Whether you have passed or not, there is something fabulous you can do for yourself during the summer holidays: read. We'll tell you why. There are thousands of reasons
If we have failed or have not achieved the results we expected and we have to study this summer, it is a good idea to spend at least an hour a day reading; and if we have passed, even better, because we will be able to read more. Saying "I don't like reading" is a lie. It's like saying we don't like movies or we don't like any kind of food. It all depends on the movie, dish or book we choose. In addition, developing a reading habit is positive for many reasons. Keep reading and you will be convinced.
Reading develops empathy
Reading novels makes us more empathetic.
Research published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, carried out by Applied Psychology professor Keith Oatley, argues that reading fiction novels improves empathy and social skills more than an essay or a faithful historical reflection. According to the studies that Oatley has conducted with volunteers, reading fiction activates the hippocampus, the brain region related to learning and memory, and puts us in the place of others. Novels allow us to put ourselves in the shoes of the characters in the plot, and feel sympathy, compassion, hatred towards them... This activates feelings that make us more tolerant and lead us to think about people's circumstances and intentions. Empathy is absolutely necessary in daily life and will be in our future professional development. Moreover, the world would be better if we all knew how to put ourselves in other people's shoes.
Reading stimulates imagination
We spend the whole day looking at images, those that are worth a thousand words. But we also need words for our mind to exercise imagining what we do not see. Immersing ourselves in what we imagine allows us to create our own
mind maps, invent our own world, put a face to strangers, fantasize...; in short, create.
Creativity is something we can exercise through reading and it is worth training it because we will always need it, every day of our lives.
Reading improves social skills
Humans are social by nature. We learn to act by imitating the behavior models of the people around us. But our close relationships do not exceed 150 people. Literature allows us to expand those models and anticipate how our interaction with them should be. When we read about what happens to others, we learn from their mistakes and successes, think about how we would solve the same situations that the characters in the book experience, how we would handle the consequences of their actions, whether they act well or badly, whether they know how to negotiate, how they could have done it better, why they fail, etc. This is very useful because every day we have to negotiate and reading allows us, without realizing it, to mentally train our social skills.
Helps to put problems into perspective
Not only because we get into another story and forget about our own (i.e., because it allows us to escape), but also because in books there are people who are going through difficult times, who have frustrations, who face challenges and learn how to solve their problems. Or, if they don't, it allows us as readers to see that others act wrongly. On the other hand, there is the saying "misery loves company"... Bad things don't only happen to us. There are people who are going through tough times, or even worse.
Reading is learning
The more we read, the more our reading comprehension and speed increase, of course, but it also enhances our cognitive and intellectual abilities. Reading is brain exercise and memory strengthening. In a world where distractions are constant, with the internet, WhatsApp, social media..., prolonged and deep reading is the best way to work on concentration. In addition, reading will help us write better, expand our vocabulary, express ourselves with precision, have better spelling, know how to punctuate, know our language... Reading is the foundation of academic education, the one we need to obtain the
eTítulo.
It extends life
Scientists from Yale University argue that reading extends life. Their research, published in ScienceDirect under the title "A chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevity", has shown the association between reading and longevity. The study involved 3,635 volunteers over a period of 12 years and concluded that those who read had a survival rate up to 23 months longer than those who did not read. Furthermore, the results confirmed that readers who spent more time reading had a considerable advantage even over those who spent half an hour a day: 23% less mortality compared to 17%.
Reading is living experiences
When we read a novel, we experience the same things as the characters. The scientific study "Short and Long Term Effects of a Novel on Connectivity in the Brain" demonstrates that the effects of reading activate the neurons related to those sensations as if we were experiencing them ourselves. And the effect lasts in the long term: we can think about an action we have read about, and the neurons associated with that physical action will undergo changes even after some time. Life is really short and unfair. The vast majority of human beings cannot afford to live all the experiences they would like to. Reading solves that.
Reading makes us more attractive
Well, to tell the truth, we will only seem more attractive. We are all attracted to cultured people. Reading provides culture, knowledge, experience... It improves our analytical skills and raises our critical sense, enriches us mentally. And that makes us more attractive and interesting in the eyes of others. And who doesn't want to be liked?
Reading is a pleasure
Reading reduces stress and, no less important, it is entertaining. Reading gives us hours of well-being, fun and interest. Any book, even the worst one, teaches us something, and we learn from all of them. Reading is a pleasure or should be. We don't always have to read dense classics or serious authors, reading is also entertainment and variety is the key. It shouldn't be torture. The best thing is that, at least at the beginning, we enjoy choosing the genres and authors we like the most. Over time, we may like other things. This happens with everything: one can enjoy new cuisine and its dishes made with liquid nitrogen and at the same time appreciate a good chickpea stew. Enjoy your holidays surrounded by good books and tell us which ones you liked the most.
