In a world where entertainment is right in our hands, you may ask yourself what is the benefit of reading. Reading is becoming a dying habit in the world today as there are a lot to consume on social media. But the truth remains that reading brings pleasure and satisfies the soul. Even though technology is playing a role in fueling the decline in reading habits, it has also helped in its own way. Some of the famous books have sold millions of soft copies format that appeals to technology savvy people who do not like carrying hardcopies of books. However, it remains a proved point that the culture of reading has deteriorated in our world today. It is important to know that reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Therefore, in this article, I will be sharing with you 6 reasons why you should make more conscious effort to read.
- Improves your focus and concentration: Reading much like running or listening to music can be a form of meditation. With all the distractions nowadays, people have really big challenge concentrating, don’t be one of them. On an average, people will divide their time on working on tasks, checking emails, chatting with people and checking their mobile phones. These activities can cause stress level to rise and lowers productivity. But when you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story and the rest of the world is closed off and you occupy yourself with every fine detail you are absorbing. Try reading for 15 to 20 minutes everyday and you will be amazed at how much your mental capacity can grow.
- Relaxation technique: Have you ever felt so tensed to the point that you dream of escaping from your life for a while? Surprise! you actually can, you don’t need a plane ticket to the other side of the globe, a great book can take you to another dimension. Many people overthink their problems when all they need is a break so that they can go back to searching for solution with a clear and relaxed mind. So, you stressed out, pick up that book and read. A research conducted in 2009 shows that reading is the most effective way to overcome stress beating out other favorites such as listening to music or drinking a cup of tea or coffee or even taking a walk. I personally can’t think of a better way to reduce stress than to read fantasy fiction books. Travelling through the imaginations of the writer helps me temporarily forget about my immediate environment and does wonders to my stress levels.
- Improves smartness and knowledge: Your body needs movement that means your brain needs movement as well. Reading requires concentration and intellectual activity. Mental simulation can slow down the process of Dementia and Alzheimer’s diseases. Reading is healthy just like a morning run so find time for it. Also everything you read fills your head with some information you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge you have the more equipped you are to tackle more challenges that you will have. Additionally, you might lose everything else your job, your possessions, your money, your health, your knowledge can never be taken from you.
- Improves imagination: The ability of having critical thought is deeply influenced by with you take in. Same way your imagination is a reflection of what you have inside of you. The more you read, the wider and sharper your imagination gets. Reading literally takes you to another world, negotiated only by your imagination.
- Boosts vocabulary and writing skills: When I was growing up, I had a jotter where I took note of new words when I read. That ritual really helped my vocabulary development and as I grew older that ritual grew with me. Reading helps to build up your vocabulary as you would most likely come across new words, phrases, idioms and different styles of expression from different writers.
- Improves creativity: Following the advancement in technology some people perceived reading as a primitive form of entertainment and would rather see a movie, play video games, engage in social media conversations than read. But they fail to understand that reading fuels your creativity more than the above mentioned would. Reading gives a scope to unleash your creativity as you read new thoughts and begin to perceive the world in a different view.
