Why should you read every day?

Reading includes several interactive processes between the reader and the text, in which readers
use their knowledge to build, create, and construct meaning.

In Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistic, reading is said as:

1. “Perceiving a written text to understand its contents. This can be done silently (silent
reading). The understanding that results is called reading comprehension.
2. Saying a written text aloud (oral reading). This can be done with or without
understanding the content.”

What happens to your brain when you read?

1.Reading heightens brain connectivity.

It's not uncommon for people to say that a book has changed their life, but did you know
reading a novel can change the brain? Researchers found that reading a narrative can cause
changes in the brain, not only while participating in the activity but in resting-state connectivity,
too.

According to the study, when we read, the connection between the left temporal cortex of the
brain, the area associated with language reception is heightened. And the heightened activity
continues for several days following the reading.

2.It puts readers in the characters.

According to a study, reading not only heightens the connectivity in the temporal cortex, but
also increases activity in the central sulcus of the brain, or region responsible for the primary
sensory-motor activity. When we read, neurons in this area of the brain activate to create a
sensation of not just reading about the action of the book, but experiencing the sensations it is
describing.

For example, if you're reading a book, where the character is running away from the thieves the
neurons associated with the physical act of running are activated. A phenomenon known as
grounded cognition, reading doesn't only figuratively put you in someone else's shoes, it does
that through the biology of the brain.
3.It rewires the brain and creates new white matter.

Want to improve communication within the brain? Just crack open a book, because according to
researchers reading can alter brain tissue in positive ways.

In 2009, scientists uncovered evidence that intense reading improvement instructions in young
children cause the brain to physically rewire itself. In doing so, the brain creates more white
matter which improves communication within the brain. The results suggest that reading
deficits in children can point to specific problems in the brain's circuits that can be treated and
improved with reading.

4.It increases the capacity of your working memory.

Reading involves several brain functions, including visual and auditory processes, phonemic
awareness, fluency, comprehension, and more. According to the ongoing research at Haskins
Laboratories for the Science of the Spoken and Written Word, reading, unlike watching or
listening to media, gives the brain more time to stop, think, process, and imagine the narrative in
from of us. This increased mental activity helps keep your memory sharp much in the way
lifting weights keeps your muscles toned. Reading and processing what is written, from the
letters to the words to the sentences to the stories themselves, boosts brain activity.

5.It expands a reader's attention span.

According to the studies, the internet has improved users' capacity for short-term memory and
ability to multi-task, but it can split our attention, unlike reading. When we read a novel, we
read linearly, rather than sporadically jumping from tab to tab, and slowly think about the
information in front of us. This exercise of taking time to process the narrative, to think about
the complex layers of the story and how they fit together, actually increases the capacity for
longer attention spans, especially in children.
Psychological benefits of reading

1.Expression: Reading is good for adults as well as children. There's no better way to expand
your vocabulary and learn how to express yourself more eloquently, no matter your age. That
alone is a great reason to get a lens replacement on your reading glasses and pick up a book, but
it's just the beginning.

2.Focus: The average adult can only focus on a task for 20 minutes at a time. Reading is a
great place to start to maximize your productivity. If you're starting from scratch, you can begin
by speed reading relatively short things and work your way towards reading longer texts more
slowly. Increasing your ability to focus on a task will benefit you in your personal and
professional life.

3.Mental Acuity: Mental exercise like reading can be a good way to fend off dementia and
other mental troubles, particularly slower, active reading of longer texts that challenge your
mind and sharpen your thought processes.

4.Empathy: Reading teaches empathy to children, and it can do the same for adults. This is
an area where fiction shines because seeing the world through the eyes of a fictional character
stretches the same mental muscles you need to see the world through the eyes of another person.
These are the building blocks of basic empathy.

5.Social Intelligence: Reading is a great way to learn how other people think as well as
how they feel, and that can improve your social intelligence dramatically. Also, Book clubs can
be a great place to meet new people and make new friends with common interests. Remember
that as long as you have a book in your bag, you have something to talk about with friends and
strangers alike.

6.Family Bonding: Reading as an adult with your child is one of the best things you can do,
both for them and you. Children whose parents read are more likely to read themselves, and
children who read with their parents do better in school and have happier home lives. Reading is
an excellent way to bond with your child and give them the best possible academic start.

7.Stress Relief: Reading is a good way to relieving stress. Reading a book is a great way to
wind down in the evenings and can help you relax and get to sleep at night. Unlike browsing
social media, it doesn't keep you awake with constant small bursts of reward chemicals. If you
think that reading is escapist, you're right. When you're reading, there is no such thing as wasted
time.

Scientific Benefits of reading

1. Reading reduces stress: According to studies, reading a book or newspaper for just six
minutes lowered people's stress levels by 68 percent ie, a stronger effect than going for a walk
(42 percent), drinking a cup of tea or coffee (54 percent), or listening to music (61 percent).

2. Reading books may add years to your life: A daily dose of reading may lengthen
your lifespan. According to studies, people who reported reading books for 30 minutes a day
lived nearly two years longer than those who read magazines or newspapers. Participants who
read more than 3.5 hours per week were 23 percent less likely to die, and participants who read
less than 3.5 hours per week were 17 percent less likely to die.

3. Reading improves your language skills and knowledge of the world.

The better you are at reading, the more words you learn. The more words you learn, the better
you are at reading and comprehending, especially things that would have been outside your
domain of expertise.

4. Reading enhances empathy: According to studies, those who read literary fiction
performed better on tasks like predicting how characters would act and identifying the emotion
encoded in facial expressions. These speak to the ability to understand others' mental states,
which scientists call the Theory of Mind.

If we engage with characters who are nuanced, unpredictable, and difficult to understand, then
studies said that we're more likely to approach people in the real world with the interest and
humility necessary for dealing with complex individuals.

5. Reading boosts creativity and flexibility: In our real lives, we often feel like we
have to make a decision, and therefore we close our minds to information that could eventually
help us. When we read fiction, we practice keeping our minds open because we can afford
uncertainty.

Studies came to that conclusion after conducting a study in which 100 people were assigned to
read a fictional story or a nonfiction essay. The participants then completed questionnaires
intended to assess their level of cognitive closure, which is the need to reach a conclusion
quickly and avoid ambiguity in the decision-making process. The fiction readers emerged as
more flexible and creative than the essay readers and the effect was strongest for people who
read regularly.

6.Reading can help you transform as a person: It's not often that we can identify
moments when our personality changes and evolves, but reading fiction may help us do just
that. According to studies, people saw themselves differently after reading about others'
fictional experiences. The nonfiction readers didn't undergo this shift in self-reflection.
Imagining new experiences creates a space in which readers can grow and change.

Why reading is the key to success?

Reading may or may not lead you to success. But, this is quite true, that all great successful
leaders of the world are very good readers. Reading helps you to gather different perceptions
very contrasting to your beliefs which helps you to grow. The right term you should be focusing
on is “execution”, a 1000 read book won't do any good if you don't apply what you read.
Reading gives you idea, knowledge, and skills but. All the ideas, skills, and knowledge are of
no use if you don't apply them.

Just sitting and reading won't do anything. Reading and implementation can get you to fail a
few sometimes but remember failure is the part and parcel of success.

There is a great saying,

“The formula to success is double the rate of failure.”