The Importance of Reading
You always heard it growing up in school, “You should really read more,” “It’s good for your brain.” Well, I’m here to tell you that maybe those well-meaning individuals weren’t wrong after all. Reading has many proven benefits and has been shown to even help boost creativity in various ways. When you find yourself in a rut, feeling uninspired and unsure of what to create, one valuable outlet you can take is to simply pick up a book and immerse yourself in a captivating new world that you would have never knew existed. Alternatively, you could pick out a book that teaches you a new skill you have always wanted to learn or discover something that inspires you to become a new and improved version of yourself. Books possess the incredible ability to offer us an escape from our reality, transporting our minds into different realms where our imaginations can embark on an exhilarating journey. Without the reliance on videos or pictures, we can continuously exercise and expand our minds by constructing our own vivid images based solely on the words the author has chosen to give us. They can be both informative and enlightening, teaching us new things about this diverse world we live in. Here are just a few of the many benefits of reading a book, regardless of whether it is fiction or nonfiction.
Improves Health
Keeping your mind healthy and sharp is just as important as maintaining physical fitness at the gym. We often focus on the well-being of our bodies but sometimes neglect the health of our minds. Numerous factors can affect our mental health, including challenges like depression and anxiety. Additionally, diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia can impair cognitive function, and a diagnosis can be devastating.
Research indicates that individuals who engage in regular reading are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia. Reading acts as an exercise for the mind, helping to keep it sharp and agile, much like going to the gym to combat obesity.
Helps With Sleep
We live in a society that is always on their phones. We exist on screens, and this habit has a well-documented side effect: it impairs our ability to sleep. The blue light emitted from our electronic devices stimulates our minds and makes it increasingly difficult to fall asleep. You may have heard people suggest putting away your phone an hour before bed.
What if you replaced that time spent scrolling through social media or watching TV with reading a chapter of a book? This could serve as an interesting experiment to determine if it truly helps improve your sleep quality.
Inspires
We are constantly learning, and by reading, we can expand our knowledge. It can inspire us to try new things. When we gain knowledge, we become more confident in ourselves in new situations because we know what to expect. We can explore new ways of thinking and open our minds to different ways of life. By allowing ourselves to consider new points of view, we can return to our craft with fresh and improved ideas to enhance our art.
Today, the challenge for you is to pick up a book and start reading. There are so many benefits to be found through reading. I truly believe it can enhance your creative process. Some books I have really enjoyed reading recently are the Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker. It dives into a character who enters a new reality when he falls asleep. This series has genuinely inspired me to think of new ways to write about my characters' experiences. Please share your favorite books in the comments below!
