From time to time, some people wonder why reading is important. It seems like there are so many other things to do in one’s time. If you’re one of the countless people who don’t make a habit of reading regularly, you may be missing out. Here are just a few of the many benefits of reading.

1. Mental Stimulation

Studies show that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progression, or prevent the possibility of having Alzheimer’s or Dementia (a decline of mental ability so severe that is enough to interfere with your daily life). Your brain is exercising beneficially as you are in your own creative world while reading.

2. Stress Reduction

Whether how much stress you have, a great story will restore your mind. A well-written novel will teleport you to a “different realm”, and your stress will be forgotten, causing you to relax as tensions are slipped away.

3. Vocabulary Skills

As you read, the more you are exposed to new words, and they will gradually transport into your everyday speech. Knowing that you can speak in higher levels can increase your self-esteem when talking to others. Having this skill means that you can apply it in job interviews, debate, presenting, speeches or any other activities that require speech. Reading can be used to learn a new language, as you can have experience of reading words in content.

4. Mental Focus and Concentration

As we are very fond of technology, we are often distracted. In a single 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working on a task, checking email, playing games on their phone, monitoring their Instagram, and interacting with friends. This type of ADHD-like behavior causes stress levels to rise, and lowers our productivity. When reading a book, you are fully concentrated on a story line. The world around you becomes a blur, as all your attention is drawn to the book. After reading, you will be surprised about how much focused you are.

5. Memory Improvement

When reading, you are required to remember a series of characters, the main plot, the background and where you are in the book, after stopping for a time period. If you are a student, you need to remember about everything that happened in the book. Books also strengthen memorization skills by eye-to-text interaction, as the brain “scans” the text.

“I think reading is so, so important for a couple of reasons. In terms of school and having a job, being a good reader helps in every subject and just about every job! Reading makes your life easier in so many ways.  But, the main reason I think it’s important is that reading is the best way to experience things without having to travel, or go to the moon, or fix your own computer, etc. Reading fiction helps people develop empathy; reading non-fiction helps people develop skills. Who could argue with the benefits of reading?” said Canyon Vista Librarian Laura Stiles.

Reading is a long-term investment to benefit your life. If you aren’t reading on a daily basis, you are missing out!