WeeK #2: Reading For 30 Minutes (Part 2)

Hello blog! Despite my super busy academic schedule this week, I have been cutting out thirty minutes each day for my reading time! Tonight, I read by the fire with my dog Shilo and a cozy blanket! I really enjoyed this part of my day. Today I got a little further in the novel I am reading which is called The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris and Steven Hayes. So far in the book, I have been reading common myths about happiness and how we prevent ourselves from truly being happy. The first part of the novel that I am still reading builds background on what being happy really looks like and how to not maintain a happy lifestyle. This novel has also taught me a lot about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy which I have also found very interesting and helpful. I also took a survey that was embedded in the novel which is another source I can use when reflecting on my journey of improving my mental wellness.

Here is a quote from my reading this week that I found particularly insightful: "We live in a feel-good society, a culture thoroughly obsessed with finding happiness. And what does that society tell us to do? To eliminate "negative" feelings and accumulate "positive" ones in their place. It's a nice theory, and on the surface it seems to make sense. After all, who wants to have unpleasant feelings? But here's the catch: the things we generally value most in life bring with them a whole range of feelings, both pleasant and unpleasant," (Harriss, 10).

I feel that this quote captures such a popular misunderstanding that our society constantly promotes. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has ever been upset or stress or anxious and been told to just "calm down", or "think more positively". Phrases like this can be comforting during times of distress, but I never really realized how ineffective they truly are until now. When we think about or try to learn about how we can become happier and live a more rich and meaningful life, one of the first things you will be told is to eliminate your negative thoughts. Believe me, I have tired this many times before. I have discovered that this sometimes works for a little while, but I always end up back in square one. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy takes an entirely different approach. This approach acknowledges that some of the things that we value the most will sometimes bring along unpleasant thoughts with the pleasant ones as well. Instead of trying trying eliminate these negative thoughts, ACT teaches us how to manage them. I am super excited to dive deeper into ACT because I have high hopes that this approach will be a more effective way for me to improve my mental wellness.

So far, I have noticed a few improvements to my mental wellness regarding this new reading habit. I noticed that my reading time is something I look forward to each day. I look forward to isolating my mind from the stresses of school, sports, technology, and my social life. I also noticed that reading is incredibly relaxing! Although it can be hard for me to focus in the beginning of my reading sessions, I am always relaxed and refreshed by the time the thirty minutes is up! I've noticed that reading really takes my mind off of whatever else I am thinking about which is something I really value. It is not clear to me if this is necessarily connected, but this week I have also been sleeping better, but I am not sure if that is due to the reading or not. Since this healthy-habit is still new to me, I am excited to see what other changes it brings me as I continue throughout the week! Stay tuned for more updates on Saturday!