Quick — can you think of the title of the last book you read? If not, you may need to add some literature into your life. The sheer act of reading has mental benefits that help everyone, whether you prefer fiction, nonfiction, trade magazines, or the latest sci-fi trilogy. Read eBooks or paper; just get yourself into the helpful habit of reading.
- Reading will make you smarter and increase your brainpower. Reading increases vocabulary without you even realizing it. It can open your mind to entire new ways of thinking or new worlds, concepts that get those neurons firing and creating neural pathways that lead to more complex thinking. Consider reading a mental workout, which your brain needs to stay sharp. Reading can even lower mental decline as you age through frequent brain activity.
- Reading can help you de-stress. If you’ve never ended a hectic day with a good book, start now. Doing so will decrease the cortisol in your body (a stress hormone), and you don’t have to read for a long time to reap the benefits. Your mind and body focus on what you’re reading rather than outside stressors. From this comes the idea of losing yourself in a good book.
- Reading can improve your memory. Think about it: As you read, you have to recall certain characters and their personalities, backgrounds, problems, and responses, as well as settings, plot points, and the like. The more you read, the better your brain becomes at remembering all of that and filtering it so you can keep it all straight. Every new memory creates a new neural pathway and reinforces the old ones, helping with short-term memory and mood stability.
- Reading improves your concentration and focus. With our world of constant pings and buzzes from our ever-present screens, it’s harder to focus on anything longer than a few minutes at best. And multitasking (which doesn’t actually work as well as we think it does) continues to pull our attention in different directions simultaneously. All of this spread-out attention actually causes us more stress and lowers However, when you read, you focus on the story and what’s happening, diving deeply into the world created by the author. If possible, try to read for 15-20 minutes each day before work (checking social media doesn’t count) and see how your focus increases.
So, once you stop reading this article, go find yourself a good book and start reaping the benefits. For help finding your next career opportunity, reach out to the experienced staffing team at Medical Professionals.
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