How reading has affected my life
When I was a child, I constantly carried a book around. Even if it was a book like Rainbow Magic or A Tale of Two Cities that went completely over my 6-year-old head, books and I were inseparable. Although this passion was fostered at a young age, books remained an integral part of my identity even as I grew up. Reading has affected my life in many different ways, making me smarter and happier. It has exposed me to countless new things.
The most significant way that reading has affected my life is the sheer amount of knowledge it has allowed me to gain. I have learned about people, places, and world events that—prior to reading— I never even knew existed. Thus, the knowledge that I have acquired from books affects me in my everyday life and has led me to become smarter and more worldly. Reading also keeps my mind engaged through exercising my cognitive skills, in turn improving my ability to learn and retain knowledge. Moreover, my vocabulary has been bolstered by reading, allowing me to improve my communication skills and my grades in school.
Additionally, reading has greatly impacted my mental health. The easiest way for me to alleviate stress is to simply pick up a book and escape to another world. Studies have shown that reading can lower one’s heart rate and reduce one’s blood pressure, both of which are common symptoms of stress. Studies also show that reading helps to alleviate depression and feelings of sadness—a fact that I find to be true as I always feel happier when I read. Notably, I always sleep better when I read before bed as it allows me to decompress and relax after a long day.
I have also found that reading has impacted my social skills tremendously. Through fictional characters, I have learned about human behaviors and discovered the best ways to interact with my peers. Reading has affected the way I empathize with others as it has helped me to grasp how others process life and express emotions. This ability has undoubtedly improved my social skills because I am able to detect how others are feeling and base my actions off of these insights.
Furthermore, reading has helped me to understand myself better. I love reading books with relatable characters because it makes me feel understood, and it validates my feelings. Whenever I feel a negative emotion like anger, fear, or sadness, I simply think of a time when a character in one of my books felt the same way. This reassures me that I am not alone and that other people have felt similarly. I have also been inspired by many different literary characters and have tried to adopt their traits that I value most. For example, I strive to be as independent as Jo March, as virtuous as Atticus Finch, and as imaginative as Anne Shirley.
Reading has affected so much of my life from how I act, to what I choose to study, to how I find happiness and relieve stress. I can confidently say that, without reading, I would be a much different person than I am today. I use the knowledge that I have acquired from reading every single day and it has become an extremely valuable asset for me. Reading has positively affected me in many ways, so what are you waiting for? Pick up a book and see for yourself what a monumental impact reading can have on your life!
