Five Benefits of Reading Books

Once you read the title of this article, I assume you rolled your eyes and said something like,” Oh great, another article that’s forcing me to pick up a book. I read my notes! That has to count for something.” 

As much as I am tempted to give you the “this is why you should read and eat your vegetables lecture.”  That’s not the purpose of this article. We are here to explore all the benefits of books. 

Rafinki has compiled five benefits of reading books and they are as follows: 

• Free Entertainment- 

Books are their own worlds, opening a book always feels like I have been sucked into another world. Stephen King got it right when he said, “ Books are uniquely portable magic.” reading can be one of the most engaging forms of entertainment in the country. No on the planet! Have you read a book that was so good you couldn’t put it down? Have you ever been so invested in a story that you kept reading even when you were hungry or needed to use the washroom? To experience this feeling all you have to do is find the right book for you.

• Vocabulary Expansion and Better Writing Skills.

Other than highlighting a million and one of the most beautiful lines you have ever heard. Reading helps to widen your vocabulary and improves your writing skills, for instance instead of writing, I am sad, you could write  I am frustrated and if you want to get a bit creative, you could write my heart is heavy.  Even though all these words describe sadness, each needs a different solution.

Reading also helps strengthen our brains and assists with our ability to comprehend information as a result making us better communicators. You know what I am sayin? 

• Increased Knowledge

Whether you read newspapers, magazines, cookbooks, blogs or even weather reports, you are absorbing information. We never know when it will be useful but having all this information might come in handy one day.

• Stress reduction

In 2009, a study carried out by the University of Sussex found that there was a 68% reduction in stress levels by reading. Cool, right? A great book will take you to places your stress levels can’t. We have a lot on our minds every single day and often get overwhelmed with daily tasks or reach a point of complete burnout. Reading can be a great (and cheap) solution to relieving stress. So the next time you feel stressed, grab a book and get lost in the storyline and allow your mind to relax.

• Sparks Imagination and Creativity

When you think of imagination, what comes to mind? For some people it’s art or children. It could be drawings or music. When we read a book, especially a book of fiction, we end up picturing and clearly seeing all the characters and this stimulates our brains . Being immersed in a new world, with unique characters and places can spark our imagination and grow our creativity. This might in turn nurture our brains to develop ideas, possibilities, and understanding and be more open to hearing the opinions of others.

 

So  What are you reading currently?