8 Ways reading can improve your life

Books are without a doubt among the most precious things we have in the world.

A book, any book, has an incredible power to transfer knowledge, take its reader to another world, bring out emotions and stand timeless in all its glory. Thanks to technology, books are more accessible than ever, making it easy for everyone to enjoy a good book. Sadly, not everyone is taking advantage of this fact; in fact, less and less people, especially adults, cultivate the habit of reading regularly. If you are among the majority of people who have read only between 1 to 6 books a year, you might want to refer below for 8 amazing ways in which reading can make you better at life. 

1.Reduce your Stress

We all know that daily life can be extremely stressful, and at the end of the day, we all want our stress to melt away. Luckily, reading is a very cost effective way of making that happen. A good book can transport you to a completely different world and make your mind shift gears. A great novel can help you unwind and forget about all of your worries. If you are one of those people who find it difficult keeping still in one place, you should definitely give reading a try, it will automatically keep you still while immersing you in other realms and soothing your mind. 

2. Improve vocabulary

The more you read, the more your vocabulary will be expanded. Reading is a much more effective way to pick up new words than conversation or direct teaching. When you read, your mind tends to focus on every word that you read, and these words will eventually make their way into your everyday vocabulary. Frequent reading will inevitably result in you being more articulate and well spoken, and these traits can certainly help you in your career as well as everyday life. 

3. Knowledge

What better way is there to increase your knowledge than reading a book? This does not limit to academic books; in fact, almost any book you read will teach you something new in one way or another. Reading is also an excellent way of tickling ones curiosity and nourishes the need to learn new things. Reading regularly will make you smarter and keep your mind sharper as the years go by.

4. Improve memory

Let’s face it: many of us out there don't have a great memory, in fact, sometimes we struggle to remember what we had for breakfast, or worse, whether we had it at all! Reading is a great way to improve your memory skills. When reading a book, your brain has to remember different characters, their background, traits, and other details as the story develops. Our brains are quite amazing, and every time you make a new memory, new synapses (brain connections) are created, and the existing memories are strengthened. 

5. Increase Empathy

When reading a book, you will go through all the experiences the characters go through, with them. These stories will provide you with life-changing perspectives, and will present you with situations you never even thought of. Reading about each of these different scenarios and the impact they have on the characters will help you to better relate to the people in your life. Empathy is one of the greatest qualities one can have, and it should be improved in any way possible. 

6. Help in moment of need

All of us, at some point in our lives, have gone through a very difficult time. Books are amazing at helping us in the moment of need. Reading a book can bring great peace of mind, it can motivate us, encourage us, console us, and help us make sense out of a situation we saw as hopeless. There are incredible books out there that hold the power to change your life forever. 

7. Improved analytical skills

The more you read, the more your ability to analyse will improve. When reading a book, your brain carefully picks up all the details explained in the story and links them with one another to make sense out of the storyline. Your brain will develop the ability to recognise patterns and observe the smallest of details.  A book will test your analytical skills even after you are done reading it, when you will decide if it was well written, if the storyline was smooth, if the character development was well done. 

8. Improve creativity

The more you read, the less your brain will have barriers. When you absorb new information, this will function as fuel to generate new ideas that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Being creative can help you make your everyday life much simpler as you will be able to find simple and creative ways of facing the everyday challenges. 

There are so many reasons as to why you should make a habit of reading, but it all boils down to the fact that books can offer so much with such little or no cost at all, and we firmly believe that they are one of the things that make life great! What are the best books that you have ever read? What are the ones that helped you change your life in some way? Share with us in the comments below!