A new study by the American Bible Society (ABS) finds that reading the Bible has better self-care outcomes than exercising, meditating, or even spending time with friends.
ABS released its 15th annual State of the Bible report, in which researchers analyzed how common self-care activities, such as exercising, spending time with friends, volunteering in one’s community, meditating, and praying, impacted people’s levels of stress, anxiety, loneliness, and hope. They then compared how reading Scriptures impacted those same feelings.
And although people who read Scriptures tended to participate equally in most self-care activities, except exercise, than those who did not, researchers found that reading the Word of God had a positive impact on stress, anxiety, loneliness, and hope.
“Our research confirms that all the things that people do to improve their general well-being — exercise, seeing friends, and so on — are statistically associated with fuller lives. So is Bible reading,” said John Plake, ABS chief innovation officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series. “In fact, the Bible’s connection to lower stress, anxiety, and loneliness is stronger than that of meditation, spending time with a friend, or even exercise.”
The results of the study were based on a scale, which rated stress from 0-40, anxiety from 0-20, and 5-20 for loneliness, with lower numbers better. Higher numbers were better in the case of rating hope, which went from 3 to 24.
Individuals who read the Bible weekly, or even more frequently, experienced stress levels of 8, compared to 9.6 for those who didn’t read Scripture.
Anxiety registered 4.3 among readers compared to 4.8 for non-readers for those who read the Bible at least weekly.
Loneliness came in at an 11.1 on average, compared to 11.8 among non-readers; and readers registered 18.6 on the hope scale, compared to 16.8 for non-readers.
“Those who keep coming back to Scripture find reassurance in stressful times, hope for the future,” Plake said, “and a growing relationship with the God who knows them intimately and loves them deeply.”
Since 2020, the ABS has specifically analyzed how the word of God is benefiting individuals and communities. Researchers have consistently found that the Bible “makes a significant difference in well-being” on the Human Flourishing Index.
The State of the Bible study defined flourishing as “a state of thriving and well-being where all aspects of a person’s life are good.”
On average, Americans rated themselves as a 7.1 out of 10, but Scripture-engaged individuals came in slightly higher at an 8.1.
“Even flourishing is not an end in itself,” a release from the American Bible Society reads. “It is a blessing God provides when we trust him and walk with him. Scripture often reminds us that our connection with God brings about abundant life, great joy, peace that passes understanding, rich blessing, and even flourishing.”
Researchers with ABS performed a nationally representative survey through NORC at the University of Chicago, using their AmeriSpeak panel. The study produced 2,656 responses from American adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia earlier this year.
Other 2025 State of the Bible chapters will be released this month and address trust in institutions and people, church engagement, and behaviors toward friends and neighbors.
Overall, researchers encouraged Bible reading as a proven and beneficial self-care practice.
“As the anchoring element of soul care, the Bible opens us up to a transformative interaction — a relationship with God,” researchers wrote.
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