Reading improves brain function.
A rising collection of evidence suggests that reading actually alters your perspective.
Researchers have verified that reading includes a sophisticated network of circuits and messages in the brain using MRI images. These networks also grow stronger and more sophisticated as your reading skills advance.
In a 2013 study, functional MRI scans were utilised to assess the brain’s response to reading a novel. Participants in the study read the book “Pompeii” over the course of nine days. More and more parts of the brain lit up with activity as story tension increased.
Brain scans revealed that, particularly in the somatosensory cortex, the area of the brain responsible for perceiving touch, brain connection increased throughout the reading time and for days after.
Improves your capacity for empathy.
Speaking of feeling pain, studies have shown that readers of literary fiction, or works that delve into the inner lives of characters, have a greater capacity to comprehend the thoughts and feelings of others.
This capability is known as the “theory of mind,” a collection of talents necessary for creating, navigating, and upholding social interactions.
While reading literary fiction in one sitting is unlikely to provide this effect, studies have shown that regular fiction readers have more fully formed theories of mind.
Increases the vocabulary
The Matthew effect, which is named after the biblical text Matthew 13:12 that states, “Whoever possesses will be given more, and they will have an abundance,” has been addressed by reading researchers since the 1960s. Whoever lacks will have everything taken away from them.
The premise that the wealthy get richer and the poor get poorer is summarised by the Matthew effect; it applies to vocabulary just as much as it does to money.
According to research, students who frequently read books beginning at a young age gradually grow vast vocabularies. Additionally, the quantity of your vocabulary can affect a variety of aspects of your life, including standardised test results, college admissions, and employment prospects. According to a 2019 Cengage research article, 69 percent of employers are eager to hire workers with “soft” talents, such as the capacity for good communication. The easiest approach to expand your exposure to new terms in context is to read books.
Prevents cognitive deterioration brought on by ageing
As you age, the National Institute on Aging, advises reading books and magazines to keep your mind active.
Studies demonstrate that seniors who read and do math problems every day maintain and increase their cognitive functioning, even if research hasn’t conclusively shown that reading books prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Furthermore, the earlier you begin, the better. According to a 2013 Rush University Medical Center study, people who have always engaged in mentally challenging activities are less likely to develop the plaques, lesions, and tau-protein tangles that are common in the brains of dementia sufferers.
Reduces Stress
In 2009, a team of researchers examined how yoga, humour, and reading affected the stress levels of American college students enrolled in rigorous health science programmes.
The research discovered that yoga, humour, and 30 minutes of reading all reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and psychological distress equally well.
Since time restrictions are one of the main causes of the high stress levels that health science students experience, the authors’ conclusion is that 30 minutes of one of these strategies may be readily accommodated into their schedules without taking a significant amount of time away from their studies.
Improves Sleep Quality
Reading is recommended by Mayo Clinic medical professionals as a frequent bedtime activity.
The light emitted by your device could keep you awake and have other negative effects on your health, so for the greatest results, you might want to choose a print book instead of reading from a screen.
If you have difficulties falling asleep, doctors advise reading somewhere other than your bedroom.
Reduces Depression
Consolation from imagined things is not an imaginary consolation, British philosopher Sir Roger Scruton previously penned. People who are depressed frequently feel alone and distant from others. And there is a sense that literature can occasionally lessen.
Reading fiction might help you temporarily forget about your own reality and become sucked into the characters’ imagined experiences. Additionally, nonfiction self-help books might offer you methods for symptom management.
For this reason, the UK’s National Health Service launched Reading Well, a programme called Books on Prescription where medical professionals prescribe self-help books chosen expressly for various diseases.
Add years to your life
Following a cohort of 3,635 adult participants for 12 years, a long-term health and retirement study discovered that individuals who read books lived about 2 years longer than those who either didn’t read or who read magazines and other media.
Additionally, the study found that those who read for more than 3 1/2 hours per week had a 23% higher chance of living longer than those who read nothing at all.
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