If you are a senior citizen stuck at home for whatever reason, boredom can be painful. With so many people practicing social distancing, you may also find yourself missing friends and family. Reading is a great way to break the boredom and reconnect with people. The best way to do that? Join a book club!
The benefits of reading
Reading has many ideal health benefits for seniors. Stress relief is a big bonus of spending time reading. Holding a physical book in your hands can be therapeutic for some people. Others prefer to use an e-reader and scroll down the screen to solve a ‘who-done-it’ mystery, learn a new language, or explore a hobby.
Audiobooks are a great way to reap the benefits of reading while resting quietly with eyes closed and body relaxed. Relaxation is an effective way to release the stress of a busy day or the challenges facing all of us at this time.
An extended benefit of stress relief is likely to be improved sleep. Reading a good book can ease tension to allow for regular, restorative sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep may lead to enhanced cognitive function. For senior citizens, the result of all these benefits can be to delay or prevent cognitive decline.
Help seniors escape boredom by joining a book club
Suppose you are one of the millions of Americans who have the dual challenge of raising and educating your children, working full-time to support your family, and taking care of the changing needs of aging parents. In that case, you are not alone in your need or the potential help available to you.
You would do anything for your parents. They were there for you when you could not do things for yourself. Still, you cannot be two places at the same time. You need a dependable helper who can be there for your Mom or Dad when you have to be at work or taking care of other responsibilities.
One option would be to find someone who can fill in for you when you cannot be there. You would want a person who could connect with your senior parent or grandparent for companionship and help with basic needs.
One easy place to start providing a senior with the social needs they have is to join a book club. Some perks of attending a monthly meeting might be:
- Making new friends
- Gaining new perspectives on world events
- Exploring new genres of books
- Learning and sharing ideas in a relaxed environment
- Sharpening communication skills
- Awareness/understanding of different world views
If you are limiting outings in a COVID-19 world, check out online book clubs to enjoy some of these benefits from the comfort of home. Oprah, Emma Watson, and Reese Witherspoon offer amazing groups to be accessed at the click of a mouse. Read and enjoy!
