So, Reading Makes You Healthier...5 Tips To Get You Started
I have always had an affinity for books. As a child with an incredible imagination, reading became a force in my life.
I would get a book, shut myself in my room and pretty much forget the world. Thankfully, this habit of getting lost in books has followed me to adulthood, so imagine my excitement when I found out about the wellness benefits of reading. Also, since we are still going strong with #100daysofwellness how awesome is it that reading helps us to be healthier! Read these scientific facts about reading every day.
Increases memory
Diminishes the risk of Alzheimer’s [1]
Enhances creativity
Improves problem solving
improves analytical writing and conversation skills
Reduces illness (mental and physical)
Reduces stress and anxiety
Increases empathy
Enhances sleep quality
Source: jessamy.little, “The wellness benefits of reading&8 practical tips to get you started,”Thrive Global https://medium.com/thrive-global/the-wellness-benefits-of-reading-8-practical-tips-to-get-you-started-33994be19e7f
Do you already have a reading habit? If not, try these 5 tips to get started:
Build a list of books you want to read. Try to put together a mixed bag of serious and lighthearted reads, as well mixed up lengths and genres. Feel free to even drop a few young adult literature on the list.
Schedule quiet reading time. writing anything down in an agenda or journal has been shown to help us commit to them.
Try to choose books that are interesting and quick to get through. Yes this works, if reading is not your thing, it probably isn’t a good idea to start with a 1000 page epic story. Start small and work your way through a few good books on your list.
Use audio books to help you read along. You might think this is infantile, but having the audio book play while you read the actual book is an excellent way to keep concentration if focus is difficult for you when it comes to reading. I know people who use this method to get them back in the habit of reading with amazing results. Go ahead and try it, if you want to build deeper concentration when you read.
Don’t take is too seriously. Reading is meant to be fun. Sometimes, I leave books half- read and come back to them weeks or months later after reading many other books in between. It is totally fine to have fun with books, try not to over think or over commit yourself to reading a bunch of material you don’t even find interesting. Reading is meant to feed your soul. And stressing out about it just gets in the way of that.
And since it is women’s history month you can Start with some of my favorite books in last few years:
Freedom is a constant struggle , Angela Y. Davis
When they Call you a terrorist, Patrisse Kahn- Coleursand Asha Bandele
And of course,
Dear Ijeawele, Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie
With that said, GO READ AND BE WELL. THE END. ;)
Sources:
[1]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27471129