The Transformational Benefits of Reading
Reading for many can be a source of joy and excitement. But for others it may be one of those activities you’d love to do more of, but simply never get round to it.
Personally, I love reading–even though I've not always been regular at it. It’s the chance to escape into another world at a slower pace than a film. Engaging more of my brain as I often grapple with the text to understand just what the author is trying to communicate.
As someone who’s read the bible ever since I could read, I’ve been used to the importance and significance of the written word. The power it has to transform our thinking; to heal wounds; to slow down and renew the mind.
And there’s a lot of science behind it too. Reading can improve our mental, and physical health, and can greatly impact our cognitive abilities later in life.
So let’s delve into some of the ways reading can transform you for the better.
#1 – It builds empathy
Reading increases empathy. With almost every book you read, whether it's a novel, biography, personal development or history, you are entering the world of another human being.
With a novel it's more obvious. You're experiencing the world via the main characters, as well as the authors view of that world, affecting how the characters operate. If you're into history, you will be entertaining the authors perspective of that area of time.
Regardless of genre, you are taking yourself away from your own perspective for that moment, and stepping into someone else’s shoes – you're developing your empathy.
A worrying issue however is that studies on children in the US have highlighted the possibility that reading on screens may slow down the growth of empathy. The more kids can read from physical books the more they will be able to understand and relate to others.
#2 It increases your focus and concentration
How would you like to be able to focus more; to concentrate for longer? Sounds great doesn't it? Well, one thing that helps is to read more, and to do that we need to retrain our brains.
Picture the scene. You pick up a book you've wanted to read for ages. Excitedly you read the first few paragraphs. Then you realise you've not remembered a thing. You re-read it, then again. And again. It's like you're seeing the words, making out the sentences, but it stops at your retina. It doesn't get to your brain. Then you think what's the point, put the book down and switch on YouTube. Familiar with that scene? You're not alone.
Because we are so prone to distractions, the concept of 'deep reading' – very similar to Deep Work – has become so alien to us. Reading an easy book, a popular non-demanding novel is one thing–though still beneficial–but reading something which challenges us, that demands more cognitive resources, is something many of us need to retrain our brains to be able to cope with.
Instead of giving up, if we persist and slow down, and focus on understanding each sentence, asking what the author is saying, it will help. The more you do this, the better you get. I can attest to this personally, as in the last few years as I've gotten back into a reading habit, I read a lot of books that mentally I would have struggled with previously. A side effect of regular deep reading is that our ability to stay focused and concentrated in other areas of life is increased.
Incidentally, Swedish educators had noticed declining concentration with pupils in their schools and in 2023 they made the move back to pen and paper. As well as concentration, reading comprehension had also declined. More people, whether in governments or otherwise, are realising that digital transformation is not without a cognitive cost.
#3 It improves your memory
Being more focused and concentrated, giving our brain a work out, extending our cognitive muscle has good benefits for our memory too.
Just think about the skimming you do when reading on the internet. So often it's difficult to remember what we've read. In fact studies show that we remember more of where we were reading the article than what we read. For example, if you read a story about Coronavirus on an internet news site, and later on someone asked you about that topic, your brain will automatically go to where you saw the article i.e. the website, rather than recalling what the article actually said.
The reason for this is that we regularly outsource our memory to our devices. Our brain thinks, 'well I don't need to remember this as it's easy to access on the internet.' So we don't remember, which then makes having a conversation about it difficult–we keep thinking, 'Yes I read about that. I just can't remember what I read!' This means we struggle to learn as our brain doesn't have the information to make the connections which is what increases our ability to memorise.
Focused, deep reading from books will help to generally improve your memory. Additionally, I now tend to print specific articles I want to read so my brain doesn't link it to a specific website, but to the information itself.
#4 It can help keep dementia at bay
Follow on from improving your memory, some other discoveries within neuroscience show that reading–along with other mentally stimulating tasks could stave off the onset of diseases such as Alzheimers and dementia.
The authors of a particular study involving 294 men and women in their 80s found that those people who had participated in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, throughout their lives showed a slower rate of cognitive decline than those that hadn't.
Their encouragement: "Read more books, write more, and do activities that keep your brain busy irrespective of your age."
#5 It increases wisdom - if practiced
In the Old Testament, the importance of reading was impressed upon kings when they were commanded to read the law every day and follow what it says and to not consider themselves better that their fellow citizens. What a novel thought for our leaders today!
It’s easy for the king to let life get in the way, to let power get to him and thus make up his own rules. But God’s provision is that reading the Law, helps him get a right perspective: The king is not God. He can’t do whatever he wants to do. He is subject to God’s Law.
Today, we might not be a king, but we are still a leader in whatever field we are placed. This could be in our work, our family, or simply leading ourselves.
Reading gives us the ability to lead with wisdom, empathy and in alignment with truth: to follow those who have gone before us and inculcate their wisdom.
But only if you put it into practice. Don’t be merely readers, but do what it says, to paraphrase the book of James.
Conclusion
In a world of shifting truth, where there has been a multi-generational battle against foundational thought, where technology constantly distracts us and shortens our attention spans, reading can be our superpower to get us back to the truth, and regularly increasing wisdom.
If you want to relate to other people more; to increase your focus and concentration; improve your memory; attempt to stave off dementia, and gain wisdom, I encourage you to get reading.
Join a book club, or reading group, or just set up regular reading times for yourself. I tend to read first thing in the morning, and before bed.
If you're stuck for what to read next, check out the store. I'd love to know what's on your reading list. Let me know in the comments.
Happy reading!
