Reading can reduce depressive thoughts One of the lesser known but fascinating benefits of reading is that it can even help to combat negative or depressive thoughts. Self-help books have been found to help those who suffer from mild mental illness as their messages of self-improvement provide hope to people who may have thought there was none. This type of literature can also provide readers with useful tactics for dealing with anxiety and grief that they would otherwise not be aware of. Interestingly, those who read spiritual texts have demonstrable lower blood pressure than those who don't, so whatever your current belief system, reading a few positive mind-over-matter books could certainly be worth a shot.