Why Reading Books Is Important; Delight Your Day By Reading a book.
Scroll down to quickly get to the benefits of reading and answers to why reading books is important. You’ll find that reading will make you happier by reducing stress, among other great benefits. I’ll also give you a couple of superb book recommendations and more sources for finding good book recommendations.
Reading Is A Delight For Me
I like reading How-To’s, about home decor, books on parenting or anything that gives solutions to my real-life subjects. If I can find the time I try to squeeze it in. Making a trip to the local library is fun but troublesome! Last week I walked away with an arm full of thick, heavy books (none of them novels) for which I knew I had no time. This week I made a shorter trip and only went home with one. But it was a doozy.
This time it was a novel. Actually it was a two-in-one book so really I took home two novels. I love to read but I generally stay away from reading novels because I can’t put them down. I lose sleep, nothing gets done, and even after finishing the book it takes me a while to immerse myself back into reality. Yep, all of that happened over the past week.
But it was enjoyable! It was a Delight! And in all honesty, one day it boosted the time I spent with my husband and another day I was amazed at how calmly I reacted to my children. These are part of the answers to why reading books is important
Those two trips to the library were uncommon for me. Like I said, I generally stay away from novels and the other books are easier to dabble in but It’s still hard to find the time. Unless you count the blog posts I read online here and there and then I guess that counts as actively reading.
Read Anything; Read Often
My dad once said, “You should always be reading a book!” I believe he is a wise man and I’ve heard that sentiment echoing in my head often. True to his advice, my parents are always reading something. My Dad realizes why reading books is important and has made it a strength in his life.
If you don’t read often, or at all, pick up a short novel that can engage you today. Do it. Magazines and short stories (like Reader’s Digest full of anecdotes) qualify. Good, quality blog articles probably count too so … I guess if you are reading this it counts. Congratulations for reading today! Haha, but I think there is something to be said about reading books.
So, here we go …
The Benefits Of Reading And Why Reading Books Is Important
Why Reading Books Is Important For Mental Stimulation
Can anyone dispute that reading stimulates your brain? And your brain needs it. Whether you read fiction or non-fiction- or just a lengthy article on any subject from your favorite magazine, you exercise your brain! It requires focus and concentration and effectually boosts those skills in yourself.
Reading engages your brain at a higher level than listening to an audio book or watching a movie.
It also increases your memory function. Studies have further shown how reading keeps you mentally healthy later into your life. A study of nearly 300 participants who died at an average age of 89 discovered that those that were engaging in mental activities such as reading experienced slower memory decline than those patients that did not read. It can also slow the progress- or possibly prevent- Alzheimer’s and Dementia (according to this study)
Knowledge, Not Just From Nonfiction
Obviously if you read up on subjects and instructionals you will increase your knowledge. But reading other books such as novels can increase your knowledge as well. It increases your vocabulary. It broadens your horizons on opinions, increases your ability to sympathize and empathize with others, and strengthens your conversational skills. This can even help you in your career and relationships.
Sue Wilkinson, Chief Executive of The Reading Agency said, It’s proven that reading for pleasure is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background; that it can result in higher levels of self-esteem and improve social interaction.” I overhead one reader comment that, “people that read tend to be my better friends. They are intriguing, educated, skeptical, and focused.” I feel like half of what I say in good conversations is from something I read or the opinion and conviction something I read gave me.
Even when you don’t feel like you remember half of what you’ve read, you remember more than you realize and your brain builds on that. Especially if you read often.
These are a few reasons why reading books is important but there’s more. How can reading delight your day and boost your mood?
Reading Relaxes & Reduces Stress
Research conducted by University of Sussex showed that reading can reduce stress levels by 68%. Reading works to reduce stress better and faster than most other methods such as walking or listening to music. Can you believe that!?! The power of concentrating on something that can transport you into a literary world eases the tensions in your heart and muscles. Even 6 minutes can be enough to reduce your stress levels by more than two thirds. You might want to re-prioritize your methods of reducing stress.
Reading before bed has also shown to signify to your body a bedtime routine and helps prepare you for sleeping.
Easy Ways To Squeeze Reading Into Your Schedule
Great, it’s easy to see why reading books is important. But it isn’t always easy when our lives are so demanding. Consider these helpful tips to squeeze more reading into your busy schedule.
- Consider an Audiobook that you can listen to while performing other mundane tasks such as cleaning. Although listening to an audio book won’t give you all the benefits of reading a physical manuscript, it’s better than not engaging in any book. It may also help you get into reading.
- E-books allow more convenience and ease of taking it with you wherever you go. You may be more likely to read on the fly. They are also a bit cheaper than purchasing a paper book.
- Even if you don’t have long stretches of time to read, still squeeze in a few minutes here and there. Mark your stopping point well with highlighter or pencil that you can erase. A few minutes here and there add up and you’ll be amazed.
- Set aside time in your evening or bedtime routine to add in reading from a book
- Join a book club and/ or find an online group that can help suggests great reads. Social interaction is great encouragement and finding tried and true books will entice and engage you better than selecting something to read by random.
Finding Good Recommendations For Reading Books
Many people agree that they would read more if they were given recommendations from friends and family. There’s nothing worse than devoting precious time to reading an inferior book.
So here are my suggestions on two great (not just good) novels that I’ve read recently and would read again.
The Boys In The Boat – It tells the story of these boys on a rowing team that rise from the great depression and beat the odds to make an Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany. I was surprised at how riveted I was from chapter to chapter even when I knew the outcomes of the races described. It’s inspirational and opened my eyes to a part of history. Great read!
Three Times Lucky – This book is hilarious and witty.
But the thing is, we all have different tastes and interests. While I highly recommend those two books to anybody, here is a webpage that gives 15 book recommendation sites – to help guide you in finding something along your interests. Everybody needs recommendations! And GoodReads is an excellent site as well.
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