7 Life-Changing Benefits of Reading
by Parker · 29 things on Twos
- Improves your ability to focus
- Gadgets are only getting faster and shortening your attention span.
- You need to practice concentrating.
- Reading requires your undivided attention.
- “Reading takes solitude and it takes focus.” - Augusten Burroughs
- Improves your sleep
- If you build the habit of reading before bed, it will signal to your body it is time to sleep.
- Reading helps you de-stress and calm your mind before bed and improves the quality of your sleep.
- "Knowing you have something good to read before bed is among the most pleasurable of sensations." - Vladimir Nabokov
- Improves your knowledge
- Books are filled with fun and interesting facts.
- Reading a variety of topics can make you a wise and knowledgeable person.
- "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss
- Reduces stress
- 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga and humor did.
- “It’s one of the greatest gifts that reading can give a person: easy access to peace inside, even when the world outside is in shambles.” – Jennifer Williamson
- Improves memory
- While reading, you remember characters and the plot.
- Reading even prevents age-related cognitive decline.
- Seniors who read and solve math problems every day maintain and improve their cognitive functioning.
- “A memory is made up of pieces of information taken in and processed by the brain in a way that is unique to each individual.” - David Thomas
- Improves literacy
- Improve your vocabulary, your ability to communicate, and your writing skills.
- “Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn
- Learn empathy
- Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
- Reading builds on empathy by constantly presenting you with thoughts and scenarios outside of your perspective.
- “With every book, you go back to school. You become a student. You become an investigative reporter. You spend a little time learning what it's like to live in someone else's shoes.” – John Irving
- Happy reading