Why you should read

Cambridge defines reading as ‘the skill or activity of getting information from books’. A very long time ago, books were meant to be read out to people. It was only later on that people started reading for themselves. Now that we have the opportunity to access different types of books from all over the world we must make use of it.

By simply reading, readers improve several aspects of their personality and lifestyle. It improves concentration, while simultaneously serving as a good distraction. It makes readers feel a sense of belonging and reduces negativity. It helps us become more open-minded by introducing us to different cultures and societies.

These are some of the reasons why you should start reading TODAY!

GOOD DISTRACTION

Reading distracts us from overwhelming thoughts and puts a stop to overthinking. It engages our thoughts elsewhere. We start to pay less attention to anxiety and other problems. Instead, we pay more attention to the stories. Our mind is engaged in the task of imagining the different characters, worlds, situations and facial expressions.

OPEN-MINDEDNESS

Through books, we’re exposed to a world of different people, places and cultures. We’re introduced to many different perspectives. We start to look at problems differently when we start considering contrasting views. This helps us to understand and respect cultures and traditions different to ours. The development of empathy starts here. In becoming open-minded citizens, we would be helping to solve atleast half of the world’s problems.

POSITIVE THINKING

There can be comfort in the thought that several people around the world love the same books as you do. Reading decreases feelings of loneliness, and also decreases depression due to this loneliness. It allows us to understand the struggles many have faced, and it teaches us how to overcome them. We find solace in the fact that many others face the problems we do. This inspires us to face the problems and do better. This changes our mindset and develops positive thinking.

CONCENTRATION INCREASES

Our full attention is on the information provided in the book. We learn how to focus completely on a single task, in this case- the task of reading. Since we are focused, our mind becomes more clear. The act of multi-tasking decreases as we focus on one single job. Our attention-span and patience increases, which leads to our concentration increasing.

SKILL-SET INCREASES

Reading improves our vocabulary as we are introduced to new words. We learn about the proper usage of words and more about grammar and spelling. We start to comprehend the difference between spoken and written language. We gain a better understanding of the structure of a story, i.e the starting, the middle and the finale. Reading helps to shed more light on the different type of stories- horror, comedy, romance and many more. Our abilities increase as we are exposed to the different skills that can be gained from reading.

Did this blog inspire you to start reading? Did you learn something useful from it? Let us know!