Reducing stress is one of the most important things we can do for our physical and mental well-being. Since April is Stress Awareness Month, and April 28th is National Great Poetry Reading Day, we’re sharing the surprising and significant ways reading poetry can reduce stress.
Rhythmic poetry can calm your nervous system: We typically spend our days in perpetual productive mode, going from one task to another. Poetry invites us to slow down, to unplug, and to pause. Evidence shows that reading rhythmic poetry aloud can slow your breathing, activating a relaxation response. “It’s all to do with the way (the reading cadence) slows and controls your breathing rate, which in turn stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and can lead to many beneficial effects,” says Dr. Michael Mosley. He specializes in activating the body’s relaxation response.
Poetry requires mindfulness and presence: The American Psychological Association reports that mindfulness can positively impact our brains and biology. Unlike mindless scrolling on a phone, absorbing the words in poetry requires a mindful state, which interrupts the stress cycle. The unexpected language patterns and word combinations in poetry require presence, slowing the chaotic pace of our thoughts.
Our brains are wired for poetry: The same way gazing at the stars or sunset can make us feel innately connected to something bigger, there is growing evidence that our brains are “hardwired for poetry.” The journal Frontiers of Psychology reported that through functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers could see the brain’s response to poetry vs. prose. Through these brain scans, researchers found that people recognized poetry rhythms even if the poems were in languages the people in the studies didn’t speak, suggesting we have neurological connections to poetry.
Reading poetry helps us feel connected through experience: There is power in reading poems that reflect our experiences. Discovering that someone else has articulated a shared experience or feeling—even if they lived in the past or a different geographical location—can be deeply comforting.
“Poetry speaks truth in a universal language that crosses cultural boundaries and speaks directly to the human heart.” – Roger Housden, author of Ten Poems to Change Your Life
Reading poetry boosts mental health: During the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation, a group from the National Institute of Health studied the effects of poetry on loneliness. Researchers stated: “Poetry can be a powerful, practical, and accessible tool to combat loneliness directly… and a new avenue for healing. Since the nineteenth century, poetry has been used formally and informally for healing purposes in the United States, and now, in our current day, we believe the opportunity for poetry’s significance and applications to be recognized is crucial.”
Additional resources:
The Poetry Society is a member organization and community for global poetry enthusiasts.
Poems for Anxiety and Uncertainty – a compilation of poems from the Poetry Foundation known to help readers manage personal stress and navigate uncertain times
Poets & Writers Magazine – an online and in-print magazine for aspiring and published poets and writers
Poetry has long been a powerful tool for managing stress, and we see that clearly in the story of Master Wings Publishing author, Major General John L. Borling. As a POW during the Vietnam War, he survived six years in captivity in part by composing poetry in his mind and sharing it through tap code with fellow prisoners. His book, Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton, is a moving example of how poetry can bring peace, strength, and connection—even in the darkest times.
So as we honor both Stress Awareness Month and this special day devoted to verses, we remind ourselves healing can be found in simple, soulful words—and that sometimes, the best way to care for ourselves is to slow down and listen.
