We learn how to read when we are very young, and from that age onwards it becomes an essential skill that we rarely think twice about.
But there is more to reading than simply scooping up a paperback and picking up where we left off last time. Reading has the ability to change our lives in many different ways, and as such we should probably all try and make sure we incorporate it into our lives more than we actually do.
For example, when did you last read for pleasure? It doesn’t matter whether it is fact or fiction, the effect can be the same – it lifts you out of your everyday life and into an alternative existence which can be very different from your regular daily routine. Fiction has the upper hand of course, because it has the ability to take you to places that may not even exist in real life.
But reading can also be something of a luxury and a way of de-stressing in today’s busy surroundings. Who hasn’t looked forward to sinking into a bath filled with bubbles with their favourite paperback to hand, in order to spend an hour or so living another life altogether?
Even taking a paperback onto the train with you to while away the time while you are on your way to work can set you up for the day ahead much more effectively than worrying about what may or may not happen. By taking yourself out of what could be a stressful situation you are giving yourself some respite and you’ll arrive for work feeling more refreshed as a result.
It’s also the case that the more you read, the more you learn and digest. This is true in two separate cases. Firstly you will learn more new words; regular readers tend to have a bigger vocabulary than those who rarely read at all. And secondly you will find that it expands your knowledge of all kinds of things. If there is something you want to learn, one of the best ways to learn it is by reading all about it.
There is also something about reading and digesting the words on a page that is not comparable with any other form of storytelling. It can take you away into another place where your imagination rules the roost and dictates – along with the words the writer has written – exactly where you are and what everything looks like.
It’s a small wonder that so many people love to receive books as gifts, because they really can change your life if you let them, in more ways than one. The hardest part is choosing which one you should read first!
Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
