Yes, Reading Actually Improves Your Life

Ever since I was small, I've read. And reading my favorite stories inspired me to write stories of my own. So I know that this lifelong pastime is largely responsible for me becoming the writer that I am. Along with stirring my imagination, the act of reading has also broadened my vocabulary immensely.
 

Image via dropping-keys.webs.com

Making you into a better writer and strengthening your vocabulary are two of the twelve ways that reading can actually improve your life, according to BuzzFeed. Other benefits of picking up a book include:

Less stress: Reading "transports you and your worried mind to another place, so you won't feel so overwhelmed with the hardships of everyday life," said BuzzFeed. "And a 2009 study found that reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels up to 68 percent."

Greater empathy: "Through reading," said BuzzFeed, "you're able to conceive of a life beyond your own insular one. Reading about a culture other than your own helps you to understand their way of life. In that way, it helps you to empathize with other people and connect with different cultures."

Better memory: Each "time you read, you create a new memory of what you've read - essentially exercising your brain muscles. With each new memory, your brain forges new synapses, strengthens existing ones, and helps to keep your memory sharp," reported BuzzFeed.

More smarts: Anne E. Cunningham "discovered that being an avid reader actually does make you smarter. It not only helps you retain information, but it also helps you maintain knowledge through old age," said BuzzFeed. "Whether or not you're aware of it, reading fills your head with new information, and you never know when it will come in handy."

Reading also boosts your analytical skills; means you're likelier to vote, exercise, and be more cultural; and makes you sexier! To find out how, see the BuzzFeed article "12 Scientific Ways Reading Can Actually Improve Your Life" at THIS LINK.