How to Develop a Reading Habit: 10 Great Reasons to Read

I’m sure you’ve heard from multiple people that reading is very important. But what they never tell you is the reason why reading is important and why people should read more. With the introduction of high-tech electronics, social media, and other entertainments, reading has taken a backseat in everyday life. It’s not something that people pick up on a regular basis. According to statistics, “The average daily time spent reading by individuals in the United States in 2019 amounted to 0.27 hours, or 16.2 minutes. Adults over the age of 65 were the most avid readers, and those aged 75 or above spent almost 44 minutes reading each day. Meanwhile, adults between the ages of 20 and 24 years read for just six minutes per day on average.”

When we consider the precious moments in each day, it’s truly astonishing that the average American dedicates merely 16 minutes to reading. This striking figure may be attributed to the active nature of reading, which can pose a challenge compared to more passive activities. It’s far simpler to mindlessly browse through YouTube or Instagram, bombarded with information from every direction, than to actively immerse ourselves in understanding a chapter from a book.

There are multiple reasons why people should read, but I’ve listed 10 reasons below why reading is extremely important and why people should engage in this activity a little more in their daily life.

1. Reading Forces You To Think

There are many reasons why people should read more but the main one is because reading forces you to think. When you are reading, you can’t help but think about the plot, the characters, and their behaviors. Or if you are reading a self-help book, reading makes you evaluate your life choice. Reading can make you question your own beliefs or how you came about them. Thinking about your choices and beliefs makes an overall better you.

2. Reading Is Informative

Reading can be extremely informative. I don’t mean just self-help books. Reading gives you information that you might not be able to receive from somewhere else. People have been persecuted for the information they have published in the pursuit of the truth. Reading allows people to engage in the information that otherwise might not be possible. That information in a book can be life-changing.

3. Reading Makes You a Better Writer

Reading makes you an overall better writer. The more you read, the more aware you are of different writing styles. Different writings from different authors can give you a better understanding of how to write. For example, there is a huge difference between J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing (author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and J.K. Rowling's (Harry Potter series) writing. These two different writing styles will introduce you to styles of writing and portraying a story.

4. Reading Can Be a Distraction

With today’s high-paced lifestyle that everyone has become accustomed to in their everyday life, reading can be a much-needed distraction. Active reading forces you to stop what you are doing and engage in the writing. You can’t engage in the story if you are thinking about something else. Reading allows for a necessary distraction from our busy and complicated lives.

5. Reading Can Improve Your Retention and Memory 

Over time, reading can improve your retention and memory because it forces you to think and recall details about a story. The more you practice those skills, the more likely you are to retain that information. These skills can be extremely helpful in other part of your life as well.

6. Reading Introduces You To Different Behaviors

Reading allows you to be in the headspace of another individual that might be completely different from your characters. How many times have we read a book and thought, “I’d never do that,” but later understood the reasoning behind that character’s decisions. Reading allows you to be in someone else’s shoes and, for a little while, learn about their everyday struggles.

7. Reading Teaches You About Human Behavior

Reading teaches you what some people can be capable of in their everyday life. These capabilities can be good or bad but a book brings light to human behavior. Reading can teach you why people do the things they do without realizing it. Reading allows for the in-depth character analysis that we take for granted in our everyday lives.

8. Reading Improves Your Everyday Life. 

Who doesn’t want to be more courageous or more disciplined than they currently are? Reading allows people to be more than they thought they were by introducing you to different characters and information. The motivation in those characters allows us to be “more” than we previously thought. The thinking aligns with “If they can do, I can do it as well”. Reading improves your everyday life.

9. Reading Teaches You Life Lessons

Reading can teach you long-lasting life lessons. Reading books allows you to understand certain things in-depth that you wouldn’t have been able to understand otherwise. Reading gives people exposure to different lifestyles. Readers can resonate with that lifestyle and attempt to modify their everyday behaviors that align with a character they now might look up to. Everyone needs a hero and someone to admire. It might be a character or it might be a future you.

10. Reading allows you to have discussions with other people.

One of my favorite parts about reading is the discussion that follows. Reading allows you to connect with people you wouldn’t have otherwise considered if it wasn’t for your mutual interest in a book. Reading allows you to have a discussion with another person and make new connections. The greatest part of that discussion is that books affect people in different ways. What I learned from reading a certain book might be completely different from what you learned from reading the same book. It’s all about perspective.

Summary:

Well, there you have it, folks. Those are some of the reasons to read a book, among many others. Reading doesn’t have to be a chore; it should be a fun and engaging time to look forward to. It’s important to note that reading books, whether fictional or non-fictional, can be different for everyone. Find out what works for you and learn to engage with that particular story. Reading can open many doors for you. I hope this gives you another reason to read in your everyday life.

What are some of the reasons you read? Please let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you. 

Thanks for reading. 

-Navi