Those who read books know how pleasurable that moment is. It is the precious time when you are disconnected from the outside world, as an escape or just taking a moment for yourself. I've never heard anyone saying that reading a book has done any harm. Often, it can evoke emotions that we would prefer not to deal with. Scientific studies and research have shown the benefits of reading for our well-being, not only in the neurological area but also in social and personal well-being.
Here are some of the major advantages of reading:
Improves brain functioning and boosts your memory
Neurological researchers have been studying the neurological impact of reading for years. Conclusions leave no doubt, reading is good for the brain. Results have shown that reading enhances neural connections and improves brain functionality. For example, this study shows that cognitive activities such as reading can help keep the mind sharper for longer while preventing memory loss.
Reading also has a positive effect on memory. Every time you learn and generate new memories this process creates new synapses and improves existing ones. When you pick up the book and start reading after the last time you paused, you'll need to remember the characters, the plot and subplot, the incidents, and the details. That's a lot to remember about! Reading will boost your brain functioning and memory which will clearly have a positive effect on your life.
Expands the Emotional Intelligence
We connect with the characters while reading a novel. We feel what they feel, we share their experiences in a well-written novel. We empathize. Reading fiction promotes empathy because while reading we put ourselves in the shoes of another person that leads to an expansion of our emotional intelligence. Exercising this skill in literature will inspire us to do the same thing in our lives, with real people.
Enhances Vocabulary
Making reading your habit will increase and strengthen your vocabulary. The more you learn, the more you improve your verbal skills. When you read, you are exposed to new words that inevitability will be included in your daily vocabulary. This is likely to be more proficient if you read various literary elements. Improving your vocabulary is useful not only in your personal life but also in your professional life. Being more descriptive and well-spoken in your speech can be very helpful for a job interview, a speech, debate, a presentation, etc. It certainly helps you in your career.
Expands your knowledge
Whether you read fiction or nonfiction, you're learning about the world, various traditions and cultures, events in history, about different people and countries. There’s a lot to gain from the books. It helps you to expand your horizon. We can access all sorts of knowledge and information just by reading about different types of things happening around the world.
Enhances your writing skills
Reading well-written books teaches you without even noticing how to formulate your thoughts and ideas better. You internalize the grammatical rules, you're in touch with various styles and cadence and with the distinct voices of the authors. Being in touch with other writers will make your writing easier and effective. You don't have to be a writer who wants to write well but who wishes to express well.
Stimulates your imagination and creativity
Being involved in a book telling a story, the characters, the conflicts leads us to imagine the physical settings, the characters, the clothes or the surroundings. We build a vision in our minds. When we read multiple genres, it becomes much more accurate. We try to build in our mind the characters of the Harry Potter or the scenarios of the Jungle Book. Isn't that wonderful? It automatically stimulates our level of imagination and creativity. That's one of the reasons that when we close the book, we feel like we're leaving an alternate world and going back to ours which is much wealthier, wiser and fulfilled.
Works as a Stress Buster
Reading always acts as a refreshing break in our life. Reading is just a time-out. You just pick up a book and start reading it in a way to defocus on what's going on around you or inside you and merge it with the plot or story. Reading helps us to find our inner harmony. Reading is one of the most effective ways to overcome stress. It makes you feel relaxed, detaches from the outside world, and leaves you in a calm and peaceful mindset. With such calming energy, reading also helps you to sleep better. If you're reading before you sleep, you just need to relax, leave your concerns and issues out of bed and make you get better sleep.
Gives new meaning to life
Reading reveals new ideas, new approaches, new understanding, new facts, new strategies to handle problems, and new ways to solve them. By reading you understand things from a different perspective, it makes you realize and understand the world around you and yourself in a different way. Reading can help you discover your passions and it can make you pursue things that eventually become your profession and you succeed.
Reading allows you to visualize yourself differently. It opens up your mind and helps you to embrace changes in your life. It also helps you to understand the various positive aspects of life. It also helps you to make better sense of the world. Reading not only makes you smarter but also motivates you to give meaning to your life and to others. Lastly, it also prepares you well to enter into a real world of life.
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