The wonderful benefits of reading

From reading the first hieroglyphics carved in stone to reading the ink on parchments, or digital reading, the reading habit has gone hand in hand with the history of humanity. If the invention of writing meant the separation of prehistory from history, reading decoded the events that occurred in each era.

At this precise moment, while you are reading this text, the left hemisphere of your brain is working at high speed to activate different areas. Your eyes scan the text seeking to recognize the shape of each letter, and the inferotemporal cortex, an area of ​​the brain specialized in detecting written words, is activated, transmitting the information to other brain regions.

Your brain will constantly repeat this complex process as long as you keep reading the text.
The activity of reading, which the brain carries out so naturally, has repercussions on intellectual development. "Reading ability modifies the brain," says neurologist Stanislas Dehaene, Professor of Experimental Cognitive Psychology at the Collège de France in his book Les neurones de la lecture (Odile Jacob). It's like this: there is more gray matter in the head of a reading person and more neurons in the brains that read.
Far from the solitary and introverted image with which the reader identifies, the truth is that readers develop their communication skills more. Making a correct use of language is highly valued socially, therefore, those who nurture their dialectic through the reading habit are perceived by others as people with great leadership capacity. They are more appreciated professionally. According to a study from the University of Oxford, reading for pleasure predicts professional success .

Of course you also have to read in maturity and old age. The exercise of reading makes sense at the end of our lives. Neurologists and psychologists recommend "reading as a preventive method for Alzheimer's or other neurodegenerative diseases," says Dr. Pablo Martínez-Lage, coordinator of the study group on behaviors and dementia of the Spanish Society of Neurology.

It should also be remembered that throughout history reading has always been one of the vehicles of democracy. In authoritarian countries, reading will always be persecuted for contributing to the development of freedom of expression , culture and information.

Reading a book can be considered as one of life's greatest pleasurable acts . This sentence may seem exaggerated, but the feeling of evasion, disconnection and freedom that is felt is irreplaceable. And not only that, but reading books sets us free and fights boredom, makes us smarter, encourages personal and professional development, favors conversation and relationships, releases emotions, is the exercise to maintain a healthy brain and lively, as well as being an antidote to loneliness.

Unfortunately, not a few people do not read due to lack of time or desire . They think that there is no point in having other entertainment options or that books are not made for them. They don't stop to think about what reading books can bring them... Perhaps no one has told them. Or yes, but they have already made their decision . For all these people, and also to strengthen the confidence of those who are already readers, I highlight a series of benefits that show why it is important to read .

Before highlighting some of the main reasons why reading books is important in people's lives , I would like to point out the excellent work carried out by educational centers, libraries and associations in terms of literacy . In the world there are close to 800 million people who do not have basic literacy skills, which means that they do not have that key that opens the door to the universe of books . Not to mention people who have another series of difficulties in accessing books, such as blind people or people with some visual impairment. Fortunately, many countries are those that have already adhered to the Marrakech Treaty that facilitates access to published works.

Reading is evasion and entertainment . Books transport people to other places, moments and characters without leaving the site. Staying locked in a book is synonymous with escaping, experimenting and enjoying new sensations. Reading books sets us free and fights boredom .

Reading favors learning . The information received is transformed into knowledge. Reading increases people's comprehension, attention, observation, concentration, reflection/critical thinking, and memory. Reading books makes us smarter .

Reading awakens curiosity and feeds the imagination . Reading activates inspiration, imagination and the emergence of ideas. It makes thought go beyond the text and enter new worlds, want to anticipate events and/or create alternative paths.

Reading improves communication skills . Reading, in addition to activating the brain, expands vocabulary, improves grammar and spelling, and favors the achievement of verbal skills, mental speed, decision-making, and confidence.

Reading empathizes and socializes . Reading books makes it possible for any reader to put themselves in the shoes of another, empathizing with her based on the situations experienced. It makes the affective and moral instinct develop, which leads people to be more open, share, talk and enrich contacts.

Reading is health . Reading delays mental aging, achieving an active and healthy brain. Additionally, it combats stress by relaxing and slowing the heartbeat and relieving muscle tension, combats insomnia, and is associated with a lower risk of dementia later on. Reading books is the exercise to keep a healthy and lively brain .

Reading is company . It is very difficult to feel alone when you are reading a book with you. A book is capable of taking the form of a small and perfect companion anywhere and at any time. Reading books is an antidote to loneliness.

Reading increases our emotional intelligence. Through the books we meet characters with very different personalities. Some may be more like us; others, less. But by reading the facts from their point of view, we learn to put ourselves in their shoes, to see things with different eyes, and this increases our empathy and our emotional intelligence.

Reading improves our vocabulary. It may be that we don't always stop to look for every word we don't know, but we accumulate them and deduce their meaning from context. And the next time it comes our way, we no longer find it so strange.

Reading enhances our general culture. Hand in hand with the novel and its protagonists we walk through that place and, little by little, chapter by chapter, we learn about the singularities that make up that place or that historical stage.

Reading helps us with spelling. We will be seeing page after page the correct way to write names, expressions, even different ways to structure sentences. In this way, we are working on both the correction and the style.

Reading de-stresses us. Reading is the perfect companion for these moments, because it allows us to continue enjoying the stillness and silence and at the same time it takes us wherever we want, far from obligations.

1. Make sure you have the appropriate light, better if it is from the side and without reflections.
2. Keep a minimum distance with the book, the same measurement of the forearm. If you use an e-book, keep it about 35-40 cm away from your eyes.
3. Remember to blink, concentration means that we do less reading than usual, so it is good to take breaks from time to time.
4. If you wear contact lenses, be especially careful with point 3.
5. Choose the font size as well as the appropriate typography if it is an e-book. The eye appreciates reading texts with a single typeface and the same typeface.
6. If you read for a long time you can suffer disorders related to Visual Fatigue Syndrome. Resting your eyes, alternating your vision between a near object and a far object, will help.
7. Submit to an annual visual review for the prevention and control of visual problems. Correct vision will allow you to enjoy reading much more.
8. If you have children, watch for possible symptoms that indicate there may be an eye problem: if he gets too close to books, tilts his neck when reading, or rubs his eyes frequently.
9. The first child eye examination is recommended to be carried out at 5 years of age, since at that age the child generally already collaborates reliably in taking visual acuity.