· Mental Health,Lifestyle

Why Not Just Read?

by Irene Wavinya

“Books don’t offer real escape, but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw.” -David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

1. Its a form of meditation. By reading regularly, we develop better abilities to focus and meditate. When we get lost in words, we lose track of time and our day to day thoughts are forgotten for a moment because we are transported to another world. 
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2. It opens up our minds to new perspectives. People who read often are capable of quickly flowing into third persons in order to experience a situation through a different pair of eyes. You grasp different angles of looking at different situations and having more knowledge as you develop the capacity to understand / feel what another person is experiencing from within. Thus you become kinder, gentler and better at understanding others. Sincerely, we all would want to be better at our relationships with others hence, why we should read often.

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3. Smart is the new sexy. Reading allows you to build up your vocabulary, which you will be comfortable to use in both oral and written work. By reading, you are able to express yourself and your thoughts more clearly which aids in building strong relationships. The more we read, the more it broadens our imagination.

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4. Its a stress reliever and improves your memory. Reading is a healthy and wonderful escape from day to day life stress. By reading a book, you allow yourself to be invited into a literary world that distracts you from challenges you're facing. The brain-stimulating activities from reading have shown to slow down cognitive decline in old age with people who participated in more mentally stimulating activities over their lifetimes. It also has shown a slower rate of decline in memory and other mental capacities. Fun fact – Everyone knows the book is always better than the movie.

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5. It boosts your sleep. Reading does not make you sleepy, but distracts you from the troubles of the day making sleeping easier. From one insomniac to another; reading greatly reduces stress levels which are a major contributor in insomniacs. Reading helps you curb some of the negative thoughts swirling around your brain before bed. Experts recommend that you should spend the last hour before sleeping doing a calming activity like reading.

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I am currently reading ‘Awaken the Giant within’ for my own personal growth. Many people take this simple act for granted.

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

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Yours in Wellness,

@TiziTalks

Credits

Writer: Irene Wavinya, Self-care & Reading Enthusiast

Photography: Strikingly

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