How Does Reading Help You?
Does your daily life revolve around browsing through social media, and it has been a long time since you last picked a good book to read? If the answer is yes, then you are missing out on a lot. As you get older, the interest in reading sometimes fades away, and even though you miss the connection, you are not able to pick up the book again.
A study conducted by Yale University revealed that people who read have a higher rate of survival than those who do not. The author of the research says, “compared to non-book readers, book readers had a 23-month survival advantage”. And even though people state that their daily reading consists of skimming through articles and blogs, this research does not extend to materials like magazines or newspapers.
So why should reading be an important part of your life? Here are some of the reasons by best assignment writing service that can convince you to take out at least 30 minutes for reading from your routine.
Scientific Reasons
Let’s start with facts and figures. Nearly 300 years ago, Joseph Addison stated that “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body” and many years later, advanced scientific research proved his claim with evidence.
The brain is the organ that is constantly changing so when it is actively engaged in tasks like reading, the growth becomes rapid, and this decreases the chances of diseases like Alzheimer and Dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Their website says, “Regularly challenging yourself mentally seems to build up the brain’s ability to cope with disease” and reading books that challenge your mind stimulates strong thinking abilities.
Critical and Analytical Thinking
If you have read murder mysteries of Sidney Sheldon or Dan Brown, the satisfaction of solving a crime before it is unravelled by the author is unmatched by any other feeling in the world. But how does that help you?
Reading appeals to the critical side of your brain and prompts you to think ahead. This also helps you in real life when you can assess complicated situations with a three-dimensional approach and come up with solutions for complex problems.
Improved Writing Skills
If you are a writer, then you must have heard that “most skilful writers are avid readers”. When you develop the habit of reading, the ability to analyse the writing styles, tone and syntax comes automatically.
You can examine how your favourite author has discussed the plot to make it engaging or the kind of words they have utilised to grasp the attention of the readers. This way, you can follow similar patterns in your writing and pave the path for improvement.
Enhanced Vocabulary
This goes hand in hand with writing skills. Your middle school teacher probably might have emphasised on this point a lot- “read because it is good for vocabulary”. Understanding words with the context improve your conversational and writing skills because your knowledge of complex and interesting words helps your work become unique.
Oxford University Press Report revealed that “reading aloud, discussion about reading and independent reading expenses at school and at home can encourage vocabulary growth” and not doing so might cause hindrance in academic progression.
Focus and Concentration
In a world where you are constantly surrounded by devices like IPads and phones with all the information available at your fingertips, the average attention span of people has reduced.
When you are continuously scrolling through social websites and letting your brain complete half the sentences, it is easier to lose focus. Studies have shown that this also causes stress among individuals.
With reading, you can rebuild your level of concentration. Immersing yourself in the plot while not caring about the surroundings will not just reduce stress levels, it will also make your approach towards daily assignments thorough.
Increased Knowledge
Learning from real-life experiences is great but equipping yourself with the necessary knowledge for any kind of situation is also important. Reading allows you to explore the world from different perspectives as you live through the experiences of the characters in the book. It challenges your imagination and makes you absorb information with multiple outlooks.
Through reading, you do not just understand their situations as an audience, but also actively participate in their worlds. This can make you learn from other people’s mistakes. For instance, if you are planning to invest in a kitchen garden, reading books from the experts can minimise the risk of repeating common mistakes.
Travelling and Exploring
If you like to immerse yourself in different cultures and want to participate in practices observed by people in faraway parts of the world, reading is one of the cheapest options.
Not many people can afford to travel due to financial constraints or job commitments, but while that restricts you, books introduce you to thousands of lifestyles. You can read translated works of non-English writers like Victor Hugo or learn about the experiences of oppressed ethnicities through the works of Richard Wright and Maya Angelou.
Better Communication
When you develop an understanding of different perspectives and broaden your horizons by considering opinions that clash with your beliefs, your view of the world changes for the better. Through reading, you can voice your thoughts better due to increased intelligence.
This is especially beneficial for your job requirements as candidates who can articulate their opinions and convey their beliefs properly are preferred over the ones who cannot. Also, if you love talking to people, reading provides you with a lot of topics for conversation.
Enjoyable
If you truly immerse yourself in the world of fiction and your favourite characters, keeping the book down becomes difficult. Biographies, fantasy, life lessons, history, romance, horror and countless other genres are present for your entertainment. You just have to select a book that interests you and focus on the subject matter.
For instance, many children in high school find the subject of history boring. It is difficult to remember dates and connect the civilisations to a relevant period. A good way to spark their interest is to make them read books based on a historical period with intricate plots so they can memorise the content and enjoy learning at the time.
Even though reading itself costs nothing, books can sometimes be expensive. For this, just join a local library, so you never run out of reading material. You can also access multiple sites online that provide links for pdfs and eBooks.
So, step out of the mechanised world for a while and ease the tension of the entire day by transporting yourself to a fictional world!
