When was the last time you read a book? I may believe in owning less stuff. That’s smart. But I don’t think we can ever gain too much knowledge. I’ve always been a reader and I encourage others to read regularly, too. There are some darn good reasons for reading books.
Minimalism and Books
Let’s get this out of the way. Some of you are cringing at the idea of reading books because having a collection of books is not minimalist. I have two words: libraries and ebooks.
That said, I still buy occasional books. There’s something about having a small library of select books that I can’t quite let go. Maybe it’s because there are so many smart benefits to reading.
Check out these posts about reading:
Reading Books Makes You Smart
- Reading develops verbal abilities: The more we read, the more of a grasp we have on our language. People who read a have a larger vocabulary of words to draw from to express themselves. People who read become better writers. That’s just smart.
- Reading helps you to focus and concentrate: This does not apply to online reading. Social media and blog articles have stunted our focus. Full-length books help us to stay more focused. That focus can spill over into other parts of our lives. Pick up a book and stick with it.
- Reading improves your imagination: I love a good fiction or fantasy from time to time. Fiction allows us to escape into another world. We can imagine places we’ve never been. We can vicariously do things we might never do in real life. That’s smart and fun.
- Reading improves memory: Not only does reading improve your memory, many studies have shown that it might help you keep it longer. Learn more at the National Institute on Aging. It says that staying mentally stimulated lessens your chance of getting Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Reading reduces stress: Who wants more stress? That’s a silly question. We all would like to live as stress-free as possible. Read slowly. This can actually help to slow down your heart rate and your breathing. That reduces stress. Sounds smart to me.
- Reading makes you more sexy: Intelligent people are just sexier than less intelligent people. Being well-read helps us to carry in-depth and interesting conversations on a variety of topics. That’s sexy and smart.
Turn Off The Technology
So take a break from technology and social media and pick up a book. Spend at least 20 minutes a day reading. You’ll gain the six skills we discussed in this article and much more.
If you enjoyed this post, why not read more Hip Diggs’ posts. Check out the archives:
