and the way they were treated by the adults in the books, but nothing like as much as there was in many of the other books. Her books also sparked my imagination and let my ideas run free. We would make believe wherever we were as children and there was no limit to the possibilities when we played in a woodland or on a beach, something many children struggle with now.

I’m not saying that I approve of everything that Enid Blyton wrote, and there are certainly aspects of her life which are questionable, but she is undoubtedly responsible for turning 7 year old me into the voracious reader I was. Many rainy days in our caravan were passed adventuring with the Famous Five and many nights were spent dreaming of adventures up the Faraway Tree. What we read when we first develop the ability to read with some fluency can make a big difference to how keen we are to read for the rest of our lives and her books captured my imagination and my heart and although I feel sure that something else would have triggered that love of reading had The Faraway Tree not come along, it was a compelling and magical start to my reading life. What books are responsible for starting your love of reading?

Find out more about Enid Blyton:

Was Enid Blyton racist?

Enid Blyton had racist views but I still read her

Read about other books that changed my life

 

Why are we banning books?

by | Feb 8, 2022 | Uncategorised

Banned books

Reading is so important so why are we banning books?

Reading and access to books are two of the biggest factors indicating a child’s likelihood to succeed at school and we know that when a child succeeds in school that can impact the rest of their lives, even if only in their confidence.

We know that children with access to books and who read have faired better during the lockdowns for example. It would, of course, be a mistake to think that adding a few books to every home would instantly improve educational standards, there are of course many other factors. There is no doubt that this has been a key indicator of a child’s success during the pandemic. Living in a home with books is important.

I can’t imagine a home without books, but then I have always been fortunate to have books. My favourite day of the school year was the day they came round with the book fair leaflet. I would run excitedly home to look through and choose my book, knowing that my parents would often have to say no treats we asked for, but book requests were always met with a firm yes. Sensibly no restrictions were ever put on what I chose, if I wanted something that might have been deemed to be frivolous or too young, as long as I read it, that was ok.

I was a voracious reader at primary school. I read every night with my little bedside light, everything from Secret Seven and The Magic Faraway Tree to the classics like The Hobbit and books about Robin Hood. I just loved books.

The joy drained from reading overnight

When I started high school things changed. Suddenly I was told what to read and worse still, when! I was made to read books I didn’t enjoy and the joy drained from reading over night. This is a familiar story I know. I have seen it so many times, including with my own children.

Fortunately as soon as I was past the age of being dictated to about what I read that joy returned like water through a broken dam. I began to read for fun and discovered philosophy and psychology books during sixth form and would sprinkle in Terry Pratchett books to lighten the mood. Reading opened so many doors to knew concepts, new ideas and times I can never live through.

Since then I have loved reading. There have been times when I haven’t read as much as I would choose because of circumstance or mental overload, but I have always read.

Banning books?

This week we are once again reading about banning books in schools in the US. Long lists of books that some people in particular states deem to be inappropriate and don’t want their children subjected to have begun to appear online. Anything that challenges gender or discusses race seems to be the target.

Anyone who has ever met, or been, a teenager knows that this technique is ludicrous. I have yet to meet a teenager who can’t find a way to access anything that adults ban them from whether that is cigarettes, alcohol, friends who are a bad influence, or books. I wonder then why these short sighted parents and adults haven’t realised that they are probably going to increase the number of teens reading these books significantly now they know there is something interesting in those banned pages.

Of course from my perspective this can only be an advantage. These misguided adults have effectively signposted all the most rebellious and controversial books of our time to ensure that our young people can find them more easily! Not just young adults either, I’m sure many adults will wonder what all the fuss is about and seek them out.

Be assured that this is precisely what will happen if these books are banned.

They can ban them in schools but they will still be available through bookshops, and second hand shops and probably even online. Our bright, liberal thinking young people will now read them to find out why people wanted to deprive them of this joy. In fact it will no doubt become one of the most rebellious and status giving things to do, and we all know how much teens love to rebel. 

So please, you narrow minded, ill-educated decision makers, please do keep signposting these books which will challenge the attitudes of certain elements of society. Keep showing our children which attitudes they need to obliterate when their generation are in charge, and that time will be here before we know it. The majority of Generation Z are already more accepting and open minded than any previous generations. I’m sure these banned books are just the tools they need to stretch that awareness even further and give them an understanding either of others they are sharing the world with, or historical events that we don’t want repeating under any circumstance.

Thank you book banners, you might have just found the one thing that will raise our young people’s eyes from their screens and get them reading. Long may it continue.

Find out more about banning books:

Guardian article

The list of 50 books they want to ban in Texas in 2022