7 Benefits of Reading for a Healthier You

Wondering what some of the benefits of reading are? Here are the top 7 proven benefits reading for pleasure can provide.

When we think about ways to improve our emotional and physical wellbeing, reading doesn’t always make the top of the list, but it should. The benefits of reading extend far beyond acquiring knowledge or providing a well needed escape.

You are going to learn about some of the best reasons to make reading a part of your daily self care routine. We have included a selected list of benefits that address all aspects of your life and encourage you to read for mind, body and spirit wellbeing.

After learning about these scientifically proven benefits of reading, you are sure to read your way to a healthier, happier you.

This post is all about 7 benefits of reading that are sure to make you want to pick up a book today.

BENEFITS OF READING FOR A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER LIFE

1. Improves Brain Function

Scientist have long pointed out that reading stimulates the mind. Besides the fact that it improves concentration, it is also known to improve brain connectivity. As reading keeps the brain active in a way it keeps it young, improves memory and helps prevent age related dementia. Reading is also known to naturally stimulate visualization and imagination.

I remember my grandparents reading well into their 80s and 90s, which I always admired. They read everything from novels to fairy tales, had very different tastes, but they read. I now see that it didn’t matter what they were reading as long as it was something they loved and would keep their minds active and vibrant. Reading opens up your mind to new experiences. It inspires and empowers you, so even if it didn’t have all other incredible benefits, that alone is worth picking up a book.

“Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body.” Joseph Addison

2. Reduces Stress

Activities that fully engage the mind have been proven to reduce stress. A University of Sussex study found that reading for as little as six minutes a day, can slow down heart rate, relief muscle tension and reduce stress. The cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis, who conducted the study, found that reading can reduce stress by 68%, which more than other commonly known relaxing activities like taking a walk or listening to music.

Between the pages of a book, one can also find that whatever we are going through that is stressing us out is something others go through as well. Books have a way of giving us courage when we need it most. In some of my most stressful days turning to books like “Too Blessed To Be Stressed” or “Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do” was a sure way to help me put things into perspective.

It doesn’t have to be a certain book genre either. Since he was about 6 years old, my younger son, for example, has always picked up a cookbook to read when stressed or upset. Reading of how to prepare tasty treats makes him take his mind of whatever is bothering him and within a few minutes he is back to his happy self talking excitedly about the menu of the week. Cook books of all things. Hardly anyone would prescribe reading recipes for stress relief, but it is what he knows works for him. The idea is to find what brings you joy.

“It really doesn’t matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination.” – Dr. David Lewis

3. Improves Sleep Quality

It’s no accident that bedtime stories are so popular with parents and children alike. Anyone, who has tried to put a child to bed without a story time knows how long it takes to get them down. Reading is relaxing. It helps us unwind and drift off for some well needed Zzzzs. Sadly as we grow up our priorities change, we get overwhelmed with chores and work, so we don’t always make time for our own story time.

Reading helps fight insomnia and since it reduces stress, it is sure to help you sleep better. Good quality sleep is vital to your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, but it’s often overlooked and under estimated. Finding a book you love and spending a few minutes reading before bed, can help you get a better quality sleep even if you, like most of us, are on a tight schedule and have just a few hours to rest.

“What better occupation, really, than to spend the evening at the fireside with a book, with the wind beating on the windows and the lamp burning bright.” – Gustave Flaubert

4. Improves Overall Wellness

We go through many lengths to loose weight or get fit. Joining a gym, taking up running or dieting are some of the first ways we turn to when we need to reach our fitness goals. Picking up a book is not usually on top of the list of advices when it comes to weight loss, but I will say it. If you are on a mission to get fit or loose those stubborn few extra pounds, consider taking up reading as part of your daily routine.

Stress and sleep deprivation are proven to contribute to weight gain and reading is proven to help with both. That alone would be enough to include it on your wellness checklist, but reading has another surprising benefit. During my own painful journey to weight loss, I discovered that I snack A LOT less when I read, in stead of binge watch. A book occupies your mind and usually your hands, so you are a lot less inclined to run to the kitchen for chips or cookies than when you are watching TV.

Books are also very helpful when you need information on diets, nutrition, wellness protocols and healthy lifestyle. The more you know about your body the better you can care for it. So give it a try. What do you have to loose, except maybe a pound or two.

“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” – Maya Angelou

5. Increases Intelligence

Reading helps with vocabulary building, concentration, critical thinking and reading comprehension. It also improves memory and general knowledge. Studies also show that reading fiction for pleasure is a social experience thus increasing both fluid and emotional intelligence. While fluid intelligence refers to the ability to reason and problem solve, crystalized intelligence is knowledge acquired over time through experience and education. Naturally reading improves and enriches crystalized intelligence as well.

We often use our crystalized, fluid and emotional intelligence in a combination with each other. Many studies in recent years have found that reading affects intellectual development even in very young children. Reading a combination of different types of books helps increase our overall intelligence and build on it as we grow and mature. This in turn makes us better equipped to deal with life’s unexpected challenges.

“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.” – Socrates

6. Reduces Anxiety and Depression

According to science the brain responds to reading in a similar way as it does to meditation. It brings the same health benefits of deep relaxation and inner calm. Reading can uplift, inspire and motivate you. It helps you build your self esteem, discover your purpose and make you a stronger, more confident you. As you dive into the lives of the characters we read about it makes us more empathetic and compassionate. Curling up in bed with a nice cup of tea helps you relax and take your mind off of every day problems even for a few minutes or hours.

Having dealt with anxiety and depression myself, I know first hand that it leaves one feeling empty, hopeless and alone, unable to put feelings into words and not seeing a way into the future. Reading about someone who has gone through some of the things you may be going through helps us see that there is always a way even if we are not quite able to see it through the fog that occupies our minds just yet.

Empower, uplift and inspire books can and most surely do. They can inspire interests we never knew we had. They make us laugh and cry, with both being great outlets of the emotions suffocating us. So pick up a book, make friends with the character, let them tell you their stories and give you strength. Maybe even show the way out of the dark vortex you find yourself in.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. – Charles W. Eliot

7. Improves Focus and Concentration

Reading is arguably one of the best ways to increase focus and concentration. It also improves our attention span and brain connectivity. With the increase in popularity of social media apps our attention span and concentration have been steadily declining. In fact, a study shows that attention span has gone down to mere 8 seconds. Reading requires us to focus on one thing at a time and with practice it helps us increase out attention span.

Why do better focus and concentration matter? They are are important for our overall well being, stress levels, and sleep quality. Reading regularly can help maintain focus for longer periods of time. The ability to concentrate on one thing at a time is essential for success by boosting our productivity. Focused attention enables faster comprehension and improves the memory. Naturally it also helps us not get overwhelmed, as we are able to efficiently and effectively redirect our brains from all the distractions, thus addressing what matters most.

“Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” – E.B. White

This post is all about 7 proven benefits of reading that are sure to improve your quality of life.

Reading has more benefits than I can count or include in this post, so it is always a time well spent. What if you don’t like reading you might ask. There is no such thing. You just need to find the right books. Think of your interests, hobbies, passions and start with literature on those topics. Self help and self improvement books are always a self bet too, as are novels on topics you love.