How often do you read? And not just from your Facebook feed or Twitter timeline, but a real book. I’m here to show those who don’t read why they should and those who do read why they should keep it up. I’ll also give you 3 secrets on how to read more at the end, so stick around. Sit down, relax, and enjoy the benefits of reading.
The benefits
Here I’ll be looking over three of the many, many benefits of reading. (Check out this page for more)
1. Reading helps improve intelligence
“If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
According to a study done by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and King’s College London, reading may help increase intelligence. The study took 1,890 identical twins and tested them on reading and intelligence.
Stuart J. Ritchie, who led the study, concluded that, “Early remediation of reading problems might aid not only in the growth of literacy, but also more general cognitive abilities that are of critical importance.”
2. Reading helps you destress
“There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.” ~Gilbert K. Chesterton
Need help relaxing after a tough day on the job? Look no further than the novel on your nightstand. According to the University of Sussex, just six minutes of reading can reduce your stress levels by 68%.
Reading does this by helping the reader get away from daily life and into their own fictional world. Away from a world with jobs, politics, and all that other stressful stuff.
Cognitive Neuropsychologist Dr. Lewis states, “It really doesn’t matter what book you read . . . you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination.”
3. Reading improves sleep quality
“I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books.” ~Jorge Luis Borges
Reading every night before bed helps your mind unwind and begin to prepare for sleep. The Mayo Clinic and the Sleep Foundation report that adding reading into your nighttime schedule can help you sleep better.
Reading before bed will not only help you get to sleep sooner, but will also increase your sleep quality. What’s not to like about that?
How to find time to read
Finding time in one’s day to read is not always easy, it requires a small amount of time and effort to be set aside. Here are three tips on how to read more.
1. Set a number of pages to read every day
“Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.” ~Unknown
Simply put: you don’t need to try and read a book a day. Just set a moderate amount of pages you think you can read once a day. Then find a time to read them, maybe in the morning before you start your day or in the evening before bed.
This writer set his number to 20 pages and so far he’s kept this habit for 10 weeks and read 7 books and is 100 pages into his eighth. He’s on track for 36 books this year.
2. Find an author, or genre, you really like
“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Finding an author you love to read helps you want to read and when you want to read, you will! I, for example, love to read books by Michael Crichton and when I sit down with one of his books, there’s no telling when I’ll stop reading it.
There’s no point in trying to read books you don’t like or find interesting. If you don’t like a book just put it down and find a better one. Don’t let one bad book ruin it for you.
3. Put away your electronics!
“A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.” ~Neil Gaiman
In today’s world, focusing in on a book can be hard, especially if your phone is buzzing every couple of seconds. The easiest way to rid yourself of this problem? Turn your phone on do not disturb and leave it across the room, out of reach and sight. Then dive into your book!
Hope you enjoyed this article, be sure to check back soon for something new ;). Check out this awesome article I found on how to read a book a week here.
About Luke Scorziell
Mr. Scorziell created The Edge of Ideas when he was 15 years old. After a few years of blogging he found a passion for podcasting and now regularly has guests on his show, Bills with Luke Scorziell. Find out more about Luke and his unique journey. Feel free to send Luke a message below.
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great job, Luke!