Topic of the day: Why reading turns you into a better person
Do you realize how fast our society is evolving and how important is the education for modern life? I have already approached this topic before but now I want to address the importance of reading in this context.
Reading can help a person in several areas:
• Improvement of mental health and cognition;
• Reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer;
• Reduction of the level of stress;
• An increase in creativity and problem-solving capabilities;
• It is a nice hobby! (much better than wandering in your Facebook timeline for example)
There are several types of readings that a person can engage in, for example when studying with academic books and articles; as a hobby with fiction, romance or action stories; to acquire knowledge with scientific magazines, books or even blogs related to life topics. The world of options is endless.
One important point to consider when choosing a good read is the quality of the content. Nowadays with the popularity of the internet, almost everybody can write something and publish online. When the topic is related to scientific knowledge or important facts, it is very important to check the veracity of the facts, the reputation of the source or even double check in other parts of the web (or books) about that topic. The truth is that you cannot trust everything you read online. But for sure there is a lot of good content out there.
Another important aspect is the amount of knowledge you are acquiring and how relevant is that regarding your dreams and purpose. Of course, you can read about whatever you want, but it is always good from time to time to check whether the content is adding to your background and helping you to evolve or solve problems from your daily life. Remember that there is a fierce competition for your attention everywhere, especially online, and without realizing you might end up in a page where you originally did not want to go.
When it comes to books, the amount of material available is also huge, particularly regarding eBooks which increased the access to this type of reading that in the past were only available in libraries and bookshops. If you want some tips about books to read, I recommend going to online forums about the subject you are interested and you might find some nice recommendations there.
What comes next? What do you do with all the knowledge you are acquiring? I think these are also important questions to make when you choose something to read. It can be only as leisure, so you don’t expect to do anything special with that story. But if you are reading a topic regarding your field of work, or about a hobby you want to start, then it is very important to put the acquired knowledge into practice.
For very important topics I also recommend making notes and underlining the most relevant concepts learned. You can use several methods for organizing your notes or create a mind map for example. Another suggestion is trying to explain what you have just read to someone else. It is one of the best ways of understanding something and with this exercise, you will realize whether you really learned or not.
The last step for a good reader, in my opinion, is starting to write about topics that are most important for you. You will realize how much you have learned so far and probably help others on the path towards their own evolution.
If you liked this article and are looking for more insights like these, check out the book “How to increase self-awareness” where you will find more content about personal and professional growth, sustainability, health, well-being, lifestyle and much more.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WCDMLP6
Thank you very much for reading and for the support!
