Reading is a habit that we all can agree upon to be a healthy and positive activity that is suitable for everyone, irrespective of the age groups. The word reading has more implications than merely understanding what is inscribed on a piece of paper. It takes you to places that you haven’t been to before or do not exist in reality. It introduces us to a new world, new people, and increases our knowledge. The following are the top six benefits of developing a reading habit to change yourself and your life for good:

Destress Yourself:

It is a scientifically proven fact that reading is a healthy activity that can help you to destress. If you ever feel burdened or the monotony of life is tiresome, pick up a book from your favorite genre, prepare a coffee, and sit in a quiet corner of your room and read. You are guaranteed to feel lighter than air. Once you master the art of reading, bookstores like Builders Book will feel like heaven. A book lets you enter into a fictional world and detach from your surroundings, thus, aiding in your healing process.

Improve Your Knowledge and Language Skills:

Books, mainly written by native writers, are the best source of gaining knowledge. If you want to learn about the real history of any land, you must start reading its literature. An unapologetically accurate depiction of significant historical events can only be presented by the native novelists or writers rather than the foreign historians. 

Moreover, reading improves your language skills. Every day you learn new words. The better you are at reading, the broader your vocabulary will be, the more comprehensive your dictionary is, the better you will be at reading. In both situations, it will benefit you. 

Better Cognition:

When you read, you come across many new concepts, beliefs, schools of thoughts, or original pieces of information that compel you to think and stimulate your cognition. You learn to think in multiple dimensions and look at situations from diverse perspectives. If you read fiction frequently, you will learn to boost your imaginative power. Therefore, reading regularly, either fiction or nonfiction makes you smarter.

Freedom to Think:

We live in an age where it has become difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction. It is quite natural for people to spread fake news and make people believe in it. Likewise, media, either social or mainstream, is conditioning people to think in a specific direction and stunting their ability to make decisions or draw conclusions based on their opinions. The entire system is contributing to produce human robots. However, when you read, you get to a quite clear picture of the reality and the fabricated narratives. You learn to form unbiased observations and look beyond the horizon. It gives you the freedom to think!

It is Entertaining:

Reading takes you to a whole new level of entertainment. It is known to be the best activity for leisure time and that too for all the right reasons. When you read different fiction stories, you live with the different types of characters. You enjoy the emotional roller-coaster ride. It can make you laugh, cry, or awaken all kinds of emotions in you.  Enjoy being disconnected from the real world for some time and cherish living in an imaginary world created by a fiction narrative.

Be a Better You!

Reading makes you a better person to top all of these benefits. You become knowledgeable that in turn, enhances your writing and communication skills. When you read fiction, you enter into another life that you wouldn’t have known otherwise. Even if it is fictional, getting into the shoes of another person makes you a more empathetic and open person. It broadens your vision, and you develop an acceptance for the diversity of the world. You can relate to the sufferings of those around you. Reading makes you a less judgmental and more positive person. 

The Bottom-line:

From broadening your vision to helping you morph into a better and knowledgeable person, reading can change you for good. Becoming an avid reason is the best thing that can happen to anyone; it is food for your soul. Put aside your delaying strategy, get some good reads, and started adding up to your growth process, a growth towards being a better person!

by Annika Wells