A Strong Reading Habit Promotes Self Growth

If you want to grow as a person and live more positively, there are countless strategies that can lead to significant transformation. It can be overwhelming to consider all of the options you come across in the self-help genre. Some of these can also seem insurmountable in the amount of work involved. Growing as a person and making desired changes will take time and dedication, but the process doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, one surprising technique for self-enhancement can actually be quite enjoyable for many. It has been shown that a strong reading habit promotes self-growth. If you’re an avid reader, this is probably good news. Those who don’t consider themselves to be book nerds can still find ways to benefit from the process. Take a moment to delve into this topic in order to see if this may be something to add to your personal development arsenal.

Stay Sharp

We’re all aware that our minds tend to become less sharp with advanced age. Cognitive decline is a part of the aging process, but it has been shown that those who are regular readers are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than folks who don’t read. This seems to follow a “use it or lose it” philosophy. A focused mind is of utmost importance when it comes to being your best self, so adding reading time to your schedule is advised.

Get Strong

Not only will reading help to ward off cognitive decline in later years, it will help strengthen your brain today. Reading can actually forge new pathways and connections in the brain. It’s kind of like exercising for the body. Your mind will become stronger as you use it. Who doesn’t want to have a strong mind?

Be Open and Empathic

Empathy is a personality trait that can benefit you in a multitude of ways. With a better understanding of others comes a better self. Reading fiction, particularly, can help you to become more empathetic because it encourages you to relate to the characters, to consider their motivations or feelings and to wonder about what they might do next. It opens you to the experiences of others and to the potential of making changes in yourself.

Improve Your Mood

Reading can make you feel better. Known as bibliotherapy, it has been shown that reading can actually be used in the treatment of depression. Lowered stress levels are a result of immersing yourself in a book. This makes sense because it’s true that we can lose ourselves in literature. While reading, you’re not worrying about the problems in your life. As long as it’s not used as a means of running away from your troubles, your literary habit can be quite good for your overall mood and health.

There are tons of other benefits that come from developing a reading habit. Hopefully, this list has given you some inspiration to dive into a good book as a means toward improving your own self growth process.