Health & Body · Mind
Read 15 minutes
DurationModerateEvening
Cue
Settling into bed or a favourite reading chair in the evening
Behaviour
Read for 15 minutes from any book, physical or audio
Reward
Measurable stress relief and a sense of having grown your mind, however slightly, that day
2-minute version
Read the next page of whatever book is nearest you
Duration
Target: 15 minutes · Evening
15 minutes
What to do
Read for 15 minutes from any book — fiction, non-fiction, biography. Audiobooks count. The habit is daily engagement with long-form reading.
Why it works
Expands vocabulary, builds knowledge, improves empathy (fiction), reduces stress (reading for 6 minutes reduces stress by 68%), improves sleep when replacing screen time before bed.
Research backing
A widely cited 2009 University of Sussex study found that just six minutes of reading was enough to reduce participants' heart rate and muscle tension, lowering stress levels by up to 68%, faster than listening to music or taking a walk.
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