Calm Again Psychotherapy

Today we share some wisdom in the form of a free verse poem, written by a group of 70+ writers in a retirement home.

Things We Should Have Learned By Now

1. To not get so busy
2. Ice is slippery
3. You can’t fight age
4. There's no point in keeping clothes that are too small. They'll never fit again
5. To listen to my kids
6. There's no point in waiting for the moment when I feel like doing the dishes. That moment will never come
7. To talk less
8. To know when I should talk instead of listening
9. How to use my new phone
10. To feel more comfortable asking for help
11. That I can’t be all things to all people
12. To believe more in miracles
13. That others, too, struggle with the same things I do.
That I still have a lot to learn.

To celebrate library and book lovers, let's take a brief look at some of the potential benefits of reading from a psychological perspective.
1. Reading can help you understand others' feelings better.
Reading books about characters from different backgrounds dealing with different situations helps us to empathize more with the characters. It can be transferred to our real lives as we become able to see the nuances and complexities of others' perspectives and become less judgmental.
2. Reading before going to bed can help you fall asleep.
Reading a physical book can help you relax better than staring at a screen before going to bed. Screens, such as e-readers and tablets, might make it harder for you to fall asleep and can harm your sleep. So, it's better to pick up a real book before going to sleep instead of using screens.
3. Reading can make you feel calm.
You might not expect it, but reading is just as good as doing yoga or laughing to help you feel less stressed. In one study, 24 healthy adults did a stressful task, then read for an hour. They found that their anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure went down significantly after reading.

What was the last book you read and enjoyed?
By Orsolya Kis