Yesterday was World Book Day when children are encouraged to dress up as their favourite characters from books to promote reading. For a lot of adults the lead up to the day can be stressful as parents are expected to find a great outfit for their child to wear.

But when do the grown ups celebrate reading? As we get older we can read less which is a shame when you think about all the amazing books in the world. On top of this, reading can help with your mental health.

The Mental Health Foundation recently published a great article written by Megan, the Events and Community Fundraising Manager at the Mental Health Foundation. In the article Megan describes how she reads to treat her anxiety and how getting lost in a good book can give her some ‘me time’ to forget her worries for a while. Although Megan says reading doesn’t always work as a treatment, like when she is too anxious to concentrate on what she’s reading, it’s great to know that such a simple thing can have such a big positive impact on someone’s life.

Does reading help you with your mental health? Or are the other simple things you do to look after your mental health? Let us know below. As part of our Angus McFlourish project we are putting together tips on preventing social isolation and loneliness when you have mental health difficulties. If you have any tips to share let us know by writing below or emailing alice@otbds.org.