5 Reasons to Start Reading More Today
When I was younger, I couldn’t stand reading books. Not that I didn’t like reading, I just didn’t like reading books. My reasoning? They were too long. I just didn’t have the patience to get through one.
As an adult, I love reading books. I’ve come to realize that it wasn’t necessarily that they were too long. Part of the problem was that I simply chose the wrong authors for my reading style. The other part was that I just didn’t give the book(s) a chance.
Nonetheless, when reading, it not only allows the reader to enjoy story. It also helps increase one’s vocabulary. Here are five reasons why you should start reading a book today.
1. It will help you to write better.
When we read books, we see words that we might have seen before. Additionally, by seeing them in their context, we learn the definition of them. The majority of us have to write in our daily lives. Whether we’re writing emails for work or for pleasure, we’re still writing.
How many times have you read an email with spelling errors? Did you even know it had a spelling error? Or did someone have to point it out to you?
A great example of spelling errors that I see quite often, is the use of the words: Their, there, and they’re. I’ve even read articles with these errors in them. For which I have to ask, “Do they not have an editor?”
One such article I read, used the word “there” when it should’ve been “their” instead. The context was such that the author was referring to someone else. When we are referring to someone else, we can use words like: He/his, her/hers, their/theirs. Instead of using “their” to reference them, he used the word “there.” Which was wrong.
The more we read, and write, the better we become with our choice of words.
2. The average American reads at the 7th to 8th grade level.
According to the Literacy Project, the average American only reads at a 7th to 8th grade level (or 12-14 years of age). Think about that for a moment. That’s middle school (or for those of us older folk – junior high school) level.
The study was to determine at what level adults, between ages 16-65, could identify, interpret, and evaluate the meaning, or make inferences, of information from multiple pages of text. According to the study, 52% of the adult population could only read at a level 2 or lower.
What’s worse, the study states that even the lowest 10% of some other countries read at a higher level than adults in the U.S.
Did you know that medical information is written for the public, is written at an 8th grade reading level? That’s because of the lower level of reading.
Therefore, by taking a stance to read more, you’re increasing your chances to be in the 48% of adults that can read at reading level that’s greater than a 12 to 14-year-old.
3. Reading helps to calm the mind before bedtime.
Before going to bed, it’s recommended that you read for approximate thirty minutes. Preferably not on an electronic device either. That’s because, for the majority of us, we are stimulated everyday by some type of screen. Whether it’s a phone, computer monitor, tablet, or what not.
In order to help provide better sleep, it’s recommended to put the devices down and pick up a book before going to bed. Not just to help you sleep either. According to the Sleep Doctor, people who read before bedtime make more money and have a healthier, and overall, outlook on life.
Of course, there’s a caveat that goes along with that. It’s recommended to read fiction and not read anything that’s emotionally unsettling. For that might cause restless sleep. Believe it or not, according to Sleep Junkie, people who read books before bed get on average sleep one and one-half more than non-readers.
Personally, fifteen more minutes of sleep here and there helps immensely in my overall health. And an hour and a half breaks down to roughly thirteen minutes more per day.
4. Improves your concentration and focus.
In a world where we are surrounded by stimulants, it’s often times hard to concentrate and focus on any one thing. We all pride ourselves on being professional multi-taskers. And we never waste a moment to do two things simultaneously.
Unfortunately, studies have shown that we don’t really multi-task. We’re merely performing one task at a time. Because we’re doing them together, it feels like they’re being done in tandem. At the same time, if we’re honest with ourselves, neither is necessarily being completed with high quality.
Reading books has been shown to improve focus and concentration. That’s because, when we’re reading, we’re focused on one thing. We immerse ourselves into the story, and the rest of the world is put on the back burner.
If you’d like to be more focused at work, it’s recommended to read 15-20 minutes before work. You’d might be surprised how focused you’ll be throughout the day.
5. Cheap (even free) entertainment.
I do really enjoy reading a good book. In my home office, bedroom, and basement, I have hundreds of books that I’ve read or yet to read. Some of them I’ve purchased new and others have been given to me as gifts. However, the vast majority of them I’ve purchased at second-hand stores. By doing it this way, I have allowed someone else to pay full price for the book. Once they’re done with it, I repurchase it at a discounted rate. That’s a win-win in my books (pun intended).
Perhaps you don’t want to buy the book. There are other options available of course. First is the local library. There, you could borrow a book (free or for a nominal fee) for a specified period of time. And most libraries allow you to extend it for so many days.
Of course, you could always go to the bookstore, sit down, and read it there. Some bookstores even have coffee shops or cafes in them. There are book exchange programs. This is where communities have books to borrow as needed. It’s often on the honor system. Other locations have sign-out sheets like the library had at one time. I’ve seen both.
Another is electronic versions. Some, like the Amazon Book Club, you can pay a monthly fee to read electronic books for either no additional charge or a nominal one. Of course, there are always free ones available as well. One such site is eBooks.com. In their free area, they have nearly four hundred (397) books that available to read, online, for free.
EBooks.com is a great place to start.
To buy an ebook from eBooks, simply click on the “Add to Cart” button. Then, in the cart area, “Review Order & Checkout.” Please note, if you haven’t already created one, it will ask you to create a new account. If you don’t want to create one, just like Barnes and Nobles, the site does allow you to, “Continue as Guest.”
To create an account, click on the “Create an Account” link in the top right of the page. Next, you will need to click on the “Create an Account” button in the middle of the page. Enter your email address. Then, you’ll create a password and verify it. After that, you click the “Register” button at the bottom and voila!
Though eBooks might not have as many books available as Amazon, with nearly two million to choose from, they still have a pretty large selection.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. Please understand, there will be no additional or higher costs passed onto you.
About The Author
