The Health Benefits of Good Reading Habits
It is no coincidence that so many people choose “read more books” as one of their New Year’s resolutions or simply wish they could read more. Reading is one of the best habits someone can have. It has many benefits for your physical and mental health as well. Therefore, it is definitely worth making good reading habits!
If you are not a huge fan of reading or you don’t know how to get started, don’t worry. Today, besides talking about the amazing health benefits of reading, I will give you some useful tips on how to make reading a habit. So you will not only start to read more but you will keep reading while enjoying it!
I personally love reading. It’s a great way to wind down each night before bed. Plus, if there is something that I’m struggling with in my life it seems I can always find a book to help. I have read some great parenting book, business books, mindset books, and much more this year. Each time I read one I feel like I improve my ability to live the life I truly want!
Health benefits of reading
If you are wondering what may be the benefits of reading books regularly, I collected a few of them. Let’s see the list!
Improved brain connectivity
According to many studies, reading can literally change the mind. Maybe it sounds unbelievable at first, but it is true. Just think about it this way: when you are reading, you use various parts of your brain due to a complex network of circuits. And as you read more and more, these networks become stronger and your brain connectivity improves as well.
Better memory and concentration
In our technology-driven world, you may find it difficult to be present and concentrate. However, books can help improve your memory and concentration because the brain is forced to focus on each page to get new information. When you read every day, you will be able to focus for longer periods than before. Plus, you will learn a lot of new things and have a better imagination!
Related read: How to Establish a Daily Mindfulness Routine
Preparation for a good night’s sleep
If you have a hard time falling asleep, you should consider reading a book as part of your sleep routine. This is because reading can prepare you for a good night’s sleep.
If you want to fall asleep easily and sleep well, make sure that you choose a traditional print book because the light emitted by your phone or your tablet could keep you awake longer.
Reduced stress
Good reading habits can significantly reduce stress. According to a study, 30 minutes of reading can effectively lower the heart rate and blood pressure, and the reader can feel less stressed after reading for this long. What is great about it is that most everyone can easily incorporate half an hour into their daily routine with a little planning.
Larger vocabulary
You can develop a larger vocabulary just by reading books regularly. As your communication skills and your vocabulary may influence various areas of your life, having a large vocabulary can be a great advantage. You may have a higher chance at a job interview, or in case of students better results at school when writing an essay.
If you are learning a foreign language, it may be a great idea to read books also in that language. This way, you can expedite the process of learning, increase the number of words you know and improve your reading comprehension.
More empathy
Those who often read literary fiction can develop more empathy. This is because in these kinds of books, we can read about the lives of the characters, including how they feel.
Being more emphatic is especially beneficial nowadays when people tend to care more about themselves. Emphatic people can not only understand other people’s feelings and beliefs better but they can also build and maintain healthy relationships easier.
Reduced symptoms of depression
Most people who struggle with depression feel isolated and lonely. These common feelings can be significantly eased by reading for two reasons. Firstly, when you read, due to your imagination you escape a little from the real world and you feel like you are part of the book, and it seems like you know the characters in the fiction book. The second reason why reading is beneficial for depression (and other mental illnesses as well) is that there are many self-help books dedicated to depression that can help manage the symptoms.
Related read: Things to Write in a Journal for Your Health
How to make reading a habit
Now that you are aware of the great health benefits of reading, it’s time to get into how you can cultivate good reading habits.
Take a book with you everywhere you go
It may be a good idea to take a book with you everywhere you go. This way, you can read anytime you have some free time. For example, when you are waiting for the bus in the morning, or when you have to wait for your appointment at the doctor’s office instead of checking social media, start to read. But you can read even during lunchtime at work.
All you have to do is make sure that you grab your favorite book whenever you leave your home and kill boredom with reading.
Set a time for reading
To make reading a habit, you should read regularly. One of the easiest ways to do that is by setting a time for reading each day. For example, if you prefer to read in the evening, read for 10 minutes every day before going to bed. Then, you can increase the reading time from 10 to 15 minutes, from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, and you can even raise it further as long as you want and you feel comfortable. If you read every day at least for 10 minutes, it’s already a great start and it can easily become a daily habit for you.
Don’t want to set a timer? Set a goal for pages- even if it’s just one page per day!
Choose interesting books
The key to keep reading is to choose books that you find interesting. Without that, you will constantly find yourself giving up reading books.
First, try to find out which book genres you like: are you a fan of detective and crime stories, or you prefer reading romance or non-fiction books? Once you have the genre you are interested in, you will be more likely to find a page-turner. Plus, if you try a book and you just can’t get into it, don’t force yourself to read it! Just move on (this one can be hard for me I’ll admit!).
If you’re worried about a book budget- try doing book trades with your friends or family, going to the library (my fav), or even seeing what books are available online for free or at a steep discount (for example, Amazon Prime has a few free featured books each month for members).
Make reading fun
You can take reading to the next level by making reading a fun time. As part of your self-care strategy, treat yourself while reading: have a coffee and some snacks, and choose a comfortable place to read. You can read even in the bathtub! You will see, if you add these treats to the reading, this will be your favorite time of your day and you will look forward to reading each day.
Related read: 10 Habits of Health That Are Easy to Add to Your Routine
Join/create a book club
Developing good reading habits is much easier if you have someone to share your experiences with. You can get a lot of motivation by joining a book club (there are several on Facebook as well). Most clubs are simple: they choose a book to read together and later they discuss what the book was about. It’s such a great way to get into reading!
Set a goal
Sometimes all you need is a little motivation. Besides joining a book club, setting a goal can do a lot for motivating you to read. Think about how many books you would like to read a year/a month and then how much you should read each week to achieve your goal. Try to be realistic, aim for an achievable number.
Read to your children
If you have kids, you can read them bedtime stories to make them fall asleep easier. It will help both you and your children to develop good reading habits as you will get used to reading every day.
If you are a reader yourself, you have probably already experienced the health benefits of regular reading. But if not, hopefully by now you are motivated enough to begin reading and have a new healthy habit. And you should know that it doesn’t matter what you read as long as it is something that gives you pleasure. 🙂
How many books do you plan to read this year? What are some of your favorite books?
You made an interesting point when you explained that you can take reading to the next level by making it more enjoyable. You can probably make reading more enjoyable by picking books that are written about something that you are really interested in and what to learn more about. For example, if you want to learn more about geology, you should probably get some books that are about geology.
Hello there! Reading is an interesting habit plus a good remedy to keep yourself fit & healthy. I too believe that reading is beneficial for your physical and mental health. Thanks for sharing this amazing blog. It contains detailed information about reading benefits and how to adopt a healthy reading habit that every person should know. Keep sharing!!