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Related: Reading These 9 Books Will Change Your Life. Incorporating Reading into Your Daily Routine. Incorporating reading into your daily routine is a surefire way to make it a regular habit. Here are some practical tips to help you make reading a part of your everyday life: Set a reading goal: Determine how much time you want to dedicate to ...
May 20, 2022 · Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. Now 20% Off. $14 at Amazon $17 at Macy's. Credit: Anchor. A meditative and often funny guide to writing, life and being human ...
- Overview
- Reading strengthens your brain
- Increases your ability to empathize
- Builds your vocabulary
- Helps prevent age-related cognitive decline
- Reduces stress
- Prepares you for a good night’s rest
- Helps alleviate depression symptoms
- May even help you live longer
- What should you be reading?
Reading books may have several physical and mental benefits. These include strengthening your brain, increasing your ability to empathize, reducing stress, and building your vocabulary, among others.
In the 11th century, a Japanese woman known as Murasaki Shikibu wrote “The Tale of Genji,” a 54-chapter story of courtly seduction believed to be the world’s first novel.
Over 1,000 years later, people the world over are still engrossed by novels — even in an era where stories appear on handheld screens and disappear 24 hours later.
What exactly do human beings get from reading books? Is it just a matter of pleasure, or are there benefits beyond enjoyment? The scientific answer is a resounding “yes.”
A growing body of research indicates that reading literally changes your mind.
Using MRI scans, researchers have confirmed that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.
In one study conducted in 2013, researchers used functional MRI scans to measure the effect of reading a novel on the brain. Study participants read the novel “Pompeii” over a period of 9 days. As tension built in the story, more and more areas of the brain lit up with activity.
Brain scans showed that throughout the reading period and for days afterward, brain connectivity increased, especially in the somatosensory cortex, the part of the brain that responds to physical sensations like movement and pain.
And speaking of sensing pain, research has shown that people who read literary fiction — stories that explore the inner lives of characters — show a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.
Researchers call this ability the “theory of mind,” a set of skills essential for building, navigating, and maintaining social relationships.
Reading researchers as far back as the 1960s have discussed what’s known as “the Matthew effect,” a term that refers to biblical verse Matthew 13:12: “Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
The Matthew effect sums up the idea that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer — a concept that applies as much to vocabulary as it does to money.
Researchers have found that students who read books regularly, beginning at a young age, gradually develop large vocabularies. And vocabulary size can influence many areas of your life, from scores on standardized tests to college admissions and job opportunities.
A 2019 poll conducted by Cengage showed that 69 percent of employers are looking to hire people with “soft” skills, like the ability to communicate effectively. Reading books is the best way to increase your exposure to new words, learned in context.
The National Institute on Aging recommends reading books and magazines as a way of keeping your mind engaged as you grow older.
Although research hasn’t proven conclusively that reading books prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s, studies show that seniors who read and solve math problems every day maintain and improve their cognitive functioning.
In 2009, a group of researchers measured the effects of yoga, humor, and reading on the stress levels of students in demanding health science programs in the United States.
The study found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga and humor did.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic suggest reading as part of a regular sleep routine.
For best results, you may want to choose a print book rather than reading on a screen, since the light emitted by your device could keep you awake and lead to other unwanted health outcomes.
British philosopher Sir Roger Scruton once wrote, “Consolation from imaginary things is not an imaginary consolation.” People with depression often feel isolated and estranged from everyone else. And that’s a feeling books can sometimes lessen.
Reading fiction can allow you to temporarily escape your own world and become swept up in the imagined experiences of the characters. And nonfiction self-help books can teach you strategies that may help you manage symptoms.
A long-term health and retirement study followed a cohort of 3,635 adult participants for a period of 12 years, finding that those who read books survived around 2 years longer than those who either didn’t read or who read magazines and other forms of media.
The study also concluded that people who read more than 3 1/2 hours every week were 23 percent likely to live longer than those who didn’t read at all.
So, what should you be reading? The short answer is: Whatever you can get your hands on.
There was a time when remote regions had to rely on librarians traversing the mountains with books stuffed in saddlebags. But that’s hardly the case today. Just about everyone can access vast libraries contained in cellphones and tablets.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear. This might be the most practical book ever written on simple behavioral change. Atomic Habits has three big takeaways. The first is that small lifestyle changes compound over a long period of time.
- The Expectation Effect by David Robson. Science shows our expectations can drastically affect how we perceive reality. People who believe they’re capable of doing something are far more likely to do it.
- The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. What if I told you that stress isn’t always a bad thing, that it could even be a good thing? Well, that’s the argument that Kelly McGonigal makes in this important book.
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport. Conventional wisdom tells us to follow our passion. Pick a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life, right?
Sep 22, 2024 · Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Most Life-Changing Fiction Books. 8. Paris in the 20th Century by Jules Verne. 9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. 10. The Why Cafe by John Strelecky. Most Life-Changing Books for Personal Attitude & Mindset.
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Apr 7, 2023 · Taking time to read a book can be a way to disconnect from the stresses of daily life and recharge our batteries. Conclusion In conclusion, the power of reading cannot be overstated.
People also ask
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Apr 12, 2023 · Studies show a range of psychological benefits from book-reading. Reading fiction can increase your capacity for empathy, through the process of seeing the world through a relatable character ...
