Read more to live better

By Yussuf Mustapha cisse

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Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.

Reading is typically an individual activity, done silently, although on occasion a person reads out loud for other listeners; or reads aloud for one’s own use, for better comprehension.

According to some researchers, learners (children and adults) progress through several stages while first learning to read English, Arabic and any other languages, before refining their reading skills. 

It has been proving that before the electric era, reading was a ritual that almost everyone who wanted to gain knowledge adapted. But now a day, we have been so preoccupied with social media and the internet that hardly anyone contemplates reading books.

While some maybe too busy to read, others merely don’t care to read.

As a student, teacher and an entrepreneur I decide to pass this message around to address how important reading is, for there are many benefits of reading, from making you smarter to improve your reading and writing skills. In fact, a recent study revealed that an astounding 92 percent of Educators agree that any student can benefit from reading (or being read) daily, no matter their literacy level.

Yet, there are also some people who read because they are told they must for school. If you fit in this categorization, then it may be useful to understand the many benefits of reading, which we will uncover here.

Now, we have so many choices when it comes to how we spend our time. Why should we read when there are movies, TV shows, video games, and more? Reading both fiction and non-fiction comes with a wide range of benefits. Here are ten reasons why reading is important:

1. Stress reduction

Stress is a common problem these days and there are many ways to deal with it. Reading is one of the best.

A 2009 study conducted by Mindlab International at the University of Sussex discovered that after people read quietly for just six minutes, their heart rates slowed down and they had less muscle tension, their stress levels actually reduced by an impressive 68% which makes reading more effective than talking a walk or listening to music. 

By focusing their minds on what they were reading, people could distance and distract themselves from anxious thoughts and feelings.

Reading also gives you that mental space to occupy yourself with something more interesting.

When you read a great book, all your stress seems to slip away and relax you since you tend to travel mentally in a different realm. Sometimes while reading, you come across valuable advice or solutions to your problems.

2. Improves Concentration and attention span

One of the worst things that technology has done is making us lazy. Almost everything is available with ease. We hardly make an effort to focus on solving issues or concentrate on bringing about any improvement.

While reading can bring back the lost power of focus and concentration. If you feel that using modern technology lowers our productivity, then develop the healthy habit of reading every day.

Keeping yourself occupied with reading for about 20 to 30 minutes can be great for your brain. It can help you with better focus and concentration.

3. Knowledge enhancement 

Since the onset of civilization, we have grown and developed mentally. Many learned scholars give credit to books because not everything is available in digitalized form.

There are numerous ways to learn more about life, from self-help books to reading fiction. Even when you feel de-motivated, you can read an inspirational biography to lift your mood. One of the great benefits of reading books is that the knowledge you gain from them can never be taken away from you. Unlike worldly possessions, your knowledge will stay with you till the end of time.

4. Memory improvement

Regular reading is a great exercise for the brain. If you read a fictional book, your brain is forced to remember the names and nature of various characters. Going back to their history and remembering events or plots is fun and improves your memory.

One of the greatest benefits of reading daily is that the brain becomes super powerful. An amazing fact about our brain is that it can retain a great amount of information, and with every new memory, your brain creates new brain pathways or synapses.

Moreover, it strengthens your existing memory, helps to recall short-term memory, and stabilizes mood.

5. Vocabulary Expansion

If you are not yet convinced on why reading books is important, this might interest you. When you develop the habit of reading, you enhance your vocabulary. Reading any type of book can improve your vocabulary to an impressive extent.

Having great command over the language is known to help many in their professional and academic life.

Moreover, with better vocabulary knowledge, you get to fill yourself with self-confidence when sitting in a group with a knowledgeable audience.

You can also expect to learn new languages when you develop the habit of reading various books every day.

6. Improves creativity and imagination

If you ever feel stuck creatively, reading can stretch those muscles.

When you read a book, especially fiction, it stimulates your imagination. Your mind paints a picture of what you’re reading, so you become an active participant in the activity. At least one study supports this benefit. 100 people read either a fictional story or a nonfiction essay, and then completed a questionnaire. The fiction readers were more creative in their answers than the essay reader.

7. Better Writing Skills

If you read more, you will naturally become good at writing skills. Since your vocabulary and pronunciation improve by reading regularly, it eventually makes you a better writer.

We are not just talking about writing fiction, books, novels, etc. Even when writing something in everyday personal and professional life, your writing skills would have improved with regular reading.

The more you read, the better your writing skills will become. You would tend to focus on various aspects of writing that would allow you to write more effectively than others.

8. It expands your understanding of the world

Speaking of the real world, reading both fiction and nonfiction can change your perspectives on things. How? Books are like windows. By looking through them, you can see different views on humanity, current events, history, culture, and more. If you intentionally seek out voices and authors who are very different from you, your understanding expands even more.

9. Tranquility

Don’t you sometimes feel like just getting away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday nonsense? But it’s not always cost-effective to plan a trip to get some time in solitude.

Reading a book allows you to gain similar tranquility. What’s more interesting is that people suffering from high blood pressure or anxiety can find peace in reading.

Reading self-help or spiritual texts uplifts your soul and makes you feel better. Where-as people suffering from mood disorders can also feel better with reading habits.

10. Free Source Of Entertainment

We do spend on movies and music for entertainment isn’t it? Then why not simply read books with the same purpose? You would be surprised to know that some of your favorite movies or TV series were made after getting inspiration from some of the greatest novels.

What’s more interesting is that reading books would cost a lot less and keep you entertained for longer. The local library can introduce you to numerous entertaining novels. You can find books on any topic that you find interesting and keep yourself entertained.

If you cannot go to the library or do not have access to any library nearby, you can even scout for them on online sources. Numerous online stores have free e-books to read.

Final Thoughts

Obviously, the benefits you’ll get from reading are more significant than the ten listed.

The importance of reading books cannot be understated.

If you’re struggling to start reading, I do encourage you to stick with it. Find some time to fit reading into your schedule every day. Even if it is only ten minutes before you go to bed, you’ll still see a lot of the gains you’ll get from frequent reading.

From health benefits to getting smarter, there are numerous benefits that regular reading can offer. You can expect to enhance your knowledge about so many things if you just develop this habit of reading books regularly. It might appear boring unless you start, but once it is assured, once you get a grip of reading, you will be thanking yourself for this habit.