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The best way to get wonderfully lost in a book is to find titles and content that excite and inspire you. A book should capture your attention and be appropriate for your mood and reading level. Eliminating distractions and making time for reading in your day is critical!
Reading books has countless benefits, affecting our lives no matter the subject, regardless of whether we are reading for educational purposes, curiosity, or leisure.
This article will reveal and explain some of the most powerful benefits one can gain from reading. For those who don’t traditionally love books, we’ll also offer some tips on how to make any reading experience more enjoyable. If you change your perspective or behavior when it comes to reading, it could unlock a lifetime of pleasure in the written word.
What are the Benefits of Reading Books?
Reading is beneficial because it expands our vocabulary, increases knowledge, and improves both speaking and writing skills. Books also entertain us, spark the imagination and unleash our own powers of creativity, while keeping our brain cells active and engaged in a stimulating activity.
Are you a bookworm that loves reading the newest novels or sci-fi sagas? Or do you dive into nonfiction texts or academic books as part of your profession? Whatever your reason for reading or genre of choice, books offer countless benefits, and below are some of the best!
Knowledge Expansion
Reading is a critical part of every person’s life because it allows you to learn about anything and everything. Cultivating knowledge is a lifelong journey, and reading is a key tool for introducing new subjects and ideas in accessible ways.
Different genres offer a wide range of information of vicarious experiences. You may not be able to visit an ancient civilization, but reading a history book immerses you in the culture, customs and environments of those places without leaving your seat.
Biographies expose you to the life stories and wisdom from legendary individuals of the past, while sci-fi explores the potential direction of humanity’s future. Every genre offers different areas of knowledge, allowing you to engage in a wide variety of topics and subjects and providing a broad range of understanding.
Vocabulary Improvement
While reading, it’s common to come across unfamiliar words that interrupt the flow of a sentence. To properly understand the context, you can look up the words in the dictionary and effectively add them to your vocabulary. With time and practice, those words will become a natural part of your speaking and writing. The more words you learn, the easier it will be to enjoy more complex or advanced books, further opening your world to the joys of reading.
Entertainment
Books are a timeless source of pleasure, distraction and entertainment. Regardless of your age, interests, mood or reading level, there are myriad books for you to enjoy. Books can act as an escape to another world, offering a marvelous adventure for the span of an afternoon, similar to watching a movie—but better!
Memory Booster
Reading books is a natural brain booster, as it stimulates regions of the brain that process visual information, as well as areas dedicated to language comprehension, critical thinking, memory, and so much more. While reading a story, your brain naturally works to remember the overall plot, character details, motivations, and specific events; this can aid in our creation of long-term memory, as well as comprehension, retention, and language abilities.
Stress Reduction
Escaping into a fictional world can be an incredible stress reliever after a long day. Reading allows you to set aside daily stressors and rid your mind of distractions, as well as the tiredness or exhaustion of a long day. By engaging your brain in a book, your stress levels can be measurably reduced, which is a benefit to overall health, and may even help you fall asleep!
Focus and Concentration
Finally, those who make reading a habit develop their concentration skills and ability to remain attentive. In a digital world filled with constant distractions, being able to engage with a single subject is very important, and following the storyline of a book demands that level of focus. Concentrating on a book for hours at a time is quietly honing your skill of being mindful and remaining present.
How to be More Interested in Reading?
If you want to make reading a bigger part of your life, create a list of books that interest you, and that are appropriate for your reading level and experience. Devote time to reading a book in a quiet and comfortable place, and eliminate potential sources of distraction.
Clearly, the act of reading has a number of benefits, but making the process appealing, sustainable and entertaining is an important aspect to consider. Below are some simple and straightforward ways to cultivate your own love of reading!
Tip #1: Make a Bucket List of Books
The first step towards enjoying reading is choosing the right books to read! Craft your own bucket list of books, including titles that you’ve been meaning to read, books on subjects that interest you, and new titles from authors you already know and enjoy. Making a “to do” list of books will keep you accountable to your hobby, and also keep you excited about what book you’ll be reading next. If you aren’t sure where to start in making this list, there are plenty of legendary “must read” lists available online!
Tip #2: Set a Goal
Setting a realistic goal for your reading is a great way to develop a regular practice. For example, you could set the goal of reading one book per month for an entire year, or devoting a few months to reading books in specific subjects or genres. Setting and achieving goals is psychologically satisfying for people, and having a goal in place is a great motivator to keep flipping those pages. Once you finish a book, or achieve a reading goal, you’ll find it much easier to start the next one!
Tip #3: Choose a Quiet Place
Being in the right environment to read is essential for developing a consistent reading practice. Find a quiet and comfortable place that is easy to access. This will be different for everyone; some people love reading in their bedroom, while that may put other people right to sleep! The point is to find the perfect place for you, whether that is your own backyard, a public park, a coffeehouse with calming background music, or the quiet corner of your local library.
Tip #4: Eliminate Distractions
To effectively read and enjoy a book, you can’t be constantly distracted. Losing your place, or having to re-read entire paragraphs, can be discouraging to your new habit of reading. When you choose to sit down and read, turn off the television and allow yourself to truly focus on the story in your hands. While this may seem difficult for some people, you should also turn your smartphone off, set it out of reach, or at least put it in silent mode!
Tip #5: Start a Reading Journal
A reading journal is an excellent way to not only record what books you’re reading, but also noting your favorite parts, details, quotes or characters. Some people also enjoy writing blogs about their book-reading, to share their experience and opinions with others. A reading journal also encourages active reading and greater comprehension. You are basically having a conversation with yourself about the book you’re reading, noting your favorite scenes and most insightful lines of prose. Later, you can revisit this journal, share those thoughts with others, or simply take a literary stroll down memory lane.
Tip #6: Find a Reading Buddy
Choosing a reliable reading buddy is a great way to stay accountable to your reading goals, and have someone to chat with about your current book! Reading buddies come in many forms, whether it is your best friend, a colleague, a schoolmate, a partner, or even your favorite librarian! Joining a book club where everyone reads the same book offers multiple reading buddies, and a community to discuss interesting points and details about the text. This will increase your enjoyment and comprehension, while also introducing different perspectives on the same story!
Tip #7: Make Reading Enjoyable
Lastly, reading should be fun! It should be a pastime that excites you, and it should never feel like a chore or a responsibility. You can make a cup of coffee or tea to enjoy alongside your book, sit in your favorite cozy chair, or find a beautiful and relaxing spot, like the beach! There are countless ways to make reading an enjoyable experience that you will come back to again and again.
Reading is not only enjoyable, but it can have a significant impact on your life. Books are sources of knowledge and inspiration, there is a seemingly endless number to choose from, and they provide a stimulating escape from the stress and responsibilities of the day!