Not a Bookworm? You Should Be
Whether you're thinking about getting back into reading or starting the habit now, here's the answer: you should. Beyond just expanding your knowledge, there are countless benefits to picking up a book regularly. Still unsure? Let us convince you. Here are 20 reasons you should run to your nearest library and become a bookworm.
1. Enhances Vocabulary
The younger you begin reading, the higher the chance that you'll be regularly exposed to new words. But it's not just kids who benefit—adults do, too. Plus, not only will you learn new vocabulary every time you pick up a book, but you'll also discover new phrases, expressions, and language patterns.
2. Reduces Stress
Reading transports you to different worlds, and it's that immersive experience that allows us to drop our current worries and focus on the next scene, the next chapter. Research has repeatedly shown that the more we consume books, the calmer and happier we are.
3. Increases Empathy
Reading teaches us empathy. Why? Because we're seeing the world from someone else's perspective, be it fictional or non-fictional. We get to see the choices they make, the people they meet, the outcomes of their decisions. It even makes us mourn characters who don't actually exist.
4. Prevents Cognitive Decline
If you don't fancy solving Sudoku or crossword puzzles, just pick up a book. Studies have shown that reading can delay and prevent the development of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's, simply because our minds are challenged whenever we process and analyze long texts.
5. Promotes Better Sleep
Ever heard of how reading helps you fall asleep? Just like how physical exercise tires out our bodies, books can also naturally relax the mind. Plus, it promotes better habits by encouraging us to step away from digital screens and instead pick up a novel.
6. Teaches Social Skills
Whether you're seeking advice from a non-fiction book or analyzing dialogue in fictional ones, reading teaches social and communication skills. We can see firsthand how characters interact with each other, what conflicts they have, what conversations lead to those issues, and how to respond. While we can't always apply these situations to real life, they can still help us make better sense of the people and world around us.
7. Encourages Imagination
Fantasy novels, for one, require us to suspend disbelief so that we can fully immerse ourselves in fictional worlds where wizards and spells and magic exist. But you don't need to pick up a book with ample worldbuilding to boost your imagination; every time you're presented with a descriptive scene or dialogue between characters, your brain automatically visualizes what it's given.
8. Boosts Creativity & Exploration
Reading also boosts creativity and challenges you to either continue exploring within the subject or to come up with your own ideas. You might even be motivated and inspired enough to write out new tales, or paint scenes from your imagination.
9. Strengthens Writing Skills
Along with expanding your vocabulary, reading helps strengthen writing skills. The more books you consume, the more you're exposed to different ways of crafting sentences, building tension, and creating exposition that makes readers want to turn the page.
10. Expands Cultural Awareness
Reading expands your worldview. Not only are you able to consume books written by authors from different cultures and backgrounds, you'll also get to thumb through stories that touch on their histories, traditions, and customs, allowing you to better understand those outside of your own roots.
11. Provides Inspiration
When we read a good book, we're often inspired right after. Maybe it's a gripping plot, realistic characters, or vivid writing that gives us a spark, or maybe it's a message or lesson that particularly resonates with us. Whatever it is, stories that teach us how to overcome challenges or view the world differently may, in turn, encourage us to pursue our dreams.
12. Builds Problem-Solving Abilities
We've probably all completed book reports before, where after reading certain chapters and sections, we're asked about why the story unfolded this way or what a certain character's motive was. Analyzing and understanding text is how we build problem-solving skills. Plus, books expose us to different perspectives, which further challenges us to think outside the box.
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13. Teaches Lifelong Lessons
Whether fiction or non-fiction, books are rife with lessons that allow us to view the world in new, inspiring ways—after all, that's why people seek solace in self-help texts or genres that challenge the mind to think differently. It's these lessons that stay with us and motivate us to reach our goals.
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14. Fosters a Sense of Community & Belonging
Reading allows us to share our thoughts with the rest of the reading community, and may encourage us to join book clubs to talk through our opinions and reviews in real time. This fosters a sense of belonging, as we can connect with other like-minded people and bookworms.
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15. Acts as an Escape
As mentioned, books are immersive and it's perhaps that quality that makes books feel like an escape. Every time we pick up a novel, we're transported to the world the author has created for us, which introduces us to different characters, settings, and motives.
16. Strengthens General Knowledge
Books teach us what we might not learn anywhere else. Whether it's complex real-world topics or social subjects that encourage discussion, reading expands our general knowledge and makes us smarter. And the facts don't lie: more parts of your brain are activated when you read, with long-lasting effects.
17. Improves Memory
It might sound odd that reading would improve memory, but every time you're given facts about characters or details that move a story along, those are kept fresh in your brain so you understand what's happening within the novel's timeline. And since you're often encouraged to make connections before you've even reached the end of the book, this leads to better memory retention over time.
18. Shares Different Perspectives
As mentioned, books offer different perspectives, not only from the authors who tell the story but the characters they write as well. And reading these different views allows you to see the world in more ways than one, enriching our knowledge and how we perceive our surroundings.
19. A Coping Mechanism for Grief & Tragedy
Not only do books provide an escape from real life, they also cover things that resonate deeper—things you might not be comfortable enough to talk to anyone about yet. If you're going through a rough time in your life, reading about similar experiences (or something else entirely) may help.
20. It's Fun!
Why read? Because it's fun! Other than consuming movies or TV shows, reading also allows your imagination to run wild and to connect deeper with others. The more you read, the more you'll understand just how beneficial it is.
KEEP ON READING
