Ten Benefits of Reading

How do you read a book? Do you like paperbacks, Kindle, iPad, or audiobooks?

Do you know the top ten benefits of reading?

1. Gain valuable knowledge. The most obvious benefit of reading is learning. You can learn literally anything from books. Roald Dahl said, “If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books.”
2. Exercise your brain. The 17^th century English writer Joseph Addison wrote, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Research has confirmed that reading stimulates a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain.
3. Improve your focus. Reading helps you practice concentrating on just one thing at a time.
4. Improve your memory. When you read, you consume an enormous amount of information on the subject you are reading about. All of this new information creates new memories. In turn, every new memory creates synapses or strengthens old ones.
5. Enjoy entertainment. Books provide some of the most engaging entertainment on the planet. Stephen King said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
6. Improve your ability to empathize. Empathy can reduce stress, improve our relationships, and inform our moral compasses. A study found that when we read stories that explore characters’ inner lives and emotions, our ability to understand others’ feelings and views improve.
7. Improve your communication skills. Reading can increase your vocabulary. It helps improve our communication skills by increasing our ability to empathize and understand others.
8. Reduce stress. Research as proven that just 30 minutes of reading can lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress.
9. Improve your mental health. The act of using books as therapy is called “bibliotherapy.” If you are struggling in your life, take the time to read a book and help ease your symptoms.
10. Live longer. A twelve-year study on health and retirement found that those who read books survived around two years longer than those who didn’t read. Additionally, those who read for at least thirty minutes a day were 23% more likely to outlive those who didn’t read.

Nancy Roe
Award-Winning Author
NancyRoeAuthor.com