Ever since the invention of the printing press, books have been an essential part of the human experience. But did you know that there are actually very convincing scientific reasons why you should read books?
It turns out that reading offers a number of significant, scientifically-proven benefits – and a majority of the world’s most successful people are avid readers.
With that being said, here’s why you should read books – according to science.
Reading is good for your brain
Just like regular exercise is essential for keeping your body healthy, regular mental exercise is vital for keeping your brain healthy.
While there are several ways to go about keeping your mind active and sharp, reading regularly is one of the most productive and enjoyable ways to exercise your brain. If you would like to keep your mind as strong and healthy as possible, reading is the way to go.
The people who read the most are typically those who want to increase their knowledge and to engage in continuous growth throughout their lives.
Reading introduces you to new ideas and invites you to solve problems
The best books are ones that make you think and introduce you to new ideas. Thankfully, there are plenty of excellent books out there that meet this standard.
Whether you are trying to unravel the mysteries of a suspenseful novel or learning new skills and theories from a non-fiction book, reading has the potential to introduce you to new ideas and sharpen your problem-solving skills. More simply put, reading makes you more intelligent in many ways.
Reading books open so many doors in the mind, and the choices are practically limitless.
Reading improves your conversational skills
You may not realize it, but reading regularly can go a long way toward sharpening your conversational skills. This is especially true if you are reading well-written fiction complete with compelling dialogue.
The best fiction writers know how to craft exciting and engaging dialogue in their work.
Reading a steady supply of such fiction can provide you with the ability to craft compelling and engaging dialogue in your conversations. Reading also improves your vocabulary by exposing you to new verbiage that you can use in conversation.
Reading improves your self-discipline and consistency
Reading indeed takes a certain degree of self-discipline, which is why so many people ignore reading as a hobby despite the many benefits it offers and how enjoyable reading can be once you commit to a good book.
Sitting down and reading a book from start to finish does require some consistency and self-discipline. However, the rewards are always worth it in the end, and the self-discipline that you will develop from reading regularly can certainly be applied to other areas of your life as well.
Reading challenges your imagination
Your imagination is one of the most powerful mental tools that you have built into your brain. Far more than a means of entertainment or fuel for daydreaming, your imagination is a tool that can be put to use in a wide range of areas.
From problem-solving to planning for the future to creating new works of art yourself – and when it comes to honing your imagination, nothing works better than reading. Reading transports your mind to new realms and guides your imagination through the process of constructing those realms in your mind.
It’s an exercise that can undoubtedly challenge and improve your imagination’s strength, and a strong imagination can take you a lot of places in life.
Reading increases your skill in an area of interest
Want to learn how to start woodworking, or how to use social media as a marketing tool, or how to cook delicious meals, or anything in-between?
You don’t need to attend a class to learn such things when there is a wealth of highly informative books available to teach you just about any skill or topic under the sun. Simply put, if you want to learn a new skill in a particular area of interest, there’s no method more accessible than reading.
For just the price of the books you purchase, you can acquire an education on any given topic in the world – and that is a powerful ability to have at your disposal.
Reading inspires you
Sometimes, we all need a little inspiration to move forward with our goals. While inspiration can come from various sources, one of the best places by far to find inspiration is between the covers of a great book.
By exposing you to new ideas, characters, and ways of thinking, reading is a powerful way to get your creative juices flowing and tap into the inspiration you’ve been searching for.
Reading reduces stress
Did you know that numerous studies have shown that reading is an effective way to reduce stress? Reading fiction has been shown to be more effective at reducing stress than sipping tea, taking a walk, or listening to music.
It’s certainly much more effective at reducing stress than everyday activities such as watching television or browsing social media. So if you are looking for a new hobby that will help you unload and unwind, sitting down with a well-written novel is certainly an excellent option to consider.
Reading improves memory
In the same way that reading challenges your imagination, reading challenges your memory as well. Most books take hours to read and often require you to remember details from earlier in the book to make sense for the rest of the book.
In other words, reading forces you to consistently engage and challenge your memory, which can go a long way toward keeping your memory sharp. As we age and our minds begin to decline, memory is often the first ability to go. Adopting a habit of reading regularly, though, has been proven to help keep your memory as strong as possible.
Related: Reading These 9 Books Will Change Your Life
Reading improves focus and concentration
The number one reason that many people struggle with reading is a lack of focus and concentration. It’s easy to zone out in front of a TV and still digest most of what is going on on-screen. Reading a book, however, requires a great deal more concentration.
While this may make long periods of reading a challenge when you start, honing your focus and concentration is never a bad thing. If you can power through and force yourself to focus on the book that you are reading, it will become much easier over time, and your ability to focus and concentrate on other details aside from reading is sure to improve.
Ever read 4 books in a day?
Although reading is one of the most beneficial things that you can do for your mind, most people just can’t find the time in their days.
It can be difficult to read 500 pages a day like Warren Buffet or read 50 books a year like Bill Gates and with our daily routines and demanding day jobs, this may just not be possible.
We are here to bridge the gap!
With the Snapreads app, you get the key insights from the best nonfiction books in minutes, not hours or days. Our experts transform these books into quick, memorable, easy-to-understand insights that you can read on your time or listen on the go.
What Is Snapreads?
With the Snapreads app, you get the key insights from the best nonfiction books in minutes, not hours or days. Our experts transform these books into quick, memorable, easy-to-understand insights you can read when you have the time or listen to them on the go.
