10 Ultimate Benefits of Reading
10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day
When was the last time you read a book, or a substantial
magazine article? Do your daily reading habits center around tweets, Facebook
updates, or the directions on your instant oatmeal packet? If you’re one of
countless people who don’t make a habit of reading regularly, you might be
missing out: reading has a significant number of benefits, and just a few
benefits of reading are listed below.
1A.
Mental Stimulation
Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow
the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and Dementia, since
keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing power. Just like
any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and
healthy, so the phrase “use it or lose it” is particularly apt when it comes to
your mind. Doing puzzles and playing games such as chess have also been found
to be helpful with cognitive stimulation.
2A.
Stress Reduction
No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal
relationships, or countless other issues faced in daily life, it all just slips
away when you lose yourself in a great story. A well-written novel can
transport you to other realms, while an engaging article will distract you and
keep you in the present moment, letting tensions drain away and allowing you to
relax.
3A. Knowledge
Everything you read fills your head with new bits of
information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge
you have, the better-equipped you are to tackle any challenge you’ll ever face.
Additionally, here’s a bit of food for thought: should you
ever find yourself in dire circumstances, remember that although you might lose
everything else—your job, your possessions, your money, even your
health—knowledge can never be taken from you.
4A.Vocabulary
Expansion
This goes with the above topic: the more you read, the more
words you gain exposure to, and they’ll inevitably make their way into your
everyday vocabulary. Being articulate and well-spoken is of great help in any
profession, and knowing that you can speak to higher-ups with self-confidence
can be an enormous boost to your self-esteem. It could even aid in your career,
as those who are well-read, well-spoken, and knowledgeable on a variety of
topics tend to get promotions more quickly (and more often) than those with
smaller vocabularies and lack of awareness of literature, scientific
breakthroughs, and global events.
Reading books is also vital for learning new languages, as
non-native speakers gain exposure to words used in context, which will
ameliorate their own speaking and writing fluency.
5A.
Memory Improvement
When you read a book, you have to remember an assortment of
characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, history, and nuances, as well as the
various arcs and sub-plots that weave their way through every story. That’s a
fair bit to remember, but brains are marvellous things and can remember these
things with relative ease. Amazingly enough, every new memory you create forges
new synapses (brain pathways)and strengthens existing ones, which assists in
short-term memory recall as well as stabilizing moods. How cool is that?
6A.
Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills
Have you ever read an amazing mystery novel, and solved the
mystery yourself before finishing the book? If so, you were able to put
critical and analytical thinking to work by taking note of all the details
provided and sorting them out to determine “whodunnit”.
That same ability to analyze details also comes in handy
when it comes to critiquing the plot; determining whether it was a well-written
piece, if the characters were properly developed, if the storyline ran
smoothly, etc. Should you ever have an opportunity to discuss the book with
others, you’ll be able to state your opinions clearly, as you’ve taken the time
to really consider all the aspects involved.
7A.
Improved Focus and Concentration
In our internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a
million different directions at once as we multi-task through every day. In a
single 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working
on a task, checking email, chatting with a couple of people (via gchat, skype,
etc.), keeping an eye on twitter, monitoring their smartphone, and interacting
with co-workers. This type of ADD-like behaviour causes stress levels to rise,
and lowers our productivity.
When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on
the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself
in every fine detail you’re absorbing. Try reading for 15-20 minutes before
work (i.e. on your morning commute, if you take public transit), and you’ll be
surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office.
8A.
Better Writing Skills
This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your
vocabulary: exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on
one’s own writing, as observing the cadence, fluidity, and writing styles of
other authors will invariably influence your own work. In the same way that
musicians influence one another, and painters use techniques established by
previous masters, so do writers learn how to craft prose by reading the works
of others.
9A.
Tranquility
In addition to the relaxation that accompanies reading a
good book, it’s possible that the subject you read about can bring about
immense inner peace and tranquility. Reading spiritual texts can lower blood
pressure and bring about an immense sense of calm, while reading self-help
books has been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders and
mild mental illnesses.
10A.
Free Entertainment
Though many of us like to buy books so we can annotate them
and dog-ear pages for future reference, they can be quite pricey. For
low-budget entertainment, you can visit your local library and bask in the
glory of the countless tomes available there for free. Libraries have books on
every subject imaginable, and since they rotate their stock and constantly get
new books, you’ll never run out of reading materials.
If you happen to live in an area that doesn’t have a local
library, or if you’re mobility-impaired and can’t get to one easily, most
libraries have their books available in PDF or ePub format so you can read them
on your e-reader, iPad, or your computer screen. There are also many sources
online where you can download free e-books, so go hunting for something new to
read!
There’s a reading genre for every literate person on the
planet, and whether your tastes lie in classical literature, poetry, fashion
magazines, biographies, religious texts, young adult books, self-help guides,
street lit, or romance novels, there’s something out there to capture your
curiosity and imagination. Step away from your computer for a little while,
crack open a book, and replenish your soul for a little while.
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