As we become more integrated into the digital age, reading takes its place in the background of everyday life. While most experts believe that this is the fault of technology, it has more to do with how much attention humans pay to facts that actually matter. After graduating high school, about a third of users never pick up another book. Almost half of all college students in the US will not read a book once they have their degree. Why is there such a wide disparity in people who want to read for pleasure? While a large section of the population is missing out on the vitality that reading provides to their lives, those who read seldom think about it much. It is true that reading one book a month can improve your life significantly, but what exactly does this entail?
Those who have taken a liking to e-books still go for a printed copy here and there. But the issue is not the fact that people are not reading enough. It is that they are not retaining and applying what they read. The old fashioned will say that reading enhances the mind. But how can it enhance your life?
The End of a Decade
Since the 2010s have finally come to an end, a new decade is about to fall on us. And when it comes to readers there are many growing possibilities of how they can get the best out of the upcoming decade. A lot has taken place in the last ten years, from the internet takeover to machine learning. So, at the end of the decade, there are some obvious ways where reading can make your life easier.
Pay More Attention
Reading allows your mind to stay focused on a single sentence or topic. And while the mind does tend to wander off at times, the concept of allowing a book to take over your mind completely is enhanced by reading. Making notes allows you to keep track of what you have read, whether it is a quote, a fact or any other piece of information.
Become the Teacher
The application of knowledge is important but it seldom hits the mark. When it comes to reading and its impactful implementation, one becomes their own teacher. Possessing the right kind of information (especially in the new millennia) can make you your own best asset.
Devour Your Interests
Devouring a book is how you will become more in tune with the range of interests you have. Once you realize what reading a book fully is truly like, you will be able to talk about it more openly with others and take part in lively discussions.
The Many Benefits of Reading
Reducing Stress
Although there are a number of ways you can reduce overall stress in your life, reading is one of the main ways to do this. You can accompany this with listening to music or enjoying a cup of tea to make it a more relaxing holiday. Studies have shown that reading is able to reduce stress levels by 68% when compared to other tasks. This is not restricted to the kind of book you read or what genre you enjoy. As long as you are engrossed in a book and all your attention is directed at the words, you will be benefiting from a stress-free mindset.
Encouraging Doubt
Opening your mind to new possibilities and enhancing your views has to come with a little bit of doubt. You have to reconsider what you already know about certain areas in life and then implement new knowledge for more growth. This is essential to getting the most out of your reading materials, by ensuring that you are giving yourself more to think about. Critically thinking and analyzing whatever you read and then noting its impact on your life is the first step to self-learning.
Sleeping Better
One of the best changes to make to your nighttime routine is the incorporation of good books. Using TV or your phone to fall asleep is almost never nearly as effective as a book. These devices are known for disrupting your sleep because of the blue light they emit. This can greatly reduce the quality of your sleep. But when you read from a physical book, you can allow yourself to relax easily and thus sleep better.
Low-Budget Entertainment
Entertainment is not hard to come across in this new digital age. But watching the same old concept being reused in movies and TV shows can bore you easily. Visiting your local bookstores or taking a trip to the library can easily give you a new way to be entertained. You are able to find books on all kinds of topics that will fuel any interests you have. And once you get bored, there will be another book just waiting for you. As far as entertainment systems go, this is quite efficient and will last a long time with minimal costs.
Fueling Young Minds
A lot of parents want their kids to take more interest in reading. But this can be hard to do when children are introduced to phones and tablets from very early ages. Therefore, for children to become interested in reading, parents have developed a ‘practice what you preach approach’. They will often read out loud to their kids before their bedtime throughout the week and encourage them to take more interest in frequent reading. Such active participation will not just spark curiosity but also fuels young minds to do their best in their future personal lives and careers.
In Conclusion
To enlarge your perspective and add interesting new knowledge to your mind, you can definitely adopt reading as a hobby. In the upcoming decade, we will be seeing a lot of scientific and socio-economic changes throughout the globe. However, books will remain constant in impacting our lives and giving more hope to the future. To get the best out of the following decade, take an interest in books that will teach you and intimidate you at the same time.