There are many reasons why people enjoy reading, but did you know it has a positive affect on your mental health? Reading offers us a chance to escape by getting lost in a new world for a little while. It can improve intelligence, promote relaxation, and cultivate emotional awareness.
Lower Stress Levels
Reading a heavy textbook for an upcoming exam may not offer you this opportunity. However, reading for pleasure has been scientifically proven to lower stress levels by stabilizing your heart and helping you relax. So, don’t delay developing a regular reading routine. Whether you pick up a book before bed or sometime during the day, find some time to sneak a few pages in.
Get Lost In A Story
We’ve all had those days—the ones where we wish we could be anywhere else. Take the plunge by diving into a good book. This sort of mental vacation provides an inexpensive and easy escape for a few hours, and it’s not limited by time or location. You can open a book anytime, anywhere.
Emotional Appeal
Atticus Finch says it best, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” Books offer us this unique opportunity—a chance to walk in someone else’s shoes for a little while. They provide a shift in worldview, which can impact us and increase empathy in our personal lives.
Books Invite You To Think
From problem-solving to discovering a new perspective. When there’s a murder mystery you’re trying to figure out the whodunit factor. If there are any elements forthcoming that you might be suspicious of, then discover you’re correct, you have an Aha! moment. When you’re going through something in your own life, it’s very likely that someone has already written about a similar experience (from multiple POV’s) in books. All you have to do is search for the right one to gain perspective on your own situation. It may even offer a new approach to the problem you are directly facing that you might not have thought of previously.
Not only is reading a chance to escape life’s harsh realities, but it can also increase intelligence. Basically, reading strengthens your learning capacity, which means the more you read = the more you learn. Your brain is using its powerful muscles to learn more and more.
Reading Improves Memory
Many studies have found a correlation between reading and memory strength. Even more interesting, reading helps the brain form neural circuits which reduces the risk of age-related memory loss and Alzheimer’s Disease later. Essentially, reading is the stair master that keeps things moving.
Sleeeeep
Lastly, but certainly not least, establishing a regular nighttime routine can help you fall asleep faster. A great way to establish this—without staring at your screens before bed because that can negatively affect our sleep—is by reading before we catch those zzz’s.
Now, who doesn’t love reading?
