The Importance of Reading

Books are very good for our minds. That's probably why teachers and parents always encouraged us as children to read as many books as we could. Reading actually increases of comprehension and vocabulary. But it help in more ways than that.

Reading can actually relieve stress and anxiety. It distracts the brain from what ever situation is causing the anxiety. It doesn't matter is it is fiction or non-fiction. Personally, I would rather read a fiction book. Especially fantasy or sci-fi. A good Jane Austen book makes me happy too. But I digress. Fiction books can take you to a whole new world, away from the world we live in and all it's stresses and hardships.

Non-Fiction expands our knowledge. This in turn, creates new neurons with in our brains. Creating new pathways, which actually affect how we think about this, how we react to situations. There are so many books on so many topics. Whether you want to learn how to deal with anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness. Perhaps you have a hard time with habits. I know for me, my depression makes it very hard to create new habits or break old ones. One book that is highly recommend for this is "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. On JamesClear.com it says about this book.

-"Atomic Habits is the most comprehensive and practical guide on how to create good habits, break bad ones, and get 1% better every day. I do not believe you will find a more actionable book on the subject of the habits and improvement"

Another highly recommended book is called "The Mountain is You" by Brianna Wiest. Many who suffer from mental illness, unconsciously self sabotage themselves. Have you ever experience this? You try so hard to make things better, you end up doing something that causes all of it to come crashing down. Why? What is happening is that deep down, you believe you aren't worthy of something good. Perhaps not consciously, but unconsciously. This book addresses this very topic. The description of the book from Amazon.com says this.

-"this is a book about self-sabotage. Why we do it, when we do it, and how to stop doing it-for good....by extracting crucial insight from our most damaging habits, building emotional intelligence by better understanding our brains and bodies, releasing past experiences at a cellular level, and learning to act as our highest potential future selves, we can step out of our own way and into own potential"

You can find these books and more under My Favorites. So, why is reading so important? It can really empower you life. Reading really has power, knowledge, and wisdom. And it can really change your life is you apply what you learn. But it can also be a source of escape. Giving us a mental vacation. If you read fiction novels you could probably agree with this. If you aren't much of a reader, I would definitely recommend giving it a try. Find something that interest you or fascinates you. Start with a book you know you will read, then pick a time in the day to read. You might be surprised how reading can change your life.