Whether enhancing your digital experience with an e-book, or cracking open a hard copy or soft cover, there are benefits of reading books that can positively affect your life. Reading contains both physical and mental benefits, starting from childhood and continuing through the senior years. Reading books can change your brain and your body for the better!
Reading literally changes your mind by:
Reducing stress and helping to alleviate symptoms of depression. Fictional reading allows a temporary escape through imagined experiences of the characters. Self-help books can offer strategies to manage stress, anxiety and depression.
Helping to prevent age-related cognitive decline. The National Institute on Aging recommends reading books and magazines to keep the brain thinking clearly.
Preparing for a good night’s sleep. Reading as part of a regular sleep routine helps relax the mind. Choose a print book rather than reading on a device, as the lights from screens could keep you awake.
Increasing the ability to empathize. Reading fiction stories that explore the inner lives of characters may heighten ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.
Literature can help us to learn to replace long-established, negative ways of thinking with a new healthier approach to life and to love.