When it comes to hobbies, there’s nothing like sitting down with a good book. While reading books is certainly entertaining, doctors and scientists across the globe have also observed that it can have several positive mental health effects. Books inspire critical thinking, increase creativity and empathy, and offer a variety of other incentives that shape our personalities, which can ultimately have an impact on society as a whole. Read on for more benefits of reading:
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1. Imagination and introspection
Psychologists who conducted an examination of readers’ emotions and personality traits before and after reading a book discovered that readers created such rich representations of the characters in their minds that they often also created behavioral expectations for themselves based on what they learned from the book. At times, this occurrence acts as an effective means of introspection and helps a person figure out what they can do to become a better person.
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2. Develops empathy
Reading fictional books greatly improves one’s understanding of others, which has importance in nearly all types of societies. Reading can also help readers to learn about complex subjects like politics, business, and education, thus building a better understanding of the world and the people in it. Some people even claim that books have made the world a better place to live by means of improving interpersonal understanding.
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3. Increase attention span and retention
Many studies have shown that kids who grow up in homes with a lot of books stay in school for longer and are better at extracting important lessons from classroom learning than those who do not have books at home or who aren’t in the habit of reading. Moreover, much of what children learn is likely to stay with them forever, so it is important to introduce children to books during this formative stage of life. These studies effectively demonstrate that introducing books into children’s homes produces significant educational as well as societal gains.
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4. Brain boost
According to a study conducted by Emory University, reading books leads to an increase in activity in the brain’s central sulcus, which is responsible for controlling our motor skills. For instance, if we read a passage where a certain character is walking along a path, the activity from the neurons in the central sulcus will make us feel as if we’re experiencing the walk ourselves. Apart from this, there are many other studies that actively demonstrate that, through the brain’s biology, reading books can put readers in someone else’s shoes and can allow them to have more experiences than they ever could in real life.
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5. Lowers stress
When people make reading books a habit, it’s easier for their brains to relax and temporarily transport them to another zone. When reading a good book, the mind tends to focus on words more intently, leaving little space for any other thoughts and creating an almost meditative mental state. So, if you’re looking for an easy way to de-stress or relax, try to develop a reading habit.
