BY MAX MCAULIFF, STAFF WRITER
Many people have a reading phase at some point in their lives. That phase may come as a young adult when the freedom to finally read on one’s own truly becomes available to people. Popular young adult series include Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson and Twilight. These series can be the first-time readers are exposed to feelings of adventure, love, betrayal or loss. Books help open young adult minds to the endless possibilities the world presents.
However, young adults are not the only people who can benefit from finding some alone time during the day to sit down and read an enjoyable book. Adults of all ages, from college students to elderly people, can benefit from taking the time to read. Reading not only gives people a break from the rest of the world, but it also stimulates the mind and provides benefits rarely thought of.
In an article posted to Healthline in 2019, eight different benefits of reading were medically reviewed and listed in the article. Benefits include strengthening the brain, increasing empathy, building vocabulary, preventing cognitive decline, reducing stress, aids better sleep, alleviating depression and lengthening lifespan. While some benefits are more obvious than others, like strengthening the brain and building vocabulary, others are more unexpected.
Increased empathy is a surprising one that stems from readers exploring the inner lives of characters, which gives them a heightened ability to understand other people’s feelings and beliefs. Increased empathy is important in building, fostering and maintaining any kind of relationship.
Preventing age-related cognitive decline is another surprising benefit of reading. Research shows that while reading doesn’t prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s, seniors who read and solve math problems every day maintain and improve their cognitive functioning as they age. People who have engaged in mentally stimulating activities their whole lives, like reading, are less likely to develop symptoms of dementia. A college student reading today could benefit from that reading 50 years from now.
Helping to alleviate symptoms of depression is the final benefit that is surprising, although not completely unexpected. Reading alleviates stress and stimulates brain activity which will help alleviate symptoms of depression. Reading books can also help people who feel isolated and alone escape the world and entrench themselves in an imaginary experience far different than their own. Medical professionals in the United Kingdom have even started prescribing books to specifically help people learn how to manage their depression symptoms.
Taking the time out of the day to read something other than a textbook can have benefits felt throughout someone’s life for years. There are no boundaries to which one must stick any book will provide the eight benefits listed above. If you’re interested in Harry Potter’s years at Hogwarts pick up a Harry Potter book. More interested in the Great Recession of 2008, then pick up and read The Big Short. Books open fantastical worlds to people while providing numerous mental and physical benefits.
