10 Life-changing benefits of reading

How many times have you heard someone say 'reading is important', 'reading is good for you' or the cringe-worthy 'reading is a workout for the brain'? What if we said the urban myths are true? That reading not only is important, but is indeed a workout and good for your long-term wellbeing?

Yes, the rumours are true. People who read for pleasure are scientifically proven to have a more fulfilled, happy and healthy life. Over the past years, universities, literacy associations and charities have financed and conducted research that not only supports these theories, but reveals brain-fizzing results!

'Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success, more than the school they go to, more than parents’ educational background or their income,' says Alison David, Consumer Insights Director at Egmont Publishing. The small act of encouraging children to read and nurturing a passion for books and stories from a young age can make a big difference in so many aspects of our children's lives.

Did you know that reading can slow down heart rates, alleviate physical pain and even give better financial skills in life? These are just some of the amazing benefits of reading, proving that, as Stephen King said, 'Books are a uniquely portable magic.'

Here are just 10 of the amazing benefits of reading for pleasure:

Georgina Atwell

Toppsta

2024-12-31

10 Life-changing benefits of reading

1. It INCREASES BLOOD FLOW IN THE BRAIN AND DELAYS DEMENTIA

A team of neurobiological and radiology researchers from the University of Stanford handed some humanities PhD students Jane Austen books and observed what reading did to their brains. What they discovered was truly amazing...

When they checked the results, they noticed 'a dramatic and unexpected increase in blood flow to regions of the brain beyond those responsible for “executive function,” areas which would normally be associated with paying close attention to a task, such as reading'. Blood flow helps our brain to get nutrients and oxygen.

Dementia is very much connected to our brain's blood flow, and a 14-year study published in 2020 revealed that reading protects cognitive function as we age. Studies have also shown that avid readers were able to delay the onset of dementia by up to five years!

2. IT REDUCES PHYSICAL PAIN

In 2021 scientists conducted a study in a hospital in Brazil, where 81 child patients between the ages of 2 and 7 were treated for pain and stress.

The study observed the children after 25-30 minute sessions with a storyteller. They studied their saliva samples' levels of cortisol hormones, which are related to stress, and discovered that after the reading sessions they had less cortisol in their saliva, meaning they were less stressed. The children also said they felt less pain.

Scientists were also able to use that same saliva to test the children's levels of oxytocin, which is related to empathy, bringing us onto the next benefit of reading...

3. IT BUILDS CAPACITY FOR EMPATHY

Did you know that only only 10% of our empathetic ability is genetic? The rest is all learned...and books are a great medium to create and build empathy in our hearts.

The study mentioned above also noticed increased levels of oxytocin, a hormone related to empathy, in hospitalised children who were read stories. But what happens in the long term? Studies have proven that people who read have more complex social understanding skills and some scientists have been suggesting specific books and activities to bring reading into the classroom with the purpose of building empathy.

Booktrust, the UK's largest reading charity, have released a report about how children who read are more likely to build empathy and creativity. Our friends over at EmpathyLab, first organisation to build children's empathy, literacy and social activism through a systematic use of high-quality literature, come out every year with a list of selected books to help build empathy in young readers.

4. IT helps you sleep

Issues with sleep are very common, and on average 1 in 4 people have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. But we're working to find a solution and one seems to be ditching phones before going to sleep and grabbing a book instead.

In 2021, a study was released which compared the sleep of people who read before going to sleep versus those who don't. This study was called The Reading Trial, and for 7 days 991 people were assigned to read in bed or not to. Not all participants finished the trial, but the results spoke clearly.

Reading in bed before sleep can potentially improve overall sleep quality AND the people who were assigned to reading before bed reported fewer problems staying asleep. It might be time to bring bedtime stories back...

5. IT lowers blood pressure, heart rate and psychological distress

Did you know reading has the same effect as a yoga session or a stand-up comedy show? Reading is super effective when it comes to managing stress.

In a study analysing stressed health science students, about 24 students were given 30-minute sessions of yoga, humour or...you guessed it: reading! The sessions all proved effective to reducing stress, proven by the reduction in systolic blood pressure, and a decrease in heart rate. Reading, quite literally, forces you to slow down! Relaaaax!

6. IT improves your concentration, focus and increases your attention span

In an age where working smarter has become so important, we're all searching for ways to be more productive in shorter amounts of time and increase our focus levels. What if reading for pleasure was an easy solution?

Sometimes, while curling up with a good book, we truly lose track of time, and before we know it hours will have flown by! Consuming long-form imaginative content is a great way to train our brains to concentrate for longer periods of time and is proven to help with focus and increasing attention spans.

7. IT IMPROVES our relationship with others and ourselves

Reading opens our inner and external worlds, taking us on epic journeys of self-discovery or travels around the world. Avid readers are exposed to more cultures, ways of thinking and experience than most people!

It's no surprise that a study commissioned by The Reading Agency and conducted by BOP Consulting in 2015 has shown that reading can improve our relationship with others, and that readers have more social interactions and more social and cultural capital.

The study also proved that readers have a knowledge of the self and can self-regulate when it comes to strong emotions. Through reading, you can understand not only others, but most importantly yourself!

8. IT INCREASES HAPPINESS

Dr Seuss said it: 'The more that you read, the happier you will be. The things you learn will set you free.'

The Booktrust Reading Habits Survey in 2013 proved that people who read books for pleasure are 'significantly more likely to be happy and content with their life'. The study analysed 1500 people's reading habits and effects, and the readers in this study said reading made them feel good and they feel that books improve their life.

Avid readers and people who loved to read averaging 3-4 books a month were also the happiest segment of people in the survey.

9. IT MAKES YOU MORE SUCCESSFUL

Reading is a fundamental life skill and books don't just take you to extraordinary places with your imagination, they can take you to fantastic heights in real life too!

The Scottish Book Trust recently published an article detailing how children who read for pleasure generally do better in life.

One of the most astonishing discoveries is that good reading skills lead to children being four times as likely to have good financial skills and success in life! Reading can be more significant to a child's success in life than any of their other circumstances.

In 2019, the National Literary Trust also released data that shows a child's perseverance 'is a direct predictor of skills in reading and financial capability'. Children reading for pleasure experience character's going through troubles to reach their end goal, and they're less likely to be discouraged when they encounter difficulties of their own...which brings us to our very last benefit from reading.

10. IT BUILDS RESILIENCE

Set-backs are a part of everyone's life, and readers are proven to be more resilient. Characters going on epic journeys, quests or overcoming their own struggles stick with us forever, become friends and, sometimes, our inspiration.

Booktrust's Benefits of Reading Report has dedicated a whole section to resilience, showing that children who read 'are more likely to overcome disadvantage caused by inequalities' and will experience better social mobility and will be more likely to overcome the barriers they might face throughout education due to their particular circumstances. Reading for pleasure gives children the chance to learn on their terms, and sometimes these self-generated learning opportunities can be as valuable as years of traditional education!

Reading is truly a fundamental ingredient for humankind's wellbeing. Books inspire us, entertain us, educate us, mobilitate us, and help us enter inner worlds we might not even know we possess. And, yes, it's all scientifically proven and undeniably true.

Georgina Atwell

Toppsta

2024-12-31

10 Life-changing benefits of reading

10 Life-changing benefits of reading

1. It INCREASES BLOOD FLOW IN THE BRAIN AND DELAYS DEMENTIA

2. IT REDUCES PHYSICAL PAIN

3. IT BUILDS CAPACITY FOR EMPATHY

4. IT helps you sleep

5. IT lowers blood pressure, heart rate and psychological distress

6. IT improves your concentration, focus and increases your attention span

7. IT IMPROVES our relationship with others and ourselves

8. IT INCREASES HAPPINESS

9. IT MAKES YOU MORE SUCCESSFUL

10. IT BUILDS RESILIENCE

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