Why should you read?

I was 8 years old when my dad issued Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from the library for me. Although I do not remember the exact moment about how I felt when I opened the book and started reading, the very concept of a story opened up a whole new world for me. A world, which became my safe place over the years (and yes, I prayed day in and day out to get a Hogwarts letter from an owl until the age of 13).

Finding people who love reading as much as I do gets me excited. It is like a new connection is developed every single time. However, that’s only a significant number of people. A majority of our social circle does not prefer this as a hobby.

As much as I love meeting and interacting with book lovers, I do get that every individual is different and should not be compelled to read, if not interested. It goes for everything. However, there are benefits of reading and this can be beneficial for you in the long run.

It is exercise for the brain

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

Joseph Addison

We all know the importance of exercise. It helps to keep our bodies healthy. Reading does exactly so for the mind. Studies have shown that mentally stimulating activities like reading lower the rate of cognitive decline. The decline is almost 32% lower than those with average mental activity.

It enhances your vocabulary

I have already specified this in one of my previous posts. Reading more books helps you in the expansion of your vocabulary. The more you read, the more words you learn. Reading helps you develop a far richer vocabulary than usual, which is always an impressive quality!

It reduces stress

According to the University of Sussex, reading can reduce stress by 68%. An average of 6 minutes of reading has the ability to improve your overall health! Less stress helps you to combat anxiety and, thus, aids in proper sleep.

Reading for as little as 6 minutes is sufficient to reduce stress levels by 60%, showing heartbeat, easing muscle tension, and altering the state of mind.

Dr. David Lewis, Sussex University

It helps you become a better version of yourself

Sure, reading improves your vocabulary. It helps you calm down. However, reading does more than that. And you do not need to read just self-help books to become a better person. Self-improvement books help a lot. Do not get me wrong. I read them myself. However, it also opens you up to a character. For instance, Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series is one of my favourites. I love learning stuff and Hermione inspires me to go for it. As a student, I always tried to channel my inner Hermione Granger during moments of demotivation. You never know where and when, in the pages, would you find your role model!

It enhances your creativity

Reading can be equated to exploration. But, here, you are exploring within the pages. Reading aids in imagination, and that leads to the flow of your creative juice. Imagination inspires creativity. Research has shown that reading provides you with a cognitive boost and enhances your creativity in the long run.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.

Albert Einstein

So, with all the benefits that reading provides, what are you going to read today?

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Related posts:

1. Why don’t I participate in reading challenges anymore?
2. Is reading fiction a waste of time?
3. How to get out of a reading slump?
4. Why do I listen to content at double speed?