The Transformative Power of Reading: Nurturing Writing Quality and Mental Health

How Reclaiming My Reading Habit Enriched My Words and My Well-being

Introduction

I do a lot of writing, including articles such as this one where I talk about writing, books, and how those things interact to create a positive effect on my mental health. Though it is widely talked about in the writing community, I still think the relationship between reading and writing is underrated, underappreciated, and underutilized. In a world dominated by screens and instantaneous connection, the genuine cozy feeling of sitting back in a comfortable chair and sinking your mind into a well-crafted novel or a thought-provoking essay feels like a lost art. Yet, as I’ve recently rediscovered, renewing the long-lost love of reading to which we writers are often predisposed can spark some profound changes not just in our writing but also our thinking and our approach to life’s nuances. 

In today’s installment, I’ll take you through the multifaceted importance of reading. I’ll place a particular focus on the direct impact it has on the quality of a writer’s work and mental health. I have some stories about how my writing and mental well-being has improved since I started reading more. I’ll tell you about how my reading habits have changed and how audiobooks fit in—they count, and I might do a separate article on them later. Whether you’re a writer, a lifelong reader, or someone who simply seeks solace and inspiration, I hope I can offer some insight with my story. I hope to provide the spark you need to pick up a book—or press play—today.

Reading and Writing Quality: A Symbiotic Relationship

The Writer and Reader

Some say that in order to be a good writer, one must first be an avid reader. Though this advice has been repeated in countless situations from workshops to classrooms, it is far from cliche. Stephen King, an author I often quote in my content, has a quote about this in his book “On Writing” that I’ve found inspiring. “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others” King said, “you must read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.” This quote speaks to the deeply symbiotic relationship between reading and writing. When we read, we naturally absorb the rhythm of language, subtleties of style, and intricacies of narrative structure. We learn what works and what doesn’t by absorbing the work of those who came before, seeing the choices in words and structure that they made and whether it was successful. 

In my experience, as I renewed my voracious reading habit after letting it lapse for far too long, I found my writing improved exponentially. I can’t say I was surprised by this. Sentences were clearer and more complex—in a good way. As time went on, I was more in tune with the power of word choice, the cadence of a well-placed comma, and the emotional punch of a single metaphor. Reading widely has exposed me to countless unique voices and perspectives, feeding my creative reserves and expanding my writer’s toolkit. 

Vocabulary, Style, and Structure

The most immediate benefit of regular reading that I’ve seen is improvement of vocabulary. When we read, it is inevitable to encounter words with which we are unfamiliar. Encountering unfamiliar words in context helps to cement their meanings in our minds, allowing us to effectively use them in our own prose. I recall my vocabulary differing from my peers as a child and young man. Some of my friends used to tease me about using big words. Renewing my reading habit after so long has left a painful reminder of what I’ve missed. More important than the vocabulary itself is the way words can be arranged and how a single idea can be expressed with an elegant flare, a sense of urgency, or restraint depending on what the writer wants to convey. 

It’s no secret that my writing style both evolved and improved when I picked up my books again. I quit writing for several years because anything I put on paper felt forced and juvenile. As I began reading regularly again, I noticed that not only did my vocabulary improve, but so did my prose. I was reminded of how I developed the love for writing. I was less reliant on overused words and phrases—I guess they call them cliches, who knew—and became more confident in my imagery. Studying the sentence structure of skilled authors helped me experiment with pacing and tone. As an example, I love the dual personality theme of Stephen King’s “The Dark Half.” I’ll leave a link, but I’ll also be doing a review of that book soon on this blog. I thought he paced it well. Underrated book in my opinion, Through reading his books among others, I’ve slowly rediscovered the joy of subtext, implication, and the subtle art of leaving things unsaid. 

Learning from the Masters

If you approach reading the right way, every book is a masterclass in writing craft. By standing on the shoulders of those who came before us, we naturally expose ourselves to the inner workings of storytelling. Even if we don’t realize it, we’re learning how to build suspense, reveal character, layer themes, and keep a reader’s attention, all while being readers ourselves. While enjoying our favorite books, we see how the authors handle dialogue, description, and exposition. Reading between the lines, we observe how different authors balance showing vs. telling and how they control the ebbs and flows of tension. 

As I reacquainted myself with a regular reading habit, I’ve caught myself marking passages that spoke to me. Shameless marketing plug, the Kindle Scribe is great for this. Best present ever. I often highlight some of my favorite passages, especially in books by authors I haven’t read before, noting unique style points. I used to be guilty of skimming for plot, but as I’ve renewed my reading habit, I’m more apt to savor the craft rather than skim for plot. This has done wonders for my creativity, as I’ve developed my style from a combination of those before me. Each story we read leaves behind a trace of its DNA, leaving its own subtle impression on our own stories.

Reading Across Genres and Perspectives

Another important lesson reading widely has taught me is the value of reading across genres and perspectives. Each genre has its own lessons to offer. Poetry teaches brevity and imagery. Non-fiction provides clarity and varied arguments. Fantasy teaches worldbuilding. The list goes on. Reading voices that differ from mine, especially from other cultures or backgrounds, has broadened my sense of empathy and understanding. More than anything else, it’s the diversity of material that keeps our writing fresh and grounded in a broader human experience.

The Mental Health Benefits of Reading

Reading as Solace and Escape

Beyond the obvious technical benefits to writers, reading has offered me a safe haven during periods of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. At the risk of sounding even more nerdy than normal, I must admit there is something oddly soothing about the predictable structure of a favorite novel or genre of book. There’s something comforting about following a protagonist from the inciting incident to resolving a conflict. Books not only provide an escape from daily life and a mirror through which we can see our own struggles reflected and understood. 

When life feels overwhelming, as it often does, I find solace within the pages of a book. The simple act of turning my attention to another’s struggle, whatever that struggle is, helps me quiet my anxious mind and provides a sense of perspective. The flow state that comes with being immersed in a book isn’t much different from what I feel when I’m in a roll at the writing desk. It’s mindfulness that keeps me grounded when stress and anxiety threaten to take me to a place I don’t want to be. 

Reducing Stress and Building Empathy

There have been many studies—-too many to mention here. Perhaps I’ll do a medical study deep dive series at some point—that have shown reading, particularly literary fiction, to reduce stress, improve emotional intelligence, and increase empathy. When we allow ourselves to get inside the minds and hearts of characters, we exercise our ability to see the world through the eyes of others. This exercise in empathy helps us to navigate our relationships in the real world with greater compassion. 

For me, reading has helped develop both patience and emotional resilience. Much like when I journal, which I wrote about in this article, I find myself energized, reinvigorated after a good reading session. Reading helps me remember my struggles are not just my own, that other people go through hardships too, and that hope and healing are possible. Whether fictional, biographical, or autobiographical, stories have a way of reminding us we are not alone in our fears and aspirations. Personally, I try to pick one character in any book I read and try to relate to them. As an example, I related to Edgar Freemantle in Stephen King’s “Duma Key: for a few reasons. I find solace in writing and reading in the same way he did his art in the aftermath of his accident. I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t notice King’s habit of weaving in at leas one left-handed character, in this case Edgar himself. I related to him in that way as well. Relating to characters in your reading adds another layer to empathy and understanding struggle is universal, and goes a long way to facilitate personal growth. 

Reading as Self-Care and Personal Growth

In an age where we carry all the information we could ever want in our pockets, making time for a focused and sustained reading session can be considered radical when it comes to self-care. It’s a deliberate slowing down in a world that seems to move faster by the minute, a conscious rejection of the endless scroll and the all to temporary dopamine drip of social media. By picking up a book instead of our phones, we choose depth over distraction, reflection over reaction. 

As i dove deeper into my newly renewed reading habit, I saw improvements in not only my writing but my mental health, creativity, and sleep quality. I’ve never been the best sleeper, but a chapter a night helps that tremendously. In a world dominated by social media and screens, books became my companions. They were sources of wisdom, humor, and comfort. They challenged my assumptions, expanded and refined my worldview, and inspired me to grow as a man.

My Personal Journey: How Reading has Revitalized my Writing and Well-Being

As you might infer from the subject of this article, there was a time in which reading took a backseat to everything else. It was something I would do when I had time, which I conveniently never seemed to. As the chasm between me and my reading habit grew, my writing took on the flatter, shallower quality that made me want to give that up too. What was once a passion and an outlet now felt like a chore. 

Somewhere between eight and ten years ago, I was in the middle of my no writing and no reading slump, consumed with other things that ultimately didn’t matter. It should come as no surprise that this was also a time in which my mental health was suffering as well. I went into a dark place for a period of about three years. I was suffering from depression and didn’t know how to handle it, so instead of channeling it into what I knew deep down was my passion, I drank. I drank heavily for those three years, not willing or able to acknowledge the road I was headed down. When I was forced to move back with my parents at the end of July 2017, I was angry, upset, and felt like a failure. Little did I know it was the first step in becoming the writer I am today.

The conscious effort to reintroduce reading into my life and daily routine began with my first Kindle, which my mom got me either for Christmas or my birthday around the time I moved home. I didn’t have the space for a bookshelf and I didn’t want that to keep me from reading, so I showed Mom the Kindle when she asked for gift ideas. If I recall correctly, the first book I purchased and read on that Kindle was Stephen King’s “Carrie,” which also reintroduced me to his writing. In 2018, I began drinking coffee as a daily habit, and my Kindle came to the kitchen with me every morning. It became part of the ritual. I also kept it close to my bed at night, reading a chapter out of whatever book I was reading before bed. Soon enough, reading became the cherished activity it was to me when I was young rather than a chore that felt like a waste of time. As time went on, my mind felt sharper, my moods were lighter and less volatile. I looked forward to each new story as a learning opportunity and a chance at reflection and a brief respite from the real world.

As I read more, my writing improved in noticeable and tangible ways. Ideas that used to get stuck between my brain and the paper instead flowed freely. Words came easily where writer’s block once ruled as the constant pressure to produce quality content gradually left me. I slowly came around to the idea of writing first and turning off my internal editor until the story was down. I think i have a Jack Kerouac documentary to thank for that. I’ll be doing a deep dive on him sometime soon on this page. Kerouac’s stream-of-consciousness style of drafting spoke to me and I began writing more pieces in that style, which became morning pages. I didn’t know those were a thing until i jumped down the stream-of-consciousness rabbit hole. It all led to the writer and creator I am now, and it all started with more reading. I left the Kerouac documentary with a new perspective. I was reintroduced to writing as a conversation rather than a means to an end. My prose slowly grew bolder, my descriptions more vivid, all thanks to a renewed love of reading.

Perhaps most importantly, reading became my anchor when it came to mental health. Even on the toughest days, I found solace in the pages of a book, whether it was physical, digital, through the comforting cadence of an Audible narrator. The more books I consumed, the more resilient and at peace I felt, both with life and to the sometimes turbulent nature of my inner world.

The Rise of Audiobooks: A New Chapter in My Reading Life 

An Accessible and Versatile Medium

While I’ve always enjoyed the classic tactile feeling of a book in my hands, my reading habit truly blossomed when I embraced audiobooks. I never understood it growing up, but I’ve always been more of an auditory learner. I noticed right away that I remembered more from audiobooks than I did from paper books I’d read. Not only that, audiobooks are altogether more accessible in today’s world. I can—and often do—listen to a book on my phone while I’m working or writing an article like this., or even during those tedious household chores. Though some purists like to minimize the validity of audiobooks compared to their physical counterparts, audiobooks offer a pleasant alternative in our busy, multitasking lives. 

For someone like me, who sometimes finds difficulty in carving out uninterrupted time to sit and read, audiobooks have been a game-changer and a lifesaver. I can enjoy a novel on a long car trip, listen to a biography during the tedious tasks at work, or unwind with a chapter or short story before bed. The convenience that accompanies audiobooks means I’m able to read more than ever before. Best of all, I’m doing it not as an obligation, but as something i look forward to and enjoy. 

The Power of Performance

Audiobooks are a unique medium. They take the words of a writer and add a bit of performance art by the narrator. The right narrator brings characters to life, infusing dialogue with emotion and nuance and turning the written word into an auditory tapestry. Some audiobooks, such as George Orwell’s 1984—highly recommended—feature full casts. Others feature musical scores and/or sound effects—which I found entertaining in the production of “1984” that I listened to, which I believe is still in the Audible Plus catalog if you’re a subscriber—further adding to the immersion and adding a cinematic quality to the original narrative.

I’m not afraid to admit that I used to be someone who thought of audiobooks as a lesser medium, that print books were the way to go. I don’t know where the turning point was. I think it was around the time I started working from home full time, which would have been the summer of 2021. At any rate, I started using the built up credits from my Amazon subscription and getting books to listen to on my off time, and more recently during my work shifts when I am doing non phone tasks. Audiobooks have changed the way I look at books for the better. Something about hearing a memoir read by the author or a demonstrative speaker reading a thriller or suspense novel really adds to the experience for me. As an example, I particularly liked John Slattery’s reading of Stephen King’s “Duma Key,” which remains one of my favorite books to this day. The way he read it made me feel like Edgar Freemantle himself was telling me the story, which is how I think it should be. I marvel at the way the right narrator can bring a book to life in ways the printed page cannot, and in a more accessible way.

Inclusivity and Accessibility

Beyond the obvious convenience, audiobooks make books accessible to those who may struggle with traditional print books, whether that be because of visual impairment, different learning abilities, or simply a busy lifestyle that doesn’t allow you to regularly sit down with a book. Audiobooks break down the barriers, ensuring the joy of books is something everyone who wishes to can enjoy. 

Embracing audiobooks as a part of my everyday life has allowed me to explore a wider variety of books and authors than I’ve ever been able to before. Sure, I still have my favorites, but there are new favorites to discover thanks to this medium. I no longer have to choose between enjoying a book and working, doing everyday household things, or other commitments. I can do both. Not only has embracing audiobooks enriched my personal life by improving my conversations with people and my brain function, but it has also been a source of inspiration for my writing, as it allows me to pick up on the rhythms of speech and the dynamics of conversation while improving my vocabulary. 

Practical Tips for Cultivating a Reading Habit

Start small and be consistent: I started with a chapter every night before bed. Now I take a book anywhere I can and devour audiobooks in place of music while working. The time adds up. Whatever your preferred time of day, make reading a part of your daily routine.

Read what you love: Don’t pay attention to what’s popular. Follow your instincts and your curiosity. Explore different genres. I’ve discovered some of my favorite authors by picking one of their books randomly on Audible or Kindle Unlimited. Don’t be afraid to walk away from a book. If it doesn’t resonate with you, put it down.

Combine formats: Find your own mix of print, digital, and audiobooks that fits your schedule and what you like. 

Set realistic goals: Track your progress, but take care not to turn books into a chore. That’s what happened to me years ago, and I would not recommend that path. Remember that discovery is the real reward.

Join a community: Like a lot of things, books are more fun when you have people to talk to about them. Book clubs, online forums, and social media groups are great places to find accountability, recommendations, and friendship. I’m in multiple book-related Facebook groups, and I post and comment often on Threads about books and recommendations. TikTok, Instagram, and Threads are particularly good for book recommendations.

Conclusion: Reading as Lifelong Enrichment

Embracing books, whether that be through print, digital, or audiobooks, has changed my life. It has made me a better writer, a more empathetic person, and even helped me spiritually. The pages of a book, or the voice of a narrator in my ear, offer not only enrichment for my brain but also entertainment, comfort, and perspective. 

If you find yourself lost, looking for that elusive source of inspiration or solace, you can find it in a book, and they are more accessible now than they’ve ever been. Let the pages of a new book nurture your creativity, soothe whatever aches might plague your mind, and open new worlds to you. In the end, the page offers not only an escape but also a beacon with which to return home, and you return more thoughtful, more imaginative, and fully alive.