Generally speaking, I know that most people don't have the time to sit down and read a book. Going to school, working, and everything else that most people have going on in their lives doesn't leave a lot of free time, and many people don't think reading can be enjoyable.
After reading textbooks for school, I can completely understand that reasoning. However, as someone who loves to read, and will generally pick reading over doing things that should be more important, I cannot begin to explain how amazing reading can be.
As a kid, I grew up with someone reading to me, or I would always have a book. My mom has been in the education field her whole life, so books were always around the house. Barnes and Noble was a place that we often frequented. I could spend hours in a bookstore, just browsing through and exploring all the different types of books in there.
There is this vivid memory from third grade, I had picked a Harry Potter book off of the shelf at my elementary school and the librarian said that it would be too hard for me to read. I took it home anyway, and it was definitely hard, but that was the book that made me fall in love with reading. After that, I would read any book that I could get my hands on. To this day, I usually have a book with me.
If reading isn't your cup of tea, I get it. However, there is now research that reading can help improve your health, and even be key in living longer. So maybe picking up a book will be more worthwhile now. In the past few years, there have been studies about the effects of reading on mental health. The results make me glad that I have been an avid reader.
Reading can act as a way to reduce stress, and considering the amount of stress on everyone, is nice to know. Reading provides people with a chance to take a break from reality and all of the lingering problems that they might be facing. Just the act of reading is relaxing, sitting and letting your body relax and the tension from a hard day at work just begin to fade away. Not to mention the chance to let your mind not dwell on the issues facing you 24/7.
If that hasn't convinced you that reading is worthwhile, how about if reading increases knowledge, improves focus and concentration, AND can help prevent mental decline and the development of Alzheimer's? What else in the world can provide all of these, and even more amazing benefits? The answer is nothing, besides living a healthy life.
Anyways, let's get back to the benefits. A study published in the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America stated that those who are taking part in brain-engaging activities such as reading are up to 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer's. Not to mention that focus and attention span can be improved as well. Attention span and ability to focus are directly related to productivity.
In this era, attention spans are at a low, especially with the amount of social media in the world. We can get distracted by a tweet, snapchat, or text at any moment. Reading gives us the chance to learn how to focus and be able to not get distracted as easily, thus increasing productivity.
I know that reading can be difficult, and a huge part of the challenge can be the ability to find the right book. To help with that, I started using Goodreads. It's like a social media page for people who read. The site allows you to log the books you've read, as well as the genres that might interest you. It makes the challenge of finding a book easier.
If reading still isn't that interesting to you, it's fine. Reading isn't something that everyone likes, and forcing someone to read isn't going to help either.
It might not hurt to try it, though, maybe start out reading with friends to make it less daunting. Either way, at least we know that when we read, there are great benefits.
