Reading for leisure is one of the first activities that is sacrificed when one’s life starts to get busy. It’s also, unfortunately, looked over in favor of ‘productive’ reading as touted by numerous billionaire entrepreneurs as a contributor to their success.
While there isn’t anything bad about being motivated by the latter, reading just for the pleasure of it also has numerous benefits. Being in a sort of house arrest due to the coronavirus pandemic sets the perfect stage for people to rekindle their love of books.
Here’s how one can and why they should make reading fun again.
Stop Counting Books
Today’s work and hustle culture put an emphasis on productivity and the habit of reading didn’t escape the results-driven nature of it. For some, reading is all about knocking off as many books as they can off of their reading list.
But this shouldn’t be the case all of the time. Remember that one doesn’t have to hit targets to make the activity a fruitful one.
Getting Immersed
Bookworms often begin their love affair with the written word while young, a time when they can easily get lost in the world of the book they’re reading. Get back that kind of engrossment today by putting more focus on one’s reading habit yet still doing it for fun.
Sooner or later, one would be able to not only relax but also lengthen their attention span again after years of using smart devices. What more, getting into this calm state of mind can help people relieve stress caused by the current pandemic as well as their other daily concerns.
The Benefits of Fiction
Another advantage of opening a book is that cultivating a lifelong habit of reading also has health benefits. For example, readers have been reportedly found to live longer and experience less cognitive decline compared to those who don’t challenge their brains often.
And it seems that reading fiction has some extra benefits. Those who read literature were found to be more empathic and scored higher on social ability, according to professor of psychology Keith Oatley.
Making Time
While the time is perfect to jumpstart one’s reading habit again, it can be difficult to get into the groove right away. That’s why it’s important that people make the conscious effort to protect their reading time and allot a portion of their schedule just for it.
One way to do this is by creating an ‘untouchable day’ every week, which they can dedicate to the activity.