10 Reasons Why You Should be Reading Books

Reading is a great way to switch off the mind. You can learn about the benefits reading does to your brain and daily life. The reason why I love reading so much is due to the fact that it gives me new ideas. Reading can make you feel creative and quite powerful as well. I hope I can convince you with just 10 reasons to read books.

10 Reasons to read books

Reading saved me many times. I know it sounds dramatic, however, when you find the books you enjoy reading, it can quite literally be an escape from the real world. You might be looking for 30 reasons to read books, but these 10 are the most important and should be enough to get you started. Let’s see what I have learned while reading books and why I prefer to read books rather than watch television (for the most part).

1. Reading Books is Good for Your Mind

This is a very common one. Everyone heard a million times why you should read books and how it helps the mind. Yet sometimes it’s difficult to just sit down and concentrate. How can it be good for the mind if the mind can’t even focus? If you want to be able to focus while you are reading, you must understand what interests you. Don’t just pick up a self-help book because an influencer said so. If you are into horror stories, then read that. If you like comic books, self-help, sci-fi then just read about these topics.

Even though I read a lot of books during these years, I still struggle with focusing. Sometimes I go through the same page several times and then I get frustrated. I end up putting down the book, to be honest. Of course, these are just rare times it happens. Most of the time I can focus and concentrate on the pages in front of me. I guess even I need a pick me up and revise these 10 reasons to read books article when I’m feeling unmotivated.

2. Date a Girl Who Reads Books

You might wonder why would you date a girl who reads books. Let me tell you why. Any woman/girl who reads will have a powerful mind. Sure, not just women, anyone. But let’s focus on women for a moment. When you are dating a girl who reads books you will find that she can give you valuable insight on most subjects. Sure, it counts also on the type of books one reads. Although I read in a book called “Wiser” by Dilip V. Jeste and Scott LaFee that by reading fiction you trigger the brain’s self-reflection circuits in ways that other subjects might not. So the ladies who read a lot of fiction will probably have a huge imagination and could help you solve issues in unexpected ways. Do you see why you should read as well?

I do enjoy a good fiction book every now and then, just to get my mind wondering. Specifically enjoyed reading the “Witcher” series as it was an easy read and I could just imagine everything in my mind. How the characters look like, the fights that take place, the supernatural elements in the books. You see, books are just good for the mind and the soul. When you have read a lot, you just feel confident yet you still know that knowledge is infinite and you will never stop learning. If you want to catch a guy’s attention (hopefully men still care about this), just start reading more!

3. Have Something to Talk About

Have you met people that never run out of ideas to talk about? I feel like I need a disclaimer here. I am not suggesting that you have to read books in order to have something to talk about. At the end of the day, the article is called 10 reasons to read books, so it’s not mandatory to be doing this. Is it helpful? Most certainly it is. This is why I’m writing about why you should read books in the first place. So, back to the ideas.

When you’re reading books, especially if they are based on real-life events, you’ll just have a lot to talk about. Just because you haven’t experienced something yourself, doesn’t mean you are not able to talk about it. At the end of the day, we experience things differently. Whether that’s on our own or through someone else’s eyes, it’s still an experience.

You can always learn when you read about someone else’s perspective. Whether they made a mistake or they had a revelation, you can still apply it to your own life. This is the beauty of reading. You just never stop learning. You never stop gathering new ideas and re-sharing them with the people around you. This is really why I prefer to read books rather than watch television. Whatever you see on TV is filled with marketing and things to keep you engaged all day. Yet this engagement is not always for the better. So really, 10 reasons why you should read will speak for themselves!

4. Reading Books Expands Your Vision

Just as reading books gives you something to talk about, it also expands your vision. You will find at some point that you are more receptive. Pay attention to your surroundings better. You might have even read something about a topic already that you just randomly found on the internet. The brain is such an amazing organ. It is so complex that no one has been able to understand every part of it. Reading all those psychological books about people who have suffered from brain damage, sudden memory loss, and so on, just makes me appreciate every second I get to spend reading.

You are reading the “10 reasons to read books” article and you can understand and perceive every word. Can you imagine not being able to read? Not knowing what it’s like to gather information and process it? If you are able to do this, then you are truly blessed. More so, you should convert this blessing into reading and learning something new. What is life about if not continuously learning?

5. Creativity and Reading

Over the years scientists have proven how reading helps with creativity. Because it requires you to focus on one task at a time, it can be extremely helpful in your creative life. You could be designing something, painting, learning how to play an instrument. Whatever it is, once you have gotten into the habit of reading books and creating a routine for yourself you will be able to better concentrate on other tasks in your life. How many times have you given up reading after 3 pages because you couldn’t focus? Many times right? Well, once you understand why you should read books and overcome your issue with focusing, you’ll manage to get in a good 20-30 pages in one go.

By building this up, you create a habit of reading which keeps you grounded. A simple task such as reading can help you focus on tasks you couldn’t focus on before. Just by simply creating a routine and habit out of it. You sort of build up the “resistance”, day by day, page by page. One of my favorite 10 reasons to read books is in the next heading.

6. Reading is Like Exercising

Speaking of building up resistance, reading is just like exercising. The more you do it, the more familiar it becomes. Anyone who is exercising regularly was once a beginner. When you are a beginner it’s difficult. You don’t really know what to do, you don’t have a routine, maybe you do it every few weeks. When you start getting the hang of it, you feel more confident. You want to keep exercising because you can see results and they make you feel good. This might sound silly, however, reading books is really the same. Just like with exercising, first, you have to find what you like. For example, not everyone likes going to the gym, so maybe football might be more suitable for you. Not everyone will like crime books, but they might like sci-fi or romantic ones.

Once you have found what you like, that’s when you can create a habit out of reading. Again, just like with exercising, you start small. Don’t try and read a book in a day. Here’s an exercise tip for you. Read 10-20 pages a day. Choose a number that is suitable for you. If it’s 10 pages, then mark on your calendar every day that you have finished 10 pages. Do this for 30 days and see how far you get. This could mean 1-2 books/month, depending on the length of the book. Once you have done this “challenge”, see if you can concentrate and read more than 10 pages a day. Let me know in the comments whether you’ve tried this and if it has worked!

7. Helps with Language

I understand that not everyone speaks multiple languages. When I say that reading helps with language, I don’t just mean with other languages. Even with your native language, by reading, you can improve the way you write and speak. English is my third language. I have read many many books to get to a level where I can comfortably write and conversate with native speakers. Is it perfect? Of course not. No matter what language you speak, you will never speak it correctly. Common people, who are not writers or poets will use just a fraction of the words in their own language.

Reading can help you expand your vocabulary and learning words you haven’t heard of before. Even in your native language. For example, mine is Hungarian. If I take any book written 100 years ago, you bet I will find words I haven’t even heard of. I will probably understand the word within the sentence, however, the word itself would be unfamiliar. In order to keep in mind those words, you should use them. Do you think your family will understand you if suddenly you start talking like Shakespeare? Probably not, but it still doesn’t hurt to learn one or two more words, in any language!

8. Reading Books Can be a Good Hobby

Are you looking for a new hobby? Look no further. Reading can be a good way to just pass time when you are bored. I went to donate blood the other day and was bored out of my mind waiting in the lobby. There was this sweet woman in front of me reading a book. I did think about bringing my book with me, however, I thought I won’t get to read it. It’s just always good to have a book in your purse. You can even invest in a Kindle and then you’ll have thousands of books, plus they fit on a tiny device that you can carry anywhere and everywhere. 10 reasons to read books really sounds like fun when you can turn one of them into a hobby.

Instead of scrolling on Instagram while waiting in a lobby or traveling on a plane, bring a book with you. Get lost in the pages. Time will fly and you will be surprised how fast you get somewhere.

9. Health Benefits

Hopefully, I have convinced you by now with 10 reasons to read books. If you haven’t been convinced yet, then just think about the health benefits you could get. Reading helps with depression, reduces stress, it can help prevent Alzheimer’s, it can help you sleep better. One of the best benefits for me is helping me fall asleep. Before you go to bed, it is recommended not to use your phone or laptop as it can disturb your sleep. When you are reading instead, your eyes are resting and you slowly get sleepy. Your brain will switch off easily as opposed to looking at your phone.

Phones, tablets, and laptops were really designed to keep you engaged for a long time. Why do you think it’s easier to watch a whole season on Netflix than reading a book? I’ve done it so many times. Watching Netflix will definitely not help me sleep better or cure depression. Sure, you will say that reading doesn’t cure depression either. It might not, however, if you are feeling down there are books dedicated for this purpose. To help you be happier and give you tips on how to overcome those bad days. There are many health benefits, you will probably find one for yourself once you start reading more!

10. You Learn Things You Didn’t Think You Needed to Know

This is my favourite. I mentioned before how reading can help you communicate better with others and share your experiences. By reading, you have a chance of learning something new. You might even discover something in the books that will prompt you to change your career. You might just find out that you are interested in a different field and start exploring more. I am fascinated by any type of psychological book or business book. The type of books which are easy to read and practical. One of my favourite books is “Happy Sexy Millionaire” by Steven Bartlett. Don’t judge the book by its cover! I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It’s been number one on Amazon for the past 6 months. 6 MONTHS!

In this book, I have learned so many things. It is an honest and raw book that makes you realize how short life is and how you should enjoy every single moment. It teaches you about business, life, and even relationships. Give it a go, I promise you won’t regret it and hopefully, you will find your preferred subject to read.

Why You Should Read Books

There you have your 10 reasons to read books. Remember to start small and build your “resistance”. Also don’t forget why you should date a girl who reads, for any of the lovely men reading this! If you have reached the end of this rather long article, then you surely are interested in reading more books. I salute you and I am happy if you understand now why you should read books.

We’re curious to see which book is your favourite and why you like it. Please comment down below so others can get suggestions as well! Should we write an article about 30 reasons to read books?