1) Introduction
Reading is an activity that has been a part of human culture for centuries. It has the power to transport us to other worlds, expose us to new ideas, and broaden our perspectives. However, reading is not just an entertaining activity; it has the power to change our lives in significant ways. To be clear, I am not talking about only reading non-fiction. All these benefits you also get from reading fiction. In this blog post, you will explore how reading can improve our mental health, expand your knowledge, improve your communication skills and build your empathy.2) Boosts Mental Health
Reading is a powerful tool that can improve your mental
health in many ways. Firstly, it has been shown to reduce stress
levels by providing a form of relaxation and escapism. Additionally, reading
enhances cognitive functions such as memory, concentration, and analytical
thinking. Finally, it can also develop our emotional intelligence, allowing us
to better understand and regulate our emotions.
3) Expanding Knowledge
Reading is an excellent way to gain new knowledge and
insights about specific topics. It exposes you to diverse perspectives,
providing us with a deeper understanding of the world around us.
Furthermore, reading non-fiction can teach us practical skills to apply in our
daily lives, such as cooking or financial management. Reading also develops
critical thinking skills, which are essential for evaluating and analyzing new
information.
4) Improve Communication Skills
Reading is a great way to improve our communication skills.
It helps us to expand our vocabulary, enhance our writing skills, and
communicate more effectively. As we read, we learn to recognize and
appreciate good writing, which can help us to become better writers ourselves.
Additionally, reading can also improve our verbal communication skills, by
exposing us to different speech patterns and sentence structures.
5) Builds Empathy
Reading is an excellent tool for building empathy and
developing our emotional intelligence. It exposes you to different perspectives
and allows us to experience situations through the eyes of others. This helps
us to understand and appreciate different cultures and backgrounds, and fosters
a sense of compassion towards others.
Imagine you're reading a novel about a character who comes
from a different background and culture than your own. As you
read the story, you begin to see the world through their eyes, understanding
their struggles and experiences in a new light. You might gain insights into
their cultural practices, values, and beliefs that you never knew before, which
can help you develop a deeper appreciation for diversity and different ways of
life. Through this process of empathizing with the character, you may also
develop a greater sense of compassion for others who come from different
backgrounds and experiences than your own. Overall, reading can be a powerful
tool for building empathy and expanding our emotional intelligence.
6) How to start reading
It's not uncommon to have books on your shelf that you
haven't read yet. You may understand the benefits of reading, but find it hard
to start. This could be due to the low level of dopamine you experience when
reading. Dopamine is a chemical in your body that makes you feel good
when you do activities that give you fast results, like scrolling through
social media or playing video games. When you read, the results come much
slower, and you experience a lower level of dopamine, which makes it difficult
to enjoy.
However, there is a solution to this problem: dopamine
detox. This means performing more activities that give you low levels of
dopamine, to get used to those activities. One practical way to start reading
is to do it after dinner, when your dopamine levels are naturally lower. Begin
with just five minutes of reading, even though it might not feel like it's
making a difference. Starting small will help you build your identity as a
reader and enable you to scale up gradually, as long as you practice
consistently.
7) Conclusion
The most important thing I want you to remember is that reading significantly boosts your mental health by reducing stress and enhancing cognitive functions like memory and concentration. By exposing you to different perspectives, reading can help you develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world around you. However, starting to read can be challenging, especially when dopamine levels make it difficult to enjoy. The solution is to perform dopamine detox and start small, gradually building your identity as a reader.
8) Your next steps
1. Choose a Low Dopamine Activity: Choose a low dopamine acitvity that you do during
the day like eating for example. (10 seconds)
2. Read for 5 minutes: Read for 5 minutes after that activity tomorrow.
3. Repeat: Now do this each weekday and remember the
golden rule of habits: “Never skip more than 2 times in a row!”
4. Stay Connected: Click the “about me” on the right side and hit the
Pinterest button to don’t miss my further posts about personal development. It
will only take 10 seconds of your time, but the benefits of staying informed
and motivated are priceless. (10 seconds)
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