January 2015

#wellread

Exercise with Gloria – Flickr https://flic.kr/p/6cEydH

For many of us, reading, watching a movie/television show or playing games are our number one choices when we want to relax. We need to unwind, to restore calm to our lives and we’re starting 2015 off with a month of reading, watching and playing to celebrate wellness.

 

There are so many things you can read that will further improve your health. Bookshops and libraries are bulging with books and magazines on healthy eating, whole of life wellness, exercise, sport, gardening for health and for finding a work/life balance. Declutter your life to feel better, keep a spotless house, be inspired by the stories of others and listen to relaxing music.

 

Books, films and games can be our therapy, but we can go online for other therapy, too. “A girl can never have too many handbags or pairs of shoes. There is also no such thing as too much stationery.”The Internet has transformed the way we shop. Retail therapy is now only a few clicks away; all of life’s essentials (books, groceries, perfume, shoes and more) are now as simple as “add to cart”. For the budget-conscious shopper you can fill your cart with wonderful treats and just never enter your credit card details. Your personalised list of needs (and a few wants) can just sit there, patiently awaiting review.

 

Laughter is the best medicine, so read something that will make you guffaw, watch the funniest movies or just watch Miranda for the fiftieth time. You’ll feel better, how could you not?!

 

Do you strive to be well read? You might read some classics, such as Middlemarch, follow someone else’s list, or follow your own heart, exploring across the genres. You might settle for the well known – read the best sellers and follow trends.

 

Keep your brain healthy with games – train your brain, play Sudoku, develop new skills.

 

Studies prove that reading itself helps to reduce stress, and many of us have a happy place contained in a book or a movie. Most reading makes me feel well and happy, but sometimes, when I need to lift my spirits, a little bit of Jane Eyre is what the doctor ordered. Which books, movies and games restore you?

 

There will be a #wellread twitter discussion on 27 January starting at 8.00pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings (Summer) Time. 9.00pm New Zealand Time, 6.00pm Singapore Standard Time, 12.00 noon Central European Summer Time, 9am – 11am; 2pm – 4pm; 6pm – 8pm BST. Note this is a staggered discussion.  Use the tags #wellread and #rwpchat as you discuss #wellread reading, watching playing so others can join in the conversation.