The Benefits of Reading

The+Benefits+of+Reading

Reading can sometimes seem like a chore. Reading, when compared to other things like hanging out with friends and going out, can seem boring. While this may seem true, reading is actually very beneficial for us. 

There are various reasons as to why reading is helpful and hopefully learning these reasons will convince you to start reading daily. 

One positive benefit of reading would be that it helps keep your brain active. The more you read the more activity your brain gets. When you age, you start to lose more memory and brain function, but if you read daily it can help slow down the process of getting alzheimer’s or dementia.

Another reason is that reading can help improve your memory. When reading you have to remember a lot of details in the book, and when you do you are using your muscle memory, which is helping the muscle long term. When you exercise your muscle memory it is helping you have a slower rate of memory loss. 

Reading can also be a stress relief. When reading you allow yourself to be distracted and sucked into the plot. Doing this can help your mind and body relax as you slowly start to forget what you were stressed about. It can also be a source of entertainment. What reading does is tell a story that captures your attention. The stories can be funny, sad, suspenseful, and so much more! 

It also helps with people’s education. For people who can’t afford an education or who can’t continue for certain reasons reading books are extremely helpful.  The library offers multiple books on all types of topics for free and there’s no expiration date on going. Reading can also improve your vocabulary. The more you read, the more words you are exposed to. Being well-spoken and articulate can help increase your job performance and self-esteem. Being exposed to well written work can also have a huge impact on your writing skills as well. 

Another benefit is it can increase empathy. When reading you connect to the characters and start to feel for them like you would for a friend. When the characters start to feel or act a certain way, readers tend to feel the same either because they have gone through the same thing or they can sympathize with what the characters are going through.  Studies have also shown that reading fiction can help readers understand what others are thinking by reading people’s emotions. 

Reading is also helpful for when you can’t sleep. Whenever your brain is incapable of shutting off, reading can help calm down your mind and keep whatever you are thinking away. The best is to read under a dim lighting because reading from a bright light or a phone with the brightness sends signals to your brain that’s telling you it’s time to wake up. 

Reading is also very contagious

As a fellow reader myself, I decided to interview Senior Michelle Orozco and ask her a couple of questions. When I asked what her favorite genre is she said, “My favorite genre is mystery and suspense. I easily get into those stories and I love being on the edge of my seat.“ I also asked how she got into reading and she explained to me that,  “I got more into reading once my sister showed me a book I actually liked. So I got into it and it proved to me that anyone can get into reading if they find the right book.”   

Despite what others may think, reading is a very beneficial tool to have. It gives us many positive benefits and maybe giving reading a chance may change you for the better. If you haven’t got into reading, I hope you will try to find a book you will like.