15 Benefits of Reading Every Day

 

 I said I would create a post on the benefits of reading and here we go. As I said I was looking at adopting an all around healthier lifestyle which includes mind, body and soul. I strongly believe reading to be the best way to strengthen your brain.

 

 I can speak by personal experience on this. I actually dropped out of school after completing the eighth grade just days after turning 16. I didn’t do well in school due to the fact I had a major problem with authority figures. I give thanks as I have mentioned that my older sister had already introduced me to reading. I believe I was around 14 when I first read Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” along with a batch of other great classic reads. 

 It wasn’t till I was in my 30’s that I decided I wanted to go to college to study music technology, but first I need to acquire my high school diploma. When I took the entry level exam for GED classes the teacher asked me, “didn’t you say you dropped out after the eighth grade?” I said yes. He went on to tell me I scored at second year of college level. Some in the class had dropped out of high school in the 11th and 12th grade and scored at 5th and 6th grade level. The teacher then said I must have done a lot of reading which I had. Bottom line I was eligible to take the GED exam without having to attend any classes thanks to reading.

 I found these 15 benefits to reading daily online that I want to share as I am a big advocate of reading books. There is just nothing better than reading a good book. I hope this post inspires you to wanna pick up a work and give your brain and good workout! 

1. Promotes mental health: Research suggests that people who keep their brains active by reading or playing mentally challenging games like chess are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spend their down time on less stimulating activities like watching television. Studies have shown that staying mentally alert can slow the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and dementia.

2. Reduces stress: Snuggling up with a good book can transport you to the magic of other worlds away from immediate worries, reducing stress. A 2009 study by the University of Sussex found that reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by up to 68%. Dr Lewis, Cognitive Neuropsychologist told the Telegraph: “Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation. This is particularly poignant in uncertain economic times when we are all craving a certain amount of escapism.”

3. Improves general knowledge: If you want to be a well-rounded human being capable of holding a conversation on a variety of topics, you need to be a reader. And your reading material needn’t be any serious subject matter for you to pick up some tidbits of information that can come in handy someday. I have never met a well-read person who is not also an interesting person. But I’ve come across quite a number of boring people who clearly never open a book. Besides, the more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to handle many of life’s challenges. 

4. More empathetic: Reading about the life and times of people who live or lived in different circumstances from you, can make it easier for you to understand and relate to those who are different from you. A book on being Black in America can be a real eye-opener if you are white; a book on the life of an autistic child growing up in the world can be equally revealing. Books are there to open the world up for us; to take us out of our own environment and show us the realities of others out there. Some books have the power to change your mind and outlook completely.

5. Expands vocabulary: The more you read, the more your vocabulary improves. The more your vocabulary improves, the better you can express your own thoughts and feelings. Language is such a wonderful tool with so many fantastic words for us to use to express ourselves. People who are able to use language skilfully with a wide range of descriptive vocabulary have always captured the imagination and admiration of others. It is a fact that the ability to be articulate impresses others and paves the way to promotions, leadership roles, and public office. Researchers from Spain’s University of Santiago de Compostela found that a rich vocabulary delays mental decline. The broader your vocabulary, the better your chance of mental health well into old age.

6. Improves writing skills:  This goes hand-in-hand with improved vocabulary. People who read a lot, especially well-written material, absorb different writing styles and are able to emulate a good writing style because they are subconsciously influenced by it. The more you read and the better quality writing you read, the more it will improve your own writing ability.

7. Stronger analytical thinking skills: A typical “whodunit” which many readers find so enthralling poses a mystery that is a challenge for readers to solve, which helps develop their analytical skills. It is thrilling to read a mystery and try to solve the mystery yourself. Even if you don’t solve it, you still practised your critical and analytical thinking in the most pleasurable way.

8. Improves memory: In order to follow a plot you have to remember quite a lot and that is good practice for your brain. You have to remember a range of characters, their backgrounds, actions, roles in the plot, as well as the various sub-plots that make up the story. After all, you won’t comprehend what you’re reading if you don’t remember certain details as you read. So reading, keeps the brain’s memorizing ability in practice.

9. Improves focus and concentration: Reading a substantial piece of writing strengthens your focus because it requires focus to read. Unless you focus, you won’t follow what you’re reading. In fact, reading is an antidote to today’s obsession with multi-tasking – writing an email while chatting online, keeping an eye on your phone, drinking coffee and checking reactions on your Twitter feed. This habit scatters attention and hampers productivity – actually, you get very little done. Reading requires focus, something that often is sorely lacking in our society. Making time to read 15-20 minutes every day can improve your ability to focus and ultimately help you to be more productive.

10. Free entertainment: Isn’t it great that you can have yourself transported to a different world through a well-written book at no cost to yourself? Books are pricey, but you don’t have to buy them. There are libraries where books cost nothing and secondhand books stores where they cost next to nothing, in addition to online resources where you can download free e-books.

11. Boosts sleep: Most avid readers can attest to this. There is nothing quite like falling asleep with a book in your hands. Reading is like a sleeping pill, it is relaxing and sleep-inducing, especially if you’re tired and stressed out. Reading doesn’t only help you to fall asleep, it also improves your overall sleep quality. Since it’s relaxing and helps you to de-stress, reading can lead you into a deep and restful sleep.

12. Inner tranquility: In addition to reducing your overall stress levels, it’s possible that the subject you’re reading about brings you an immense amount of inner peace and tranquillity. Reading spiritual texts, for example, has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure. Self-help books can assist people in dealing with mood disorders. Whatever inner state you’re seeking to attain, there’s likely a book that will help get you there.

13. You become better at conversations: People will really enjoy spending time with you because your conversations will always interesting. You can bring things up from a book you’ve just read and it will blow their minds. Reading regularly gives you much to think about, which means you have an endless amount of new topics to explore when you’re with your friends or family. You will have much better conversations as a result.

14. Reading is a workout for your brain: There’s a difference between passively watching television and actively reading. When you’re reading, you’re training your mind to focus on new information and take it in. As mentioned earlier, this improves analytical skills and memory. It means that reading becomes a workout for your brain. According to Ken Pugh, president of Haskins Laboratories: “parts of the brain that have evolved for other functions — such as vision, language, and associative learning — connect in a specific neural circuit for reading, which is very challenging.” In short, reading spurs your brain to think and concentrate.

15. Reading is contagious: Finally, it’s good to know that your love of reading is going to have important downstream consequences, especially if you have children. When people around you read, you’re more likely to do so yourself. You can take advantage of this fact by regularly reading out loud to your children at home. A new report from Scholastic suggests that reading out loud to kids through their early schooling inspires them to become frequent readers in adulthood. In turn, they’re more likely to inspire their own kids to become readers as well. In an age of information overload, it’s fantastic that more and more people are understanding the benefits of reading. It’s a fantastic way to expand the mind.