The Benefits of Reading a Good Book
Have you ever wondered why so many people read books? There are a significant number of benefits for reading a good book. These benefits range from improving your mental and physical health, to creating good healthy habits. Books have been around for so many years and they are not about to go away (thankfully).
Let’s take a look at the benefits of reading where you will definitely be inspired to pick up a book and start reading:
- Mental Stimulation and Brain Exercising
There have been countless studies done around this and it has shown that by staying mentally stimulated it can slow down the progress of (or maybe even prevent) Alzheimer’s and Dementia, the reason for this is that if you keep your brain active and engaged it prevents you from losing power.
Your brain, like any other muscle in your body requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy. As the saying goes “use it or lose it” is especially relevant when it comes to your mind.
- Knowledge
When you read a book, you are learning new pieces of information that your brain retains and you never know when this one piece of information will become handy! Knowledge can never be taken away from you.
Each time you read a book you will come across a word that you may have not heard of or perhaps you don’t quite understand what it means. Always keep a dictionary handy to look these words up. This will help your vocabulary expand over time, these words that you learn will begin to integrate themselves into your everyday vocabulary.
- Expanding your Vocabulary
The one way you can do this is by reading more, it will expose you to new words and these new words will end up in your everyday vocabulary. Being articulate and well-spoken is very helpful in any profession, and it will boost your confidence and self-esteem.
- Helpful for Depression and Dysthymia
Reading helps to lower your stress levels which also stimulates the part of your brain that deals with depression. By reading, you are actually focusing on the present story and not on the things that cause you to be depressed.
- Strengthens your Writing Ability
People that write understand how important it is to read. No matter what kind of writing you do, doing lots of reading will improve your writing skills and abilities. Many writers are big readers, when you concentrate on the way a book is written, you can take on these styles which will improve your writing skills.
- Sleep Boosting
Reading is a great way to help you have a good night’s sleep. You may not fall asleep instantly, however, it will improve your overall sleep pattern and restfulness. Reading is a great way to relax and unwind. Reading at the end of your day is a great way to relax and ensure that you will get a good night’s sleep. It will help you to de-stress from all the things that happened to you during the day, allowing for you to completely unwind and help you have a restful sleep.
- Improve your Memory and Focus
Reading a little bit each day will improve your focus and memory function. It allows you to stimulate your brain, especially the part of your brain that helps with memory and attention. When you are reading, your brain retains information about what you are reading about. This means that the part of your brain that controls your memory is being stimulated which results in improved memory.
Your focus improves because it is strengthened when you read as it requires focus. Each time to exercise this part of your brain you are improving the overall function of your memory and focus.
- Relieve Tension and Lower your Stress
As we know, reading can be a way to entertain yourself, however, it is also very good to help you lower your stress levels. The reason this happens is because you are focusing on the story and not what is going on around you. It immediately pulls you into another world and new characters. You are allowing yourself to be taken into their story where you can stop, breathe and relax. Reading will lower your stress levels and make you feel much better mentally as well as physically.
- Increase your Imagination and Empathy
Your imagination is a very powerful tool that can be helpful in all aspects of life. Having a good imagination allows us to be more empathetic to people. Reading often will increase your imagination, because when we get lost in a good book our imagination is stimulated by seeing all the places and people in the book just by reading the words.
- Broaden your Mind
Reading about different cultures will allow you to see how others live and differ from how you live. Books allow you to see life from a completely different perspective. Books can also give great ideas, and they are very educational on so many different levels.
The benefits of reading a good book is not just entertaining, it is also beneficial both mentally and physically. Reading is a tool towards a healthy lifestyle, so what are you waiting for?
What are you reading currently and how is it of benefit to you?