By admin Like many compulsive readers (maybe you?), I have always devoured my books very quickly as soon as I immerse myself in them. There is this mixture of impatience to quickly know the ending and the evolution of the characters to whom I am attached, and a great passion for reading, the words and the writing style of the author. Whether you are like me, reading in large quantities, or on the contrary, an occasional reader, there are great benefits to reading that go far beyond the words printed on a page. Why is it interesting to read books ? Why do books have such a powerful impact on our brain, our creativity, our health?
1. Books to work on your imagination
Reading, regardless of the genre of the book, allows you to work your imagination and therefore stimulate your creativity. By immersing yourself in a story, the reader is transported to another world that can be realistic or imaginary. This allows you to escape from your daily life and explore new perspectives in stories that can be captivating and immersive. Reading allows you to visualize places, characters, situations and develop emotions based on the imagination. I find it so great and crazy. How many times have I laughed, cried or even been angry just by reading a story in which I immersed myself and got involved. All genres of books allow you to develop your creative thinking and I find that this is the number 1 advantage of reading .
2. Reading promotes word learning and vocabulary enrichment
By reading books, we are exposed to a wide variety of words, sentences, expressions and styles. This allows us to expand our knowledge, learn new things, develop our vocabulary and improve our deep understanding of the language and its subtleties. This active reading helps us to memorize words and integrate them into our own vocabulary. These new learnings can also be used to improve our written and oral expression.
By reading different genres of literature, we are exposed to a wide range of writing styles, which allows us to appreciate and learn new ways of expressing our ideas. This is how we appreciate one writer a little more than another: by their writing style and the way they bring things to the table.
3. Read to develop your general knowledge and increase your knowledge
No matter what kind of books you read, you will inevitably learn things: novel, biography, science fiction, fantasy, true crime, tale, essay, detective, thriller, new romance, etc. Through the characters and their stories, it is easy to be immersed and learn things from areas you do not know. For example, you can learn more about music by following the adventures of a singer character, discover and visit a city through the journey of a character, explore the world of figure skating, develop a passion for flowers, deepen your knowledge of different diseases, learn more about history, explore different cultures, become passionate about psychology, etc. Books can also teach you life lessons, moral and ethical values, and help you develop your empathy by putting yourself in the characters’ shoes and living their experiences. Reading is an open door to unlimited learning !
4. Increase your concentration through reading
When we read, we have to focus on the content of the text, which helps train our mind to stay focused on a single task. Because rereading a passage several times because we are not 100% focused, we all know it. And by reading regularly, it is easier to concentrate quickly. Even when I am hyperactive, it is something that I can do because I have worked on it a lot. Sometimes I lose focus, but when I am passionate about the book, it is easy to concentrate.
Reading improves your ability to absorb and process information, which can improve your concentration in the long run. My best tip for further increasing your concentration through reading is to choose books that pique your interest, as this makes it easier to immerse yourself, concentrate, and focus your attention.
5. Work on your memory by reading
Reading is an activity that stimulates the brain by continually providing it with new information to absorb, process, understand and retain. When you read a book, your brain is called upon to memorize what happened, follow the evolution of the characters and their situation. This is when your memory comes into play and is put to the test to retain the smallest details of the story. Reading thus offers a complete mental exercise, allowing your brain to stay active and develop its memorization skills. I find it important to read books for memory.
6. Read to reduce stress and anxiety
Diving into a book means putting yourself in your own bubble, away from many things: your stress, current events that can be anxiety-provoking, your anxieties, etc. Reading has helped me a lot during times of anxiety: I have immersed myself in stories, I have experienced soothing things through people that have taken me out of my daily life and moments of anxiety and stress. Diving into a book allows you to escape from everyday life and focus on a story that is different from your own. It can help to put aside the worries and concerns of everyday life, by offering yourself a moment of relaxation and calm. Taking the time to read a book can be a real escape to relieve stress and soothe anxieties, in any case, it was for me. A real therapy for anxiety!
7. Soothe yourself before bed with books
Diving into a good book can be a great way to soothe yourself before bed. Reading helps you relax, escape, and disconnect from everyday stress. Reading before going to sleep allows you to take some quiet time, get away from the daily grind, and disconnect. Including reading in your bedtime routine is a great idea, allowing your body and mind to rest.
It also seems that taking the time to read before going to sleep promotes better quality sleep and allows us to fall asleep more easily. So why deprive ourselves of reading books?
By immersing ourselves in books, we broaden our horizons, develop our vocabulary, improve our concentration, reduce our stress and stimulate our creativity. Reading is an inexhaustible source of knowledge , entertainment and personal development. So, let’s cultivate this beautiful habit and let books bring us all they have to offer.