10 Scientific Benefits to Reading Every Day — Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

When you read books, you are invited to an imaginary world filled with interesting characters and plots that sometimes mimic real life in your city. If you read nonfiction books, you learn more about historical events and you can learn the best ways to achieve personal growth in every area of your life. Reading helps you absorb information in a meaningful way, and you build your critical thinking skills. Here are 10 scientific benefits of reading.

1. Reading Makes You More Empathetic

One benefit of reading is that it builds empathy in you. According to research in the magazine Science, reading literary fiction helps you understand how people think by reading about others' struggles. If you're reading the autobiography of a single mother who later built a successful business, you feel happy for her and you no longer hold to certain stereotypes that are associated with single mothers.

2. Reading Facilitates Better Sleep

Another cool benefit of reading is that it facilitates better sleep. According to research in the journal Pediatrics, falling asleep with screens near kids can hinder their ability to sleep well at night. A better choice would be to read bedtime stories and talk with your kids before they fall asleep.

3. Reading Improves Your Cognition

As you age, your chances of cognitive decline decrease greatly. But not all hope is lost because reading boosts your cognitive skills as you age according to a 14-year study in the journal International Psychogeriatrics in 2021.

4. It Reduces Stress

Researchers at the Mindlab International at the University of Sussex found that regular reading reduces your stress levels. Their study showed that those who read books appeared more relaxed than those who didn't. The next time you feel stressed, read a good book.

5. Reading Improves Your Attention Span

Our digital age is causing a lot of us to have shorter attention spans, but we can improve them by reading. According to neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield, reading helps you process events in sequence, and this is a skill that kids especially benefit from.

6. You Gain Expertise In Your Industry

If you want to gain expertise in your industry and be seen as a go-to expert in a certain topic, it is a good idea to read a lot more books and journals. As you read more on the topic and apply what you learned, you will be able to offer insight to others at your job or business.

7. You'll Have Better Communication Skills

Another vital benefit of reading is that your communication skills improve. When you read regularly, you learn new vocabulary and it affects your writing and verbal communication skills. This is why it is a good idea to look up new words that you see in passages in order to learn what they mean.

8. You Become More Inclusive

Reading can help you become more open-minded toward groups of people who represent diverse backgrounds and who share opposing views than your own. As a result, you become a more inclusive person.

9. Reading Is Great For Bonding

To all the moms, reading to your children makes a wonderful bonding experience. When your child hears your soothing voice as you read to him, he's developing a stronger connection with you as his mom. This is a beautiful experience and you want to do this with your child frequently.

10. Reading Is Fun!

Depending on the types of books you prefer to read, reading can be a fun activity. Some good genres of books to read for fun include picture books, graphic novels, romance novels, mystery novels, and biographies about your favorite figures in history.

With all of the amazing benefits that reading offers, take the time to feed your brain with quality books today.

10 Scientific Benefits to Reading Every Day