#UgandaReading Promoting Recovery at Butabika Hospital
As we prepare to take Uganda Reading
to Butabika Hospital top promote Recovery, in this curated article I have
concisely decided to share the 10 benefits of Reading.
When was the last time you read a book? Or,
for you non-book readers out there, do you read any kind of publication at all?
Chances are, you’ve been reading since the day you learned to read – and even
now you’re reading this! You may even frequent Facebook – catching up on your
friends’ Facebook posts, or read news articles and press releases, food labels,
magazines, etc. Reading has become a necessary form of communication and a
habit many of us share, and justly so! Reading is to the mind what exercise is
to the body and so there are countless benefits we receive the more we read.
Here are the top 10 benefits of reading:
1. Stimulates the mind – Studies have shown that if you are constantly stimulating
your mind, you slow the progress of mental diseases and can even prevent them.
Keeping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing its power by
sharpening its logical ability. The brain, though an organ operates very much
like a muscle – you have to exercise it to keep it healthy and strong.
2. Acquire knowledge – Everything you read fills your head with new bits of
information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more
knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are and the more able you become to
tackle challenges. Even if you ever were to lose everything you physically
possess, your brain has an unlimited capacity for storing and using knowledge you’ve
acquired all your life. Use it!
3. Expands your vocabulary – The more you read, the more words you are exposed
to. These words will inevitably make their way into your everyday vocabulary
and being articulate and well-spoken is bonus point in many professions.
Knowing that you communicate to your employers and your peer with confidence
can be an enormous boost to your self-esteem and can aid you as you advance the
career ladder. Studies have shown that those who are well-read, well-spoken and
knowledgeable on a variety of topics tend to get promotions more quickly and
more often than those with smaller vocabularies and lack of awareness of
literature, scientific breakthroughs and global events.
4. Sharpens writing skills – This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your
vocabulary: exposure to published, well-written work has a positive effect on
one’s own writing. Observing the various styles of other authors, journalists,
poets and writers will eventually be reflected in your own writing style. This
is the same way for many artists – as musicians influence one another and
painters use techniques established by previous masters, so do writers learn
how to craft prose, poetry and news by reading the works of others.
5. Hones critical and analytical skills – Have you ever read an amazing mystery novel and solved the
mystery yourself before finishing the book? If so, you were able to put your
critical thinking skills to work by taking note of all the details provided and
sorting them out to determine “whodunnit”. That same ability to analyze details
comes in handy when it comes to critiquing the plot, determining whether it was
a well-written piece, if the characters were properly developed, if the
storyline ran smoothly, etc. Should you ever have an opportunity to discuss the
book with others, you’ll be able to state your opinions clearly, as you’ve
taken the time to really consider all the aspects involved. Even in real life,
critical thinking skills are essential. Being able to solve problems given
certain elements are a part of daily life – from finishing a project for work
to figuring out how to navigate difficult relationships, possessing critical
thinking skills are necessary in all walks of life.
6. Improves memory – When you read a book, you have to remember an assortment of
characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, histories, and nuances, as well as
the various arcs and sub-plots that weave their way through every story.
Amazingly enough, every new memory you create forges new synapses (brain
pathways) and strengthens existing ones, which assists in
short-term memory recall.
7. Boosts concentration – In our internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a
million different directions at once as we attempt to juggle several tasks at
once. Studies have shown that in a single 5-minute span, the average person
will divide their time between working on a task, checking email, chatting with
a couple of people (via online chat and/or in person), keeping an eye on social
media and monitoring their smartphone. This type of behavior in which we are
constantly distracted causes stress levels to rise and lowers our
productivity. While reading a book, however, all of your attention is focused
on the story—causing the rest of the world to fall away as you immerse yourself
in every fine detail seen from the point of view of another. Try reading for
15-20 minutes before work and you’ll be surprised at how much more focused you
are once you get to the office.
8. A fun source of entertainment – There’s a reading genre for every literate person on the
planet, and whether your tastes lie in classical literature, poetry, fashion
magazines, biographies, religious texts, young adult books, self-help guides,
street lit or romance novels, there’s something out there to capture your
curiosity and imagination. Whether you choose to nourish your inner escapist or
feed your brain with new knowledge, step away from the computer for a little
while, crack open a book and feel free to replenish your soul for a little
while.
9. Feeds your imagination – The story of a book will absorb your mind so let your
imagination fly. While you are reading, you are building images, faces, places,
colors, settings and stimulating your creative juices. You connect all these
creations and making changes while you keep reading as your worldview expands.
Allowing your mind to explore a new literary world opens the door of new ideas,
subjects and situations that can get you thinking on trying new experiences.
10. Reduces stress – No matter how much stress you are going through at
work, in your personal life or anywhere else, reading a good story can help you
take your mind off these difficult situations. A nice novel can help distract
you, while an interesting article can slip your mind out of your problems
of that present moment. All allow you to relax and release any tension,
especially if you’re reading a subject you are personally interested in.
By Mwebya Fred
Source of Information: Health Fitness Revolution
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