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The Power of Rereading Your Favorite Books Right Now
When I started feeling anxious, it occurred to me: I’ve read about this before
In 2015, I set a goal of reading 100 new books in a year. It didn’t take long for me to form a daily reading habit, which remains one of my life’s best routines. These days, though, I no longer dive into only new material. Regularly rereading my favorite books has become just as beneficial, if not more.
We quickly forget what we learn. This became obvious when the global pandemic hit. Like everyone else, I started worrying — about the virus, but also about other things in my life. As my mind imagined worst-case scenarios, I had the thought: Haven’t I read about this emotion before?
I have. Many books in my library explore worry and what to do with it: Dale Carnegie’s How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Susan Jeffers’ Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl. I decided to reread some of my favorite books on the topic, and soon enough I was able to adjust my mindset and focus on the things I can control.
Mastering anything requires endless repetition. If you want to really live the lessons you learn from books, you have to read them over and over again. Here’s how to get the most out of the process.
