Reading has always been my go-to coping mechanism when stress hits. Any time I’m feeling emotionally overwhelmed, I’ll crack open a book and get lost in another world—and when I say “lost,” I mean pleasantly disconnected from my external crises.
But there’s real science behind that addictive pull we feel toward a good book. You know, the kind you just can’t seem to put down, even though your eyes are fluttering shut while tucked under your covers in bed.
According to sustainable bookseller Awesome Books, there’s such a thing as a “reading high,” and it all boils down to dopamine.
“Reading gives us structured, achievable goals, like finishing a page or chapter, that the brain recognizes as progress,” said neuroscientist Farah Qureshi, who spoke with Awesome Books. “This activates the dopamine system, creating a small but satisfying rush. That’s why people say they get ‘hooked’ on a book; it’s literally rewarding to keep going.”
Are you a dedicated bookworm whose safe place exists in a fiction novel? Here are three ways you likely experience a reading high.
1. Reading Provides Dopamine Hits
You know how productive and accomplished you feel after checking off items on your to-do list? Well, reading provides a similar reward. Every time you turn a page or finish a chapter, you might become flooded with a sense of pride, rewarded for your dedication and focus.
“Dopamine is linked to goal completion,” Qureshi explained. “Books give us bite-sized goals, finish the chapter, get to the next twist, and the brain rewards that with a chemical boost. That’s what keeps us coming back.”
2. Reading Triggers a ‘Flow State’
As a writer, I often experience a “flow state” when drafting pages of my novel or transmuting my pain into poetry. While in this trance of sorts, it’s like time doesn’t exist, and nothing else matters but my words, the emotions they carry, and the stories they tell.
Oftentimes, we enter a flow state when we’re engulfed in a book, becoming so enmeshed in the plot and the characters that we pay no mind to what’s occurring around us.
“When we’re immersed in a story, the brain quiets down external distractions and enters a focused, restorative state,” said Qureshi. “That’s great for mental health, and gives the dopamine system space to work properly.”
3. Reading Is Intellectually Stimulating
According to Qureshi, reading engages parts of the brain responsible for empathy, memory, imagination, and emotional regulation. This can positively affect our cognitive abilities, social behaviors, and emotional processing.
Because of this—and reading’s link to dopamine—bookworms often experience the activity as a reward. The more they learn, grow, and feel accomplished in doing so, the more eager they are to pick up the next book.
“Reading becomes a habit not because it’s virtuous but because it’s neurologically satisfying,” said Qureshi.
Not to mention, reading is an incredible escape and distraction from real-life stressors. Sometimes, all you need is to delve into a beach read and forget your worries for a bit.
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