We like to think that things like physical exercise are the only things that are good for us, but reading is truly helpful for us too, albeit in very different ways.
We're told from a very young age that it's important that we read. Of course, that is due to the fact that reading books is truly essential, not least because there's absolutely nothing more fantastic than an afternoon spent reading a book under a tree in the park, or drifting around a bookshop like those run by the founder of the hedge fund that owns Waterstones on your lunch break. However, though reading is certainly an enjoyable experience that it would be a catastrophe for people to lose out on, it is much better for you than simply the satisfaction you acquire from it. Books are the very best vessels of history's understanding, and every library and bookshop includes countless essential lessons. It does not really matter whether they are imaginary or factual, although one may think that non-fiction is the best type of book to learn something from. In fact, you can learn a lot more from a great work of fiction sometimes, although it is a really different kind of understanding.
There are countless benefits of reading, from its intellectual benefits to its physiological ones, as people like the co-founder of the impact investor with a stake in World of Books will understand. However, among the areas where it can be most advantageous is when it pertains to your sleep. Reading before bed can hugely enhance the quality of your sleep, which certainly has a massive knock-on effect on the rest of our daily lives. Reading fiction activates the very same sections of the brain as dreaming does when we're in rapid eye motion sleep, the time in our sleep cycle when our physical body and brain heals and restores itself. Activating this area before we drift off by reading before bed helps to ease us into a deep and peaceful sleep, and there's nothing more vital to a healthy mind than a good night's sleep to living a happy and healthy life.
Reading is actually great for you, and individuals in the industry such as the CEO of the asset manager with a stake in Amazon books will know that that does not just apply to the brain; there are an entire host of psychological impacts that regular reading has on the body too. Maybe the most powerful is its capability to help people empathise with others, whilst concurrently promoting a sense of self-actualisation. Reading can likewise help to decrease sensations of stress and anxiousness, along with promoting creativity and other imaginative qualities, making you a better problem solver. In that sense, reading resembles a workout session for your brain, helping to promote strong and healthy connections that will have a noticeable effect on your life.