Why Daily Reading is Important

Daily reading is vital to keeping a fresh and active mind. Often times with work, family, and other responsibilities it can be hard to find time for ourselves. Time to let our mind wander, time to learn new information, or even time to let the mind relax.

This is where reading can play a huge influence on mental health and brain fitness. What do we mean by that? Reading is a calming activity that oftentimes requires minimal effort (based on what you’re reading). It can also play a huge factor in ensuring your brain stays mentally sharp and fit for a longer period of time. Research suggests that one of the main activities older individuals should do is read to keep the mind sharp in a post-retired life. If reading can help older individuals stay mentally sharp, it can only be more impactful for a younger mind. Getting in the habit of daily reading can also help activate parts of the brain that you may not use at your job or during your daily life.

Personally, I spend the first 30 - 45 minutes of my morning reading the MorningBrew and the Wall Street Journal. This activity gives me sometime before I log into work to decompress, drink my morning coffee, and stay up to date on current events. In the evening, I try to read a chapter or 2 in a book as well to calm my mind before sleep.

Here are the top 10 benefits of daily reading:

1. Mental Stimulation

2. Stress Reduction

3. Knowledge

4. Vocabulary Expansion

5. Memory Improvement

6. Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills

7. Improved focus and Concentration

8. Better Writing Skills

9. Tranquility

10. Free Entertainment

On Motiv, we suggest you gather your friends and create an online book club community. Either you and your friends can read the same book or all focus on different ones. Regardless you can hold yourself accountable with a weekly goal of reading a chapter, and with subgoals related to reading an X amount of pages a day.

Not only can reading help improve your mental fitness and health, it can also make you a higher performer at your job, in the classroom, or help you standout in a room full of people based on your knowledge. Worst case, you still get free entertainment and lower that screen time on your phone!