How many books have you read so far? Why should we be reading books,
instead of spending our free time doing something else? The winter
season is a perfect timing to read more books, as we have more time
available, but how many of us invest time for this relaxing activity? To
be honest, I have discovered more than 10 reasons why a habit of
reading books has been useful in every aspect of life, but we have a
list with only the most important benefits of reading books.
The
importance of reading has been appreciated in many ways by most of us
and, probably, the most important conclusion is that this activity makes
us more human. According to recent researches,
the act of reading is a beautiful yet unique
experience that distinguish us from the animal kingdom. Moreover, it is
a clear difference, though, between fictional or non-fictional books,
but the power of reading is obviously an activity than doesn’t make us
better, but human.
Here is a list of 10 important benefits of reading books:
1. Reading makes you smarter
It
is obviously the essential purpose of this post, right? Reading isn’t
just a relaxing activity, but a great opportunity to discover new and
interesting things from various domains. Therefore, you’ll enlarge your
knowledge found in books, no matter the area. It keeps you open minded
and sharp at any age and offers new ways to see the world. Moreover, a
person can’t become a better human being or achieve greatness in life,
unless he gathers more information from all kind of resources.
2. It can help lower stress
I
found this benefit to be extremely useful in a stressful period in our
lives, as it is one of the most relaxing activity to help persons escape
from their daily routine and enter in a new and exciting world. A
research conducted by
the consultancy firm Mindlab International
at the University of Sussex has highlighted the idea that even six
minutes of reading can be enough to reduce stress levels by 68 per
percent. Moreover, it can help depressed or sad people to overcome
easier difficult moments happening in their lives, as it is a true
therapy for both mind and soul.
3. Reading improves our imagination
I
don’t know about you, but after finishing a new book, I end up seeing
the world from a new perspective. It becomes easier for me to find
better solutions for any problem, as well as generating new ideas.
Needless to say that imagination has a special place in our life. Being
the principal component of creativity, it stimulates our thinking, help
us expand our understanding of different things and creates new ideas.
Through imagination, we escape from an overwhelming reality to enter in a
better world created within words chosen carefully to describe new
places, phenomena or people.
4. It improves also your memory
Sometimes
I get angry because I have forgotten someone’s birthday or send a
message to a friend. Books do have a great contribution to improve our
memory, as they are an excellent tool to stimulate our brain activity
and, thus, our memory. Unlike other relaxing activities (watching a
movie or listen to a song), reading allows as more time to meditate, to
have a special pause for analyzing what’s going on in our current life.
The important benefit of reading books is also to increase the capacity
to anticipate and build many hypotheses.
5. It develops our communication skills
It’s
no secret to anyone that a person who has a vast knowledge in many
domains is also a better communicator. Considering these current new
technologies that demand a high level of communication – both written
and oral – reading does help us, because we learn new words to express
how we feel and things in general. For instance, each time I read a new
book I do a very useful exercise: note new words or expressions in my
agenda. I encourage you to do the same, find the meaning of these
words/expressions in a dictionary and then try to memorize them; even
use them in a conversation with your friends.
6. Reading improves personal relationships
When
reading, many of us identify with one or two characters found in the
book with their lifestyle, way of thinking or life experiences. We often
compare these stories with ours and discover new perspectives of seeing
or approaching a new problem. Therefore, we apply useful advice in our
personal relationships, develop new techniques to interact with others.
Our main goal is to have better relationships with our friends and
family, so books are a great way to do it, as well as empathizing and
socializing better.
7. Reading is the perfect way to relax
We
all feel a strong desire to escape sometimes from the quotidian and
discover a new place. Besides traveling, reading creates the perfect
gateway for quiet and relaxing moments. Probably the most important
benefit of reading books is the disconnection from our reality for
hiding in a better place with happy ends and memorable moments.
8. Reading helps people to contribute for a better world
Readers
are usually dreamers who imagine a better place on earth and are
inclined to have artistic abilities, enjoying arts spectacles or
different social and civic implications in various organizations. These
persons are generally humble, idealist and willing to bring their
contribution for a better world. Moreover, according to a study realized
by
National Endowment of Arts,
people who read are more likely to get involved in charity acts or
perform volunteer activities with better opportunities for a career
growth and more financially rewarding jobs.
9. It improves analytic skills
Another
important benefit of reading books is to improve our analytic thinking
with a better understanding of things and situations. Most of the times,
books bring to our attention new subjects and ideas, challenging our
brain’s components and boosting analytic skills. Thus, readers are able
to identify better new patterns, make excellent connections and improve
their knowledge.
10. Reading helps to discover and reinvent yourself
The
last but not least important benefit of reading is the capacity to
discover and reinvent ourselves with books. It is good to know that not
all books have a major impact on our lives, so it’s essential to make
the right choices. Remember how large is internet and how many useful
and
free resources you can
find from a large area of domains. Whether your tastes are in art,
philosophy, self-help guides or romance novels, you can find them in
bookstores or online.
The first and the third reasons really work for me and make me read. In fact, I don`t read much because I like listening to somebody else reading:) I mean I`m a big fan of audiobooks. I always listen to a book when I travel or do housework. Audiobooks give a chance to listen to so many book that would never be able to read in mylife. So I can`t live without them now:))
ReplyDeleteI love to read books more than listen to them. But I don't have enough time to read them. So,I usually listen to some of them when I do housework.Reading helps me to relax in a stressful period of our daily life. Reading books helps me maintain and develop my communication skills.It improves my memory. I read many various poems and fairytales for my daughter.Most of them I remember very well:)
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