Turning the Page to Quiet the Noise

Given 30 minutes of downtime, how do you spend it? Do you pick up your phone or other device and start scrolling? Or pick up the remote and peruse previews on all the streaming services?

Or do you pick up a book and read?

If you answered one of the first options, you are not alone; however, I would like to make the case for forming a new practice of reading instead of passively scrolling on your phone or searching for the next series to binge.

Study after study continues to show the negative effects of spending too much time on our phones. Social media is not very “social” anymore, people report feeling lonelier than ever before, and you can develop “tech neck” and eye strain. Other studies have shown that even for adults, excessive screen time can cause thinning of the cerebral cortex, harm to learning, memory, and sleep, and even a decrease in the brain’s gray matter.

But it is not easy to stop, even when we know there are better options.

That explains why I was so excited recently when I learned that Brooke Lindemann, my partner’s adult daughter, decided to read a book on her work lunch break instead of spending time on her phone. When she mentioned this, I knew I had to find out more.

Brooke explained that a while ago she got tired of spending her 45-minute lunch break “doom-scrolling” on her phone. It had started to feel very negative, and she returned to work feeling more stressed after what should have been a relaxing break. One day she Googled “books that are hard to put down” and found Stephen King’s 11/22/63, a book she happened to have on her shelf.

On her next lunch break, she grabbed her lunch and her book and found a quiet place to read. The change quickly led to some very positive results.

Soon she started to notice that she was getting lost in the book for 30 – 40 minutes at a time. She especially liked reading the physical book because it allowed her to lock in and truly engage with the book. In fact, she started to find that some days it was difficult to get “out” of the book and head back to work; she compared it to meditation and found it extremely relaxing.

Not only did she enjoy the reading itself, but she found it reduced her stress levels at work, especially in the afternoons. Time often seemed to pass more quickly in the mornings because she looked forward to reading at lunch. Brooke says the reading has improved her mood and helped her enjoy a break from life, and the good mood sticks with her even after

returning to work. While she initially worried she would be missing out on things happening in the world, she soon figured out that was not the case at all.

Brooke’s experience is proof to me of what studies show about the benefits of reading over scrolling on phones or other devices. Reading books provides a multitude of benefits, including reduced stress, increased vocabulary, more restful sleep, an improved sense of empathy, and feelings of relaxation and connection to others.

Maybe this will inspire you to trade silent scrolling for the rustle of page turning during your next break.