15 incredible benefits from reading every day

Ever feel like all you read are just social media posts and news in tweet form? Feel like you’re never reading anything substantial? Nervous that your book-reading days seem long gone?

I certainly was. In this information age, my attention was split on too many platforms, and I felt I was suffering.

Turns out, there are major benefits of reading books and other long-form articles every day.

Knowing that there were so many benefits of reading, I decided to reincorporate reading books into my daily life. I have to admit, the results were profound.

So what were they? Let’s take a look!

In this article, we’ll cover 15 incredible benefits of reading, many of which are backed by scientific studies.

So read on to discover what reading benefits you can gain!

1. Promotes mental health

Research suggests that people who keep their brains active by reading or playing mentally challenging games like chess are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spend their down time on less stimulating activities.

Studies have shown that staying mentally alert can slow the progress of (or possibly even prevent) Alzheimer’s and dementia.

2. Reduces stress

Snuggling up with a good book can transport you to the magic of other worlds away from immediate worries, reducing stress.

A 2009 study by the University of Sussex found that reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by up to 68%.

Dr Lewis, Cognitive Neuropsychologist told the Telegraph: “Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation. This is particularly poignant in uncertain economic times when we are all craving a certain amount of escapism.”

A well-written, substantial article can have the same effect.

3. Improves general knowledge

If you want to be a well-rounded human being capable of holding a conversation on a variety of topics, you need to be a reader. And your reading material needn’t be any serious subject matter for you to pick up some tidbits of information that can come in handy someday.

I have never met a well-read person who is not also an interesting person. But I’ve come across quite a number of boring people who clearly never open a book.

Besides, the more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to handle many of life’s challenges. Which brings me to the next point.

4. More empathetic

Reading about the life and times of people who live or lived in different circumstances from you can make it easier for you to understand and relate to those who are different from you.

It makes you more empathetic.

A book on gay relationships can be a real eye-opener if you are straight; a book on the life of an African living in Paris can be equally revealing.

Books are there to open the world up for us; to take us out of our own environment and show us the realities of others out there. Some books have the power to change your mind and outlook completely.

5. Expands vocabulary

The more you read, the more your vocabulary improves. The more your vocabulary improves, the better you can express your own thoughts and feelings. Language is such a wonderful tool with so many fantastic words for us to use to express ourselves.

People who are able to use language skillfully with a wide range of descriptive vocabulary have always captured the imagination and admiration of others.

It is a fact that the ability to be articulate impresses others and paves the way to promotions, leadership roles, and public office.

Researchers from Spain’s University of Santiago de Compostela found that a rich vocabulary delays mental decline. The broader your vocabulary, the better your chance of mental health well into old age.

6. Improves writing skills

This goes hand-in-hand with improved vocabulary. People who read a lot, especially well-written material, absorb different writing styles and are able to emulate a good writing style because they are subconsciously influenced by it.

The more you read and the better quality writing you read, the more it will improve your own writing ability.

(Coursera has a number of academic courses for better writing. Check out my Coursera review for 2020 here).

7. Stronger analytical thinking skills

A typical “whodunit” which many readers find so enthralling poses a mystery that is a challenge for readers to solve, which helps develop their analytical skills.

It is thrilling to read a mystery and try to solve the mystery yourself. Even if you don’t solve it, you still practiced your critical and analytical thinking in the most pleasurable way.

8. Improves memory

In order to follow a plot you have to remember quite a lot and that is good practice for your brain. You have to remember a range of characters, their backgrounds, actions, roles in the plot, as well as the various sub-plots that make up the story.

After all, you won’t comprehend what you’re reading if you don’t remember certain details as you read. So reading, keeps the brain’s memorizing ability in practice.

9. Improves focus and concentration

people a substantial piece of writing strengthens your focus because it requires focus to read. Unless you focus, you won’t follow what you’re reading.

In fact, reading is an antidote to today’s obsession with multi-tasking – writing an email while chatting online, keeping an eye on your phone, drinking coffee and checking reactions on your Twitter feed. This habit scatters attention and hampers productivity – actually, you get very little done.

Reading requires focus, something that often is sorely lacking in our society. Making time to read 15-20 minutes every day can improve your ability to focus and ultimately help you to be more productive.

10. Free entertainment

Isn’t it great that you can have yourself transported to a different world through a well-written book at no cost to yourself? Books are pricey, but you don’t have to buy them. There are libraries where books cost nothing and secondhand books stores where they cost next to nothing, in addition to online resource where you can download free e-books.

11. Boosts sleep

Most avid readers can attest to this. There is nothing quite like falling asleep with a book in your hands. Reading is like a sleeping pill, it is relaxing and sleep-inducing, especially if you’re tired and stressed out.

Reading doesn’t only help you to fall asleep, it also improves your overall sleep quality. Since it’s relaxing and helps you to de-stress, reading can lead you into a deep and restful sleep.

12. Inner tranquility

In addition to reducing your overall stress levels, it’s possible that the subject you’re reading about brings you an immense amount of inner peace and tranquillity.

Reading spiritual texts, for example, has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure. Self-help books can assist people in dealing with mood disorders.

Whatever inner state you’re seeking to attain, there’s likely a book that will help get you there.

13. You become better at conversations

This one comes from personal experience.

I was spending time with a friend recently when she said the nicest thing. “Justin”, she said, “I really enjoy spending time with you because the conversations are always interesting. You always bring something up from a book you’ve just read and it blows my mind.”

Reading regularly gives me much to think about, which means I’ve got an endless amount of new topics to explore when I’m with my friends. We have much better conversations as a result.

14. Reading is a workout for your brain

There’s a difference between passively watching television and actively reading.

When you’re reading, you’re training your mind to focus on new information and take it in. As mentioned earlier, this improves analytical skills and memory.

It means that reading becomes a workout for your brain.

According to Ken Pugh, president of Haskins Laboratories:

“[P]arts of the brain that have evolved for other functions — such as vision, language, and associative learning — connect in a specific neural circuit for reading, which is very challenging.”

In short, reading spurs your brain to think and concentrate.

15. Reading is contagious

Finally, it’s good to know that your love of reading is going to have important downstream consequences, especially if you have children.

When people around you read, you’re more likely to do so yourself.

You can take advantage of this fact by regularly reading out loud to your children at home.

A new report from Scholastic suggests that reading out loud to kids through their early schooling inspires them to become frequent readers in adulthood.

In turn, they’re more likely to inspire their own kids to become readers as well.

In an age of information overload, it’s fantastic that more and more people are understanding the benefits of reading. It’s a fantastic way to expand the mind.

Why is it good to read every day?

It’s clear that there are significant benefits from reading.

The next question is:

What will you do about it?

If you want to get the most benefits from reading, I think it logically follows that you should start reading every day.

When you read every day, you’re regularly engaging your brain in a workout.

Yet it’s not enough to have the intention to read more. You have to actually get started and make it happen.

I recommend implementing the following simple rule into your life:

Every day, don’t go to sleep unless you’ve read at least one page of a book.

Here are a few ideas on how to implement this rule:

• Have a fiction book beside your bed. When you go to bed without having read a page of a book that day, you have your solution next to you. It will actually help you to fall asleep.
• Keep a book in your bag or briefcase that you usually take to work. Read a page on your lunch or coffee breaks.
• Create a routine of reading in the evenings. Go to a quiet place at home or at a local park and read a single page.

The reason to have the goal of reading only a single page is that it makes it manageable. It’s easy to read a single page.

You’ll likely read many more pages per day, and end up reading dozens of books per year.

Keep your goals simple. Start to read a single page every day. Change your habits and routines and your life will also change.

Benefits of reading every day

Reading is a positive habit that has life-long impacts on your health.

It’s like exercising or eating your vegetables.

In fact, studies have shown that reading every day can actually increase your life expectancy.

A study of over 3,600 participants found that those who read regularly lived an average of 2 years longer than those who didn’t regularly read books and news articles.

In addition, the study suggested that those who read 3.5 hours a week (30 minutes a day) were 23%  likelier to outlive those who didn’t read regularly.

That’s right! Reading helps you live longer!

Improve your attention by reading every day

Another key benefit of reading every day is that it improves your attention span. By reading books or other long-form media, as opposed to tweets or statuses, we help re-wire our brain to not be distracted as easily. Instead, we are forced to increase our concentration as we have to follow the story in-sequence.

Basically, because the story or article has a narrative to it, our brains have to process the story logically, connecting a to b to c. This process improves our ability to concentrate and boosts our attention span.

Benefits of reading fiction

Reading fiction gives us some unique health benefits.

Makes you more openminded

When you read fiction, you follow the story of characters who are different than you. Reading about their struggles, their passions, their achievements allows you to connect with people who are different than you and your culture, opening you up to understanding and appreciating the validity of people from all backgrounds.

Improves relationships

Fiction books can be thought of as “reality simulators.” When we read fiction books, we see how realistic characters navigate complicated interpersonal relationships. We can then apply these lessons to our daily lives, improving ourselves in the process.

Boosts creativity

Sometimes the best ideas come from fiction. Think of all the great sci-fi books in the history of literature. Doesn’t it seem that they practically invented technologies well before they actually arrived?

Maybe it’s because they did — they invented the idea! These ideas then inspired others to build upon their ideas to make them realities.

When you read a fiction novel, you can be inspired by the creativity present in the story, boosting your problem-solving abilities.

Health benefits of reading

The Health benefits of reading cannot be overstated. Reading offers profound physical and mental health benefits. Simply reading a book 30 minutes a day can confer numerous benefits such as:

Illness reduction

Reading books can mitigate the symptoms of severe mental illnesses, including panic disorders, depression, and anxiety.

Improves overall intelligence

When you read to young children, you actively stimulate their brains, helping them expand their vocabularies. When children expand their vocabularies, they tend to perform higher on intelligence tests, meaning that your reading to your children is critical to their intellectual development.

Increases your social circle

Reading, even though it’s a solitary activity, often leads to an expansion of your social circle through reading groups and other discussion groups. Maintaining a strong friend group is a critical way to prevent premature aging, depression, or death.

What is the main purpose of reading?

The main purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what you already know.

If you don’t know much about a subject, reading will seem more difficult. It will take longer to build up a stock of knowledge to relate the new information to.

But if you read about a subject you already have existing knowledge of, you’ll be connect what you’re reading with what you already know.

Something special then happens. When you’re sleeping that night, your brain will reformulate the connections between different ideas in your head. Check out the video below where I explain this process:

Reading enhances the creative process by providing more inputs to your eventual creative output.

Why is reading important in today’s society?

Reading is an underrated activity. But it’s becoming more important in today’s society.

Why?

The reason is simple. We are living in a society with an increasing availability of information. We are bombarded with images throughout all forms of communication technology.

At the same time, the average length of our attention spans is decreasing.

Reading is an activity you can engage in to buck this trend. You’ll improve your concentration spans and learn how to be more discerning in the face of so much information.

Do you want to start reading more?

I recommend joining Ideapod’s Tribe membership program where you get immediate access to our library of eBooks. The eBooks are worth hundreds of dollars, but you can join with a 7-day free trial.

Learn more about Tribe membership here.

Finally, if you’re looking for 9 science-backed reasons why reading makes you smarter, check out the infographic below by Geediting.