It really does… our own experience is limited to our number of days on this earth. No matter how varied and diverse they have been.  To pick up a book and hear another voice, another experience, another outlook on life… Ideas we’ve never considered or heard of offer us a chance to change. Perhaps, other perspectives offer a new appreciation for our own lives.  The more reading we do, the broader our knowledge of other cultures, other times, and new ideas.

Are you able to get along well with most people? 

You may have your books to thank for that!  Science has actually shown that reading literary fiction is linked to the theory of mind processes. Which is our capacity to comprehend that others hold beliefs and desires that may differ from our own. It helps us understand other people’s mental states, which is an important piece of developing interpersonal and societal relationships. 

Literary fiction, more than non-fiction or popular fiction, enriches our lives by teaching us about how others think, feel and live.  What a difference it can make in our day-to-day interactions when we understand that not everyone has the same opportunities or lifestyle that we have.  But with reading, we are able to walk that proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes, to empathize, and begin to understand how others might be feeling. 

And the benefits don’t end there – reading is good for your heart too!

Studies show that it only takes about six minutes of reading for your heart rate to decrease and your muscles to relax.  Reading can really get your mind off your troubles and lower your stress levels.  Try reading at night if you have trouble getting to sleep. Studies have shown that not only does it help you fall asleep, it will also give you deeper sleep, which will keep you clear and alert during the day.

Feeling isolated or depressed after months of this pandemic?  Try joining a book club or book group!  Book groups have been shown to help people combat depression and boost confidence. All while heightening self-awareness and the ability to concentrate.  Even if you can’t meet in person, join an online group and exchanging ideas and thoughts. This will help keep you connected to others in a meaningful way.

As if all that is not enough, studies have also linked lifelong voracious reading and writing to lower rates of memory decline in the elderly.  Reading fiction, at any age, jumpstarts the creative thinking processes in the brain. So, pull out a book and treat your mind and body to a restive, creative, and anti-aging treatment that actually does make the world a better place.