What is reading important

Why You Should Read Every Day

There are so many benefits to reading books.

But let's face it: It can be challenging to motivate ourselves to read a 382-page book when we can watch the movie, listen to the audiobook, or watch a YouTube video summary instead.

Am I right?

However, if most of your daily reading consists of social media posts, text messages, and news headlines, you're missing out.

So, what are the benefits of reading books? 

If you're interested in reading more books but need some motivation, this article's for you. After all, when you understand the importance of reading books, you're more likely to do it.

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What Are the Benefits of Reading Books?

Here are 10 benefits of reading that illustrate the importance of reading books. When you read every day you:

1. Gain valuable knowledge
2. Exercise your brain
3. Improve your focus
4. Improve your memory
5. Enjoy entertainment
6. Improve your ability to empathize
7. Improve your communication skills
8. Reduce stress
9. Improve your mental health
10. Live longer

Now, let's dive a little deeper to better understand the advantages of reading.

1. Gain Valuable Knowledge

One of the most obvious benefits of reading every day is learning. 

And unlike a YouTube video or podcast, books provide access to in-depth knowledge. In other words, if you want to become more productive, which do you think you'll learn more from:

• A book by someone who's studied productivity for 20 years,
• Or a 10-minute YouTube video by someone interested in the topic? 

Which do you think you'll absorb more from? Which do you think is more likely to help change your habits? Books, of course!

Going beyond the surface of a subject is essential to success, too. This is probably why the author Roald Dahl once said, "If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books."

Plus, you can learn literally anything from books. For example, whenever anybody asks Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, how he learned to build rockets, he says, "I read books. "

So, what do you want to learn?

Perhaps you want to learn how to code, paint, or start a successful business? Maybe you want to learn how to stop procrastinating? Or perhaps you want to figure out how to change your life completely?

Whatever it is, reading can help.

2. Exercise Your Brain

Why is reading important? As the 17th century English writer Joseph Addison once wrote, "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."

So, what does reading do to your brain?

Research has confirmed that reading stimulates a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. Plus, as you improve your reading ability, these networks become stronger and more sophisticated.

In another study, researchers measured how reading a novel affects our brains. The study's participants read the novel "Pompeii" by Robert Harris, and as tension in the story developed, more areas of the brain were activated.

Want to know the best part?

The scans showed that brain connectivity increased while reading and for days afterward, demonstrating the enormous benefits of reading books every day.

Bottom line, our brains have a "use it or lose it" policy, just like our muscles. In other words, if we don't exercise our minds regularly, our cognitive abilities may decline. However, when we read every day, we can keep them strong and healthy.

3. Improve Your Focus

Being able to concentrate and focus for long periods is essential to our success and wellbeing. Cal Newport, the author of Deep Work, writes:

"To remain valuable in our economy … you must master the art of quickly learning complicated things. This task requires deep work."

What is "deep work"? Newport explains:

"Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship."

Newport also argues that this skill is becoming increasingly rare due to constant multitasking, notifications, and social media apps. A study by Microsoft would agree, finding that people generally lose attention after just eight seconds.

Yikes.

Thankfully, one of the key benefits of reading is that it helps you practice concentrating on just one thing at a time.

For example, a novel requires all of your attention for it to whisk you away to another world. And if you want to learn from a non-fiction book, it requires you to be fully present and engaged.

In short, if you want to succeed, you need to focus. And if you want to focus more, you can practice by reading books.

4. Improve Your Memory

Are you always forgetting things? Do you have a bunch of to-do lists, but you can't quite remember what's on them? Fear not – one of the advantages of reading books is that it can improve your memory.

When you read a non-fiction book, you also consume an enormous amount of information on the subject you're reading about.

Similarly, whenever you read a novel, you have to remember tons of information about the story's plot and subplots, the characters and their relationships, and the environment in which the story takes place.

That's a lot of information!

All of this new information creates new memories. And every new memory creates synapses or strengthens old ones.

The upshot? Reading every day can improve your memory – it can help you learn how to store new information and recall memories more effectively.

5. Enjoy Entertainment

Books provide some of the most engaging entertainment on the planet. As the author Stephen King said, "Books are a uniquely portable magic."

Have you ever read a book that you couldn't put down? 

Do you remember feeling so invested in the story or what you were learning that you would keep reading even when you needed to use the bathroom or were hungry? 

To replicate that feeling, or to experience it for the first time, all you need to do is find the right books to read.

There are millions of incredible books out there, and there's a perfect reading genre for everyone – from fantasy novels and classical literature to self-help guides and business books.

Plus, with the world still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession, there's no better time to take up reading as a hobby. 

Reading is something you can enjoy safely at home. And books don't cost that much – especially with services like your local library and Amazon's Kindle Unlimited ($9.99 per month for unlimited ebooks).

So, step away from your smartphone each day, open the pages of a book, and dive in.

6. Improve Your Ability to Empathize

Another one of the benefits of reading books is that they can improve our ability to empathize with others. And empathy has many benefits – it can reduce stress, improve our relationships, and inform our moral compasses.

How?

Research has shown that long-term fiction readers tend to develop a better "theory of mind" – the term used to describe our capacity for empathy and ability to understand others.

Another study found that when we read stories that explore characters' inner lives and emotions, our ability to understand others' feelings and views improves.

For example, experiencing the world through the eyes of Harry Potter or Jane Eyre can help us learn to see the world from the perspectives of our families, friends, and coworkers.

The author John Green said it best: "Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood."

7. Improve Your Communication Skills

The ability to communicate effectively is a vital life skill. 

In fact, one study discovered that 69% of employers are looking to hire people with "soft" skills, such as effective communication.

The good news? One of the key benefits of reading is that it helps us to communicate better.

How? Reading every day can improve our communication skills in a few ways. For example, reading can influence your writing and increase your vocabulary.

When we read well-written work, we naturally observe its writing style, cadence, and composition. These characteristics inevitably seep into our writing, in the same way that musicians are influenced by each other.

What's more, studies show that those who read regularly tend to develop large vocabularies.

Finally, don't forget that reading also helps improve our communication skills by increasing our ability to empathize and understand others.

Long story short? Read more, communicate better, and improve your life!

8. Reduce Stress

Another one of the effects of reading is that it can reduce stress.

Research has proven that just 30 minutes of reading can lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress. 

Another study discovered that reading is the best way to reduce stress – compared to taking a walk, having a cup of tea or coffee, and playing video games. The study found that even six minutes of reading can be enough to reduce stress levels by more than two-thirds.

"Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation," said Dr. David Lewis, the cognitive neuropsychologist who conducted the study.

So, the next time you're feeling stressed, remember the benefits of reading for pleasure and let the tension melt away.

9. Improve Your Mental Health

The pros of reading also extend to mental health.

Researchers studied the effects of self-help books and found that many have a measurable impact on depression or other mood disorders.

As a result, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) began a book prescription program called Reading Well. This service prescribes self-help books curated by medical experts for certain conditions.

The act of using books as therapy is called "bibliotherapy."

So, if you're struggling – and despite what life looks like on Instagram, we all struggle from time to time – consider reading one of the books on the NHS's curated list, which are proven to help ease symptoms.

10. Live Longer

This last effect of reading is perhaps one of the most exciting and interesting: It turns out that the health benefits of reading can help us live longer.

A 12-year study on health and retirement found that those who read books survived around two years longer than those who didn't read books or read magazines and other forms of media. Additionally, those who read for 30 minutes a day (3.5 hours per week) were 23% more likely to outlive those who didn't read often.

Pretty cool, right?

As noted above, reading is a great way to exercise our brains to make us smarter and sharper. However, the knock-on effect of this is that reading also helps prevent age-related cognitive decline.

One study found that older adults who regularly read or play mentally challenging games like chess are two and a half times less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.

On the other hand, people who don't exercise their grey matter stand a chance of losing brain power, says the study's primary author, Dr. Robert Freidland.

No wonder the US’s National Institute on Aging recommends champions the health benefits of reading daily.

All in all, when you read every day, you're more likely to retain your mental abilities and live longer!

What Should I Read? 4 Top Book Lists

Now that you understand the importance of reading books and why you should read every day, what should you read? To help you find the perfect book, here are four lists of curated books to check out:

1. Must-Read Books of All Time: 40 Books Everyone Should Read
2. The 12 Best Books for Entrepreneurs Starting a Business
3. 20 Business Books That'll Change Your Life in 2021
4. 15 Investment Books That'll Boost Your Financial IQ

Summary: Why is Reading Important?

Why is reading good for you? Reading is good for you because it improves your focus, memory, empathy, and communication skills. It can reduce stress, improve your mental health, and help you live longer. Reading also allows you to learn new things to help you succeed in your work and relationships. 

The best part? You can get all these benefits of reading books while enjoying some fantastic entertainment.

Do you read every day? What are you reading right now? Let us know in the comments below!

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Want to Learn More?

• How to Better Use What You Read in Books
• Speed Reading: How to Read Faster Before You Go to Sleep Tonight
• How to Start a Productive Morning Routine for Success (Proven Method)
• Financial Security: Everything You Need to Know (and Do)

12 Reasons Why Reading is So Important for Kids and Adults

We love books! Do you? If this is your first time here, I hope our passion for reading shows through. This page is filled with ten reasons why reading is so important. If your kids ask you “why is reading important” you’ll know exactly what to say. Are you ready to get started?

10 Reasons Why Reading is So Important

Reasons Why Reading is So Important

Reading is one of the most important skills that a person can have. It opens up a world of possibilities and allows people to learn about new things. There are many reasons why reading is so important for both kids and adults. Here, we will discuss 10 of those reasons. We will also provide some resources for parents who want to read aloud to their children, as well as tips and strategies for teaching children how to read. 

When people read, they are exposed to new ideas and different ways of thinking. This helps them to critically evaluate information and make better decisions.

So please keep reading!

1.

Another reason why reading is so important is that it helps people to develop their imagination. When people read, they are transported to different worlds and allowed to explore new ideas. This can help them to come up with new ideas of their own.

By reading, you are exposed to so many wonderful things. This helps your imagination when it comes to creating and thinking. By reading, you are painting those pictures of the story in your mind. Books can take you anywhere you want to go.

The Read-Aloud Handbook is a great book to have. It is filled with ways to help children become avid readers through awakening their imaginations and improving their language skills. The best part is a huge treasury list of amazing read-aloud books. Love it!

2. Focus and Concentration

When you are reading, you are focusing and concentrating on one thing.  By sitting still and reading, you are training your body/mind and your child’s to slow down, relax, and focus on what you are reading. This helps you/your child focus and concentrate on other activities because you are used to doing it.

3. Reading Improves your memory

When you read a book, you are taking in all that the book is about. People, places, things… When you read, you are using your memory muscle which lies in the Cerebrum part of your brain. Using this muscle helps your memory long term. I’m sure you’ve probably heard of muscle memory 😉 Same kind of thing.

Would you like to learn more about keeping your child’s brain healthy? www.KidsHealth.org

“Use your brain by doing challenging activities, such as puzzles, reading, playing music, making art, or anything else that gives your brain a workout!” –  Steven Dowshen, MD

4. Reading helps with communication

Reading also helps people to improve their communication skills. People who read frequently can better express themselves, both in writing and verbally. They are also better able to understand what others are saying.

Reading to your children helps build a bond and open up communication. It’s always important to be able to talk with your kids, especially when they get into their teenage years. Start reading to them and communicating when they are young, so they have that connection and comfort with talking to you.

It also helps with communicating as adults and gives you more to talk about.

5. Entertainment

Reading is the best cheap or free entertainment you can get. Love your library and any bookseller because these books can open up the world you might never have imagined.

“I believe we should spend less time worrying about the quantity of books children read and more time introducing them to quality books that will turn them on to the joy of reading and turn them into lifelong readers.” – James Patterson

An added idea for you if you aren’t a fan of reading aloud or prefer audiobooks, is to sign up for Audible, and while the kids are doing activities, have a story playing. Or while you are driving, listen to a book. 

More Reasons Why Reading is Important

6. Bonding

Nurturing and one-on-one attention from parents during reading encourages children to form a positive association with books and reading. Also, goes with #4 above – Communication. Reading to your children is another way of showing them love. If you would like to find books that kids love, we have an entire section dedicated to favorite books.

Check out Beautiful Feet Books. They are AMAZING! It’s easy to promote a love for learning with Beautiful Feet Books and all of the different book options that they have to offer.

7. Language Development

Babies and children learn to talk by hearing words. The more they hear, the more likely they are to talk and understand what’s being said. Your child’s language skills and literacy depend on you talking and reading to them. Now, doesn’t that sound important?!

8.

Reading a book about something that you want to learn about saves you so much money. We all know how expensive taking classes can be, so why not spend time reading about it instead. You can teach yourself with specific books. The same goes for children. If they are interested in learning about rainbows, they can read books about the weather. Or you can read to them. Supplying a variety of books to your children will pique their interests and get them learning even more.

9. Fluency

Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression. Powerful and effective language.

The more you read, the more fluent you become. Very important for children and adults.

10. Reading makes you smarter

We know it’s been proven that reading makes you smarter.  Readers display greater knowledge of how things work, vocabulary, and language development, as well as information on people, places, and things. Not to mention all of the great info in 1-9 that I just shared with you 🙂 Reading Rocks!!!

If you are interested in learning more reasons why reading aloud can change your children’s lives forever check out Reading Magic by Mem Fox.

More Reasons Why Reading is Important

Improve Critical Thinking Skills 

One of the most important reasons why reading is so important is that it helps people to develop their critical thinking skills. When people read, they are exposed to new ideas and different ways of thinking. This helps them to evaluate information and make better decisions critically.

Helps Your Mental Health 

Reading also has several benefits for mental health. People who read regularly are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. Reading can also help people to reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality.

Social Benefits

Many social benefits come from reading. People who read regularly are more likely to be empathetic and understanding. They are also more likely to be tolerant of different viewpoints.

Finally, reading is just plain fun! It can be a great way to relax and escape from the everyday stresses of life. It can also provide people with a sense of achievement.

Remember, children mimic what you do. If you are an avid reader, your kids are likely to love books too.

Amazing Reasons why Reading is So Important

Pin Why Reading is Important to Save for Later

 These are just a few reasons why reading is so important. Click here to read more.

There are so many reasons why reading is so important. We hope that this blog post has convinced you to make reading a priority in your life. If you would like to learn more about how to read aloud to your children or how to teach them to read, please check out the resources below.

Reading Resources

5 Reasons Why It’s Important To Read to Children

How to Teach a Child to Read

What is The Importance of a Reading Habit

70 Best Books Every Child Should Read or Hear in Their Lifetime

The Best 52 Week Reading Challenge Everyone Will Love

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Article Why Should You Read Books?

Reading is important because it develops our thoughts, gives us endless knowledge and lessons, while keeping our mind active . Books can contain and store all sorts of information, stories, thoughts and feelings unlike anything else in this world. The importance of a book that helps us learn and understand things cannot be underestimated.

What is the benefit of reading?

The benefits of reading books are obvious. Books broaden the horizons of a person, enrich his inner world, make him smarter. And it is also important to read books because it increases the vocabulary of a person, develops a clear and precise thinking. A person who reads speaks better.

Why should we read books?

Books help to learn something new, keep up the conversation or show off erudition in the company. But the writers themselves see in literature and non-obvious bonuses. A reader rarely feels lonely, with the help of a good story he can quickly escape from depressing thoughts, better understand the world and the people around him.

What happens if you read books?

Reading books contributes to the expansion of vocabulary, literacy, as well as the development of horizons, fantasy, imagination. Also, regular acquaintance with literature improves memory and perception of textual information, which helps a lot in learning.

What do we get from reading books?

Reading increases our vocabulary, enriches and diversifies speech, improves literacy, teaches us to express thoughts more clearly and efficiently.

What happens if you stop reading?

Without mental load, the brain will be in a relaxed state , and the ability to remember and assimilate important information will remain an unrealizable dream at all. In addition, a non-reader is much more at risk of getting senile dementia in the future.

How many hours per day should I read?

Why read books in the 21st century?

Should read books in the 21st century ? With the advent of the 21st century humanity has made a technological leap. Reading books , we become smarter, expand our vocabulary and horizons, improve our memory, and just have fun. Examples of the positive impact of reading on a person can be found in world literature.

What harm does reading books do?

Firstly, reading spoils your eyesight, secondly, it takes a lot of time, and thirdly, there is the Internet, where everything is searched faster. We don’t even remember the saying “You will know a lot, you will soon grow old.”

Why do people like to read books?

Reading allows people to delve into opinions and realities that are different from their own. This helps them refine their point of view. Reading also contributes to the development of intelligence, wisdom, composure and patience.