Happy & Healthy
GUYS, DITCH YOUR PHONES. GO READ A BOOK.
Usually when I’m waiting for my train to get to work, I’ll drop by a kiosk for some cigarettes or a new Vogue or Elle. Something light to read as I’m traveling. This time round, I decided to go buy a book instead.
The book I bought was from a Dutch author and it’s the story of a girls called Anne, a popular TV presenter and journalist. When it looks as though she’s about to loose the love of her life as well as her dream, she becomes a tabloid favorite. She has to do everything she can to make sure her friends and own family don’t ditch her either. The summary on the back cover sounded interesting, so I took it home with me. Three days later and I’ve already completed it. Every night I read for about an hour and it made me realize something I already knew: reading is extremely fulfilling. And we do too little of it. We’re always way too busy on our phones, when there are so many advantages to grabbing a book instead. Here they are.
People who read have a higher salary
Yup, you just read that correctly. According to various conducted research, kids who grow up reading a lot of books will end up with a better social status later on in life than kids who hardly read.
It helps you fall asleep
When I decided to opt for a book rather than a magazine, I ended up being a binge reader. I would go to bed at ten thirty just so that I would have at least another hour in bed to read and fell asleep easily. Can’t say the same for when I spend an hour scrolling through Instagram in bed.
It looks cool
Honestly, anyone who’s got a home with bookshelves full of books immediately obtains a lot more respect. You automatically assume that the person in question is extremely smart.
Bye bye stress
All you need is six minutes a day to read through a book and your stress levels will decrease. According to science it’s because you’re concentrating on one specific thing and being transported to a whole other world. This will decrease the tension in your muscles as well as your heart rate.
You expand your vocabulary
Which in my line of work isn’t a bad idea at all. I’m sure it won’t hurt you either.
It works therapeutically
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have discovered that reading has a positive effect on your temper. It can change your line of thought, help you get a better insight into situations you are personally dealing with and put things into different perspectives. It can also create new connections in the brain.
Alright, off you go to buy a book or drop by your nearest library.
