The benefits of reading and the act of reading are sometimes
forgotten in today's fast-paced, always-busy society. Working long hours might
result in difficulties with focus and exhaustion.
However, did you know that the answer to whether reading
enhances focus is an emphatic "yes"? Yes, it enhances the brain's
capacity for information processing. Moreover, it also boosts the brain's
ability to assimilate information.
Here are six scientifically-proven reasons to pick up a book
to read in your free time.
1. Improves Concentration
Information overload is one of the greatest challenges
facing the modern brain. We receive more visual information than ever before,
so our attention span has decreased to roughly eight seconds. This implies that
commercials, images on the Internet, and even graphics and presentations at
work require our attention, along with the device in our pocket.
Thankfully, one activity can help us regain our attention
and concentration: reading books. The brain is similar to a muscle in that it
functions better the more it is exercised.
Science verifies this.
One study demonstrated a significant association between
reading skills (e.g., reading accuracy and speed) and attentiveness. In
addition, Dr. Ken Pugh, president and CEO of Haskins Laboratories explains that
"from a neurological standpoint, reading demands greater concentration
than speech or visual processing.
Even if we are reading at work, reading increases our
ability to concentrate.
2. Reading Lessens Daily Stress
Working can be exhausting, particularly if it lasts a long
time. We are aware that excessive labor can have negative effects on our
physical and mental health, as well as our general well-being. There are also
personal matters that can be stressful. However, many of these effects are
likely the result of stress, which causes the body to create stress hormones
such as cortisol.
Psychologists have identified the reason why reading
relieves stress. Reading is beneficial because it efficiently calms you by
diverting your attention and engrossing you in a story. Additionally, six
minutes of daily reading in silence can help lower stress.
3. The Average Lifespan Increases by Two Years
This may or may not come as a surprise, but your job is
likely killing you. By "killing," we mean "lowering life
expectancy," which refers to the assumption that high-stress levels
increase the risk of a person developing a chronic illness. According to a
Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare study, a person under persistent high
stress loses approximately 2.8 years of life.
Nevertheless, there is excellent news!
Reading can add two years to a person's life expectancy,
which is one of its many benefits. This conclusion is based on data from over
3,500 persons tracked for 12 years. In addition, the study indicated that the
more frequently a person reads, the lower their mortality rate is compared to
those who read less.
What are the key takeaways? Reading can entirely or largely
remove the negative effects of work stress and lengthen your life. What is the
reason for this?
4. It May Enhance Your Empathy
The capacity to deal with social circumstances is crucial in
the workplace. How you ask for something and how you respond to what you are
told can determine whether or not you upset someone.
These abilities will aid you in occasionally interacting
with your supervisor, coworkers, and HR. These skills are also useful at home,
where you interact with more people - friends, relatives, neighbors, etc. And
if you're exhausted, it's unlikely that you'll study diligently.
There is a further justification for you to read a book
after or while at work.
This has to do with the benefits of fiction reading, which
can help you build EQ (emotional intelligence) and theory of mind
(understanding the mental states and beings of others).
According to research, literary fiction readers are more
empathic than general fiction readers (science fiction). This study concludes
that chronic involvement with the thoughts of others, including fictional
thoughts, can increase the psychological processes that support
intersubjectivity.
5. Help You Fall Asleep Better
It is common knowledge that productivity
at work is directly proportional to sleep quality and the number of
hours you sleep. Although many people are aware of this, they frequently have
so much work that they feel restless and want to check work-related emails
before bed. However, this type of brain stimulation inhibits the brain from
awakening during the night. Thus, reading a physical book is superior to
reading on a mobile device.
As previously stated, reading reduces tension, which makes
falling asleep faster because it relaxes you. However, reading a book before
bed has two advantages: You are no longer exposed to information (such as on
social media) that can promote wakefulness.
What is its significance? Because it is generally known that
blue light increases melatonin production and disturbs circadian rhythms, one
study revealed that using social media before bed profoundly impacted sleep
quality.
You're probably thinking, "However, I can't see in the
dark. Therefore, I can't read a book." In this circumstance, we recommend
an amber reading lamp with a brightness of up to 3,000 Kelvin, such as this
one, which blocks 99 percent of the blue light spectrum.
6. A Actual Book Helps Avoid Cognitive Decline
As people age, they naturally grow more prone to
Alzheimer's, dementia, and other cognitive diseases, which can impair their
capacity to operate effectively later in life (because studying later in life
can also help keep the brain sharp).
In this context, "sensitivity" is not synonymous
with "defeat" because the brain is like a muscle, and reading is like
a dumbbell: the more you use them, the stronger (better) they become. According
to research, it aids in preventing mental health issues later in life.
Before reaching for your Kindle or e-reader, remember that
not all books offer the same benefits.
Science demonstrates that the spatial component is encoded
when information is captured in our memory. This is one of the reasons why
reading physical books is beneficial for our brains. In other words, when we
recall a book, we also recall its place of origin. This memory portion is
enhanced when the book is physically present, as the tactile response transmits
messages to the brain throughout the encoding process.
Several studies demonstrate that reading printed material
has distinct advantages to reading the same content on a screen. As
demonstrated by other research, the ability to comprehend a text depends on the
media in which it is received.
