2023-05-01 17:37:20
Reading benefits mental health. Every April 23, World Book and Day is celebrated around the world. UNESCO enacted the celebration in 1995 in honor of the date of death of Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. On this day, other authors of great importance such as Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and William Wordsworth were also born or died.
For this year 2022, Unesco has selected Guadalajara (Mexico) as World Book Capital. This title has been granted since 2001 and the designated cities are responsible for carrying out book and reading promotion activities.
As part of the International Book and Day 2022 campaign to encourage interest in books, the activities aim to explain how reading benefits mental health.
7 Ways Reading Benefits Mental Health
As UNESCO points out, the main objective of the International Book and Day 2022 is to promote the habit of reading in the little ones. The intent is not trivial, as there are ways reading benefits mental health. Interest in books has been lost among new generations, and state plans and programs sometimes reinforce these attitudes.
Never before in human history has it been so easy to access books and learn to read. Regardless of deficiencies, education has become a universal right and a few simple taps on the screen provide access to thousands and thousands of titles in literature, philosophy, psychology, science and more. Here are 7 ways reading benefits mental health.
1. Reading boosts overall mental health
Experts have used reading for decades as an adjunct to primary therapy to treat or control certain mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression.
The term “bibliotherapy” is becoming increasingly popular, in the context of the use of books as a therapeutic resource. In children, this can be particularly helpful, as reading has been shown to affect their self-esteem and psychological well-being.
Statistics on depression and anxiety in the general population have reached worrying levels and have shown particular growth among children and young people. Reading can then be a major ally in avoiding or reducing these episodes. Without a doubt, this is a primary reason to celebrate International Book and Day in style.
2. Lifetime extension
A study published in Social Science & Medicine in 2016 revealed that heavy readers live longer than non-readers. Experts found that the cognitive benefits translated into a survival advantage of up to 23 additional months compared to those who only occasionally read magazines and newspapers (not books).
Through reading, you assimilate basic ideas that you can apply in reality. These can help you make life decisions, either to avoid certain problems or to take advantage of opportunities. All this has a direct impact on your integrity, your health, your psychological well-being and your life in general. For this reason, reading can make you live longer.
3. Better brain connectivity
Research published in 2018 found that brain connectivity increases in children who read regularly. The study population, which included children between the ages of 8 and 12, developed increased brain connectivity in left-hemisphere cognitive, visual, and linguistic control regions. The visual, linguistic and processing area is then strengthened.
But that’s not all. Experts have found in their research that just as brain connectivity increases when reading books, it is reduced when young people spend the same time in front of screens(computers, mobile phones, tablets and others).
The contrast is notorious, so much so that specialists suggest reducing the time of exposure to screens and replacing it with reading at this crucial stage of development.
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4. Increased level of empathy
Increased empathy is perhaps one of the least understood ways that reading benefits mental health. Experts have found that reading fiction books in particular alters the level of empathy, and this always in a positive way.
According to other researchers, this advantage results in greater social development, better interpersonal relationships and greater commitment to others.
Empathy is defined as the ability to perceive the emotions and thoughts of others. The theory dictates that the reader connects with the ideals, behaviors and values of certain characters on such a level that they carry all of these criteria to their reality. Reading can make you more empathetic, both with yourself and with others.
5. Prevention of cognitive decline
Although there is no conclusive evidence for this, in part because the understanding of these conditions is still incomplete, there are indications that reading may strengthen the brain once morest cognitive decline. For example, experts have suggested that cognitive activity in early life, such as that achieved by reading, is associated with a slower decline in cognitive abilities.
Other authors agree that reading is a type of mental exercise, which can preserve and improve cognitive functions in healthy adults. In this sense, and despite the fact that more research should be carried out in this regard, reading can be a great ally when it comes to reducing the risks of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, among other conditions. .
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6. Reduced stress level
Reading as a habit is proven to lower your stress levels. Its effects are comparable to those obtained through humor and yoga and, on average, they are obtained in just 30 minutes. Reading can be used as a way to calm stress levels.
7. Development of critical thinking
Finally, we know that reading is a mediator of critical thinking. Critical thinking is a term that has been present in education curricula around the world for decades.
This thought is part of the ideal of the citizens of the new generations. It is the ability to doubt statements believed to be truequestioning them on the basis of analysis.
In sum, it is clear that reading is one of the best habits a person can adopt. The objective of the International Book and Day of this 2022 is to create spaces for its promotion, where virtual channels occupy a very important place. Make sure you share your impressions and recommendations via social networks using the hashtag #WorldBookDay .
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