4 Key Benefits of Reading More
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, ‘Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world’. Indeed, he was himself an avid reader, famous for bringing books along on his campaigns. His travelling library included everything from geography books to well-known French dramas and religious texts.
Napoleon associated reading with success. This is still something we see today, with many billionaires attributing their own accomplishments to wide and voracious reading habits. But how true is this? What does reading actually do for us? And how can it benefit our general health and wellbeing? In what follows, we will delve into four key health benefits associated with reading.
1. Reading Improves Brain Health
At the most basic but fundamental level, reading has been proved to boost our cognitive abilities and improve focus and concentration. Research on MRI brain scans during reading sessions has yielded interesting results. For a start, when reading, the left temporal cortex is activated as it deals with language reception – deciphering letters, processing syntax, and making sense of the words.
Various other connections within the brain are enhanced as well. These connections promote the process of neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons), which keeps the brain young and healthy. But the good news doesn’t stop there. Reading also activates the somatosensory cortex, which is responsible for sensory motor activity and responds to physical sensations, such as movement and pain. This means that when you’re reading about a character running through the woods, crying over a breakup, or singing along to music, various parts of your brain associated with these activities and emotions will become activated. So, when you’ve got your head in a good book, you’re not simply visualising what is happening on an abstract level – your brain is actively trying to replicate the experience for you.
At a more general level, reading can help you expand your vocabulary and general knowledge, exposing you to new words and ideas that you might never have encountered had you not picked up that particular book. You’d be surprised how this can benefit your everyday life, whether it’s by improving your conversational skills, taking your writing to the next level, or making it easier for you to communicate – both in-person and online/via the written word.
2. Reading Enhances Empathy
Reading doesn’t just make you academically smarter; it also improves your emotional intelligence and ability to empathise with others.
Research has shown that reading fiction that explores the inner feelings of characters and how they confront different situations teaches the reader to become more empathetic and more adept at discerning and dealing with emotional encounters in everyday life. Even reading horror stories or post-apocalyptic novels can help develop your level of empathy! This is because when reading, your brain tends to focus on the silver linings of a story, including how characters overcome situations, instead of dwelling on the gloomy subtext.
Becoming more empathetic can help you to become a more well-rounded person when it comes to interacting in social situations, but it also has other positive benefits. Reading about other people’s lives, for example, can improve your perspective on your own life and allow you to deal with problems more effectively, both at work and at home.
3. Reading Relieves Stress
If you’ve ever picked up a book to help you wind down after a busy workday, then you’ll know the power of reading as a stress management tool!
Unfortunately, we now know that around 60% of human illnesses are brought on or worsened by stress – so anything we can do to reduce our stress levels is of the utmost importance. How does reading help? It immerses you in another world, altering your state of mind, and even helping to relieve tension in your body. Studies have shown that even just 30 minutes of reading can help lower blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of panic.
4. Reading Could Improve Your Overall Health
One of the most important pillars of health and wellbeing is sleep!
How does this link to reading? Reading before going to bed has been shown to improve your overall quality of sleep, leaving you feeling better rested and healthier and happier as a result. It’s a much better alternative to watching TV or scrolling through social media on your phone, as the blue light and real-world worries these activities expose us to can leave us feeling wired and wide awake when we should be starting to feel sleepy before bed.
Not only this but incorporating reading into your daily routine could also help sharpen your cognitive skills, delaying the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Furthermore, it’s also been shown that people with learning disabilities can receive enormous health and wellbeing benefits from reading – it stimulates the brain and rewires it in a way that improves their ability to absorb and store information.
How Can I Read More Often?
Reading requires active engagement and concentration, which is why if you aren’t in the habit of reading you’ll need patience and perseverance to turn it into a habit.
However, there are so many ways in which you can make reading more appealing. Choose books on topics that interest you, look up lists of ‘top books to read’ for inspiration, browse through bestseller lists, join a library, or visit your local bookshop and ask for a recommendation! The digital world has also, of course, opened up even more ways to engage in reading. You might invest in a Kindle to make it easier to read on the go, keep up to date with blogs you’re interested in, take out a magazine subscription, read the news every morning, or search for interesting articles online. It doesn’t have to be books – you’ll benefit from reading anything you’re interested in.
Try to always have reading material available so that whenever you have a spare moment, you can use this productively to read rather than wasting time on your phone or getting bored. You could also set yourself reading challenges, making these realistic and achievable, yet still with a hint of a challenge to push yourself out of your routine and comfort zone. Aim to read for at least 20 minutes a day, set your goal at two books a month, or dip your toe into genres you hadn’t considered exploring before. A great way to commit reading more is by joining or setting up a book club. Why not gather some like-minded colleagues or friends outside of work and start regular meet-ups to discuss what you’re reading?
The key to reading more is simple: make it fun, engaging, and enjoyable – you choose what you read and when!
How To Start Your Work Book Club
Starting a book club at work can be a fantastic way to improve workplace experiences and form meaningful social connections with your colleagues. Chatting over a book you enjoyed (or didn’t!) will help you make friendships and experience better workplace wellbeing. Here are some top tips to keep in mind when launching this initiative:
1. Get support: Involve your leadership, management, or HR by explaining your plans and the benefits to your colleagues. Having organisational support will provide additional backing to the initiative!
2. Make it optional: Avoid pressuring anyone to join. Reading loses its appeal when it becomes mandatory. Instead, send out email invitations or create a social media group to gauge interest. Chat about it with those around you and see if they’d be up for it.
3. Choose appropriate book genres: Select genres that will appeal to a wide range of people. This ensures inclusivity and keeps everyone engaged.
4. Make it easy to participate: Opt for books with digital versions for those who can’t access physical copies or need a more accessible version. Mix in-person meet-ups with video calls if company policy allows, accommodating different preferences and schedules.
5. Include everyone: Hold it at your workplace, a nearby cafe, or rotate hosting responsibilities for meet-ups and involve all members in selecting books and planning discussions. Ensuring everyone has a voice creates a more inclusive and enjoyable experience.
6. Make your book choices inclusive: Choose books that are written by a wide range of authors of different cultures, races, sexualities, genders, and backgrounds! Make sure you platform and explore a wide range of different perspectives and experiences.
Reading is a habit worth nurturing. Once you start prioritising it, you’ll likely to find it extremely enriching and beneficial to both your personal and professional life.
In Summary
Reading is a fundamental skill that plays a crucial role in personal development, education, and social integration. It expands our horizons, fosters empathy, and enhances critical thinking. It can also be a great tool for reducing stress and relaxation.
