A nutritious diet keeps the body sound and healthy. But what about the mind? Just like meditation, exercise, and a good night’s sleep, cultivating the habit of reading can keep your mind healthy. It is like food for your mind — the more you read, the sharper and healthier your mind gets.
So, how exactly does reading benefit you? It boosts creativity, relieves stress, and makes you more empathetic, to name a few. What’s more, the habit of reading can also add years to your life. Researchers at Yale University tracked thousands of adults aged over 50 for 12 years and found that those who read books for 30 minutes a day lived nearly two years longer than those who read magazines or newspapers.
The benefits of reading are endless. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you should read every day.
Improves your attention span
It is true that technology keeps you well informed, but its constant consumption can severely affect your attention span and focus. In a span of five minutes, your mind tends to shoot off in different directions. But when you read, your focus remains sharp, while your brain attempts to decipher the words and make sense of them. You rewire your brain to maintain focus and put all other thoughts aside. This not only stimulates the brain but also improves your attention span and focus.
Boosts your intelligence
As American children’s author and filmmaker Dr Seuss wrote in I Can Read with My Eyes Shut, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Reading books from a young age opens up the world of knowledge and vocabulary, boosting scores on Children’s intelligence tests. Another study conducted on children found that reading creates new white matter in the brain that enhances system-wide communication.
Makes you a better person
Believe it or not, reading can turn you into a better person. As author Malorie Blackman says, “Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.” Research conducted at the University of Toronto reveals reading fiction has a positive influence on your personality, broadening your perspectives, and heightening empathy. The researchers also found that fiction readers not only put themselves in others’ shoes with ease but also read the emotion of other people without much difficulty. “It’s not that empathic people read more, but that reading promotes empathy”, the study states.
Books also help you understand yourself and the people around you better. Another study at the New School for Social Research in New York proves reading literary fiction improves emotional intelligence, a skill imperative to navigate through social relationships.
Exposes you to different styles of writing
In the words of American novelist Annie Proulx, “Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.” The more one reads, the better writer one becomes. In addition to expanding your vocabulary, reading also exposes you to different styles and narratives, motivating you to elevate your own. So, if you wish to enhance your writing skills, you know where to start.
Strengthens your vocabulary
Reading is the best way to increase your exposure to new words. Even experts have confirmed the positive correlation between reading and vocabulary. It strengthens your language and enhances your everyday vocabulary. Reading also improves your communication skills and builds confidence, fostering personal and professional growth.
Reduces stress
Life can get stressful, but there are several ways to relieve stress. Reading is one such scientifically proven method. Research conducted at the University of Sussex shows that only six minutes of reading can reduce stress levels by 68 percent, in comparison to other activities like listening to music or taking a walk. “It really doesn’t matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination,” adds Dr David Lewis, the cognitive neurologist who conducted the study.
Keeps your brain healthy
Reading keeps your brain hale and healthy, nurturing several thousand neural connections. This electric activity in the brain helps you relax and remain calm. A simple act like reading stalls the cognitive decline of your body’s command center and staves off symptoms of mental illnesses. Research at the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation found that mental stimulation can slow the progress of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Reading does to the brain what physical exercise does to the body — keeping it strong to fight off ailments. Reading can also reduce depressive symptoms. Depressed people often feel isolated and lonely, and books can be their loyal companions.
Expands your knowledge
There are plenty of other ways to expand your knowledge, but isn’t it interesting to acquire knowledge while progressing through a story? While reading, you might chance upon new bits of information about a place or an author or a culture, rousing your interest in those specific disciplines. In short, a book will never leave your heart and mind empty.
Sharpens your memory
When you read, you visually process the words and play out the entire scene in your head. Such an activity not only increases brain function, but also improves connectivity between different areas of the brain. Ken Pugh, PhD, President and Director of Research at Haskins Laboratories, says, “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 a 2013 study published by the Brain Connectivity journal, it was found that college students who read showed heightened activity in the brain areas related to language, memory, and motor abilities.
All this brain activity sharpens your memory and expands your learning abilities while keeping your brain robust.
Brings forth your creative side
Reading affects both the left and the right brain. When you are reading a story, you imagine the descriptions, empathise with the characters, analyse the plot, anticipate the next sequence, and contemplate the logical explanation for a particular idea or action. Thus, reading not only builds a critical mind but also brings forth your creative side.
