Learn the invaluable benefits of reading

A brain fit like a razor

You can't collect your thoughts, and focusing on one task sometimes borders on a miracle? Regular reading is the best and, in addition, extremely pleasant investment in high concentration. Reading books is a real gym for neurons hidden in the brain, which are automatically stimulated to action. Reading improves the ability to memorize, as well as the ability to operate logical language.

As it turns out, the advantage of reading over listening to radio broadcasts or podcasts lies in pauses and reflections, the length and frequency of which we decide ourselves, pausing for a longer or shorter moment over a given page. We train the brain in this way more intensely than when we unconsciously listen to a broadcast.

Studies show that people who read frequently have much less trouble speaking in public. This is conditioned by better memory, richer vocabulary and knowledge of different situations.

The observations are also confirmed by Prof. Jan Konopacki from the Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection of the University of Lodz, “through reading we enrich the vocabulary, improve the ability to operate logical language, we have greater empathy and imagination. Reading changes our neural substrate — the number of synapses develops. The neural substrate is our basis of thoughts, feelings and actions, housed in the activity of the brain and nervous system.”

Higher intelligence and sensitivity

Reading literature and poetry enriches us with new experiences that we live by following the fates of the protagonists and thus develops our empathy and ability to assess situations, and in addition increases the level of IQ. Research published in the magazine Ciencia prove that literary fiction can help readers understand what other people feel and think. This is a key skill in establishing lasting and complex social relationships.

The level of sensitivity of readers was also investigated by Natalie Phillips, a professor at Michigan State University, who came to the observation that when reading, the brain behaves as if we were the protagonists of a book. Reading poetry, on the other hand, affects the centers of the brain responsible for experiencing emotions**.

The fact that reading is an investment in intelligence is also evidenced by the observations of children who begin an immersive adventure with reading from an early age. Contact with vocabulary through reading undoubtedly translates into better scores on cognitive tests, as well as higher intelligence and better developed mental abilities in later stages of life.

Mute and protect against cognitive impairment

Reading is not only a guarantee of a more efficient brain, but also a uniquely simple way to regulate stress levels and counteract cognitive impairment in the future.

Dr. David Lewis of Mindlab International at the University of Sussex noted that “an engaging book after just a few minutes of reading can reduce cortisol levels and reduce stress by up to 70%, which helps a lot, even with falling asleep.”

Research by Dr. Robert Freidland shows that the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is more than twice as low for people who read regularly than for those who don't read at all.

Getting to know yourself and your emotions better

The incredible influence of books on the ability to observe one's own emotional states is evidenced by the formation of bibliotherapy, that is, therapy based on the use of books in the regulation of the nervous system and the human psyche.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have shown that co-reading therapy helped participants cope with chronic pain. Reading worked in a similar way to the cognitive behavioral therapy often used in these cases and allowed us to better cope with the emotions caused by the pain. That's why books are already available on prescription in eight countries around the world!

Dr. Wanda Matras-Mastalerz, President of the Polish Bibliotherapeutic Society, assistant professor at the Institute of Information Sciences of the KEN Pedagogical University in Krakow, underlines the invaluable benefits of regular reading: “reading affects different areas of competence: concentration, analytical thinking, communication, emotional intelligence, knowledge, imagination, adaptation and rest. In my opinion, if someone says that he does not like to read, it means that he has not yet found his book.”

_Bibliography

_{*https://biuroprasowe-uni-lodz.prowly.com/29024-ul-komentuje-dlaczego-nasz-mozg-lubi-czytanie
** https://zwierciadlo.pl/psychologia/72852,1,jak-czytanie-wplywa-na-mozg-.read
***https://naukatolubie.pl/jak-czytanie-wplywa-na-mozg/
**** https://zdrowie.pap.pl/psyche/czytanie-ksiazek-siedem-korzysci-dla-zdrowia}