What was the last book you read? Has a busy schedule and the ease of electronic devices made you into a scroller and a skimmer rather than a reader? Do you find yourself digesting information in tweet-sized bites or find it difficult to sit and give your full attention to a book? 25% of adults say they have not read a book in the last year. But research is proving that regular reading has a real impact on your life at home and at work. In fact, it might just make you a better leader.
- It will make you smarter! Just like a workout routine for your body improves your physical fitness, reading is a workout for your brain. It not only helps you expand your knowledge, but it can help you be more empathetic, and improve your emotional intelligence and ability to work with others.
- Reading reduces stress. Listening to an audio book on the way home or reading before bed can reduce your stress, lower your blood pressure, improve your quality of sleep, and leave you more rested for the next day.
- Fiction can improve your creativity. Studies by the University of Toronto show that readers of fiction showed more creativity in problem solving than readers of non-fiction essays. Fiction readers showed less need for closure and were more open-minded.
- If you read, your kids are more likely to read. Everyone wants their children to read, and to do well on standardized tests. The best way to encourage your children to read is for them to see YOU reading. Put down your device and pick up a book. Better yet, read together with your children and aloud to each other. Listen to audio books in the car and discuss what you’ve read. You will be amazed at the results.
- And, you could live longer. If you combine the effects of the first four on this list, you might not be surprised that Yale researchers have also found that people who read live longer. Their study of 3,635 people found that people who read for 30 minutes a day lived 23 months longer than those who didn’t read or who read magazines.
So, you could be smarter, more creative, more understanding, less stressed, have more successful kids, and live longer. Ready to start? Here are some quick picks you might enjoy:
Inspiring: Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People by Bob Goff
Moving forward: Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Community focus: Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life by Eric Klinenberg
Cautionary tale: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyou
Fun and fiction: Evie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (NPR Pop Culture Correspondent);
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
(Note: The Greater Greenwood Chamber asked me to write a guest article for their weekly newsletter, and I am sharing it again here. If you are a business person in the Greater Greenwood area, I highly recommend getting in touch with the Greater Greenwood Chamber of Commerce for their networking events, informative lunches, and other events. It’s more than handing out business cards – it’s getting connected with your community. )