Deckchair? Check.Book? Check.Hello summer...

Set off on a journey of self-discovery this holiday season, and lose yourself in a good book, writes Caroline Butterwick

- Caroline Butterwick

Sitting in the sunshine, with a well-thumbed novel in my hands, I feel relaxed; whether it's the latest page-turner thriller, a memoir that resonates with our life, or a poetry collection with perfect imagery and emotion, many of us love to escape in the pages of an engaging read.

You may well know the joy of reading personally but there's lots of research to show why it's good for us, too. 'Reading can be a powerful tool for self-discovery and self-understanding,' says Bijal Shah, author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power Of Reading (Little, Brown, £16.99). 'Both fiction and non-fiction allow us to empathise with the people we read about, and experience a sense of connection, or identification with their struggles or challenges. We almost re-live our own stories, connecting us with emotions we have neglected or numbed in the past, as we feel safe to explore these on the page from a distance, leading to greater self-awareness."

Sometimes, explains Shah, 'the text exposes us to new perspectives, diverse characters and experiences, thoughts, and emotions that were previously unknown to us or that we did not have the language for. This encourages reflection, exploration, and self-awareness. This also allows us to honour our own feelings and process them, or glean valuable insights that support us in some way - be that mental, emotional, or spiritual. This heightened emotional intelligence leads to greater self-awareness and self-compassion.'