If you know me personally, you will know I am an absolute bookworm nerd. So I'm here to promote books. Let me tell you why:?
What are the benefits and advantages of reading??
- It challenges your mind daily, and you don't even need to read a lot! 10 minutes a day does the trick.?
- Expands your vocabulary, comprehension and brain connectivity.?
- It prevents cognitive decline as you age.?
- Fights depression symptoms! (What?! Yes, I would like to be happy forever. Sign me up).?
- Empower you to empathise with other people. You see the perspective from different sides, not just your own. Yes, reading many fictional characters can have that effect on you.?
And trust me, there are way more benefits and research along with this. Please read it here:?https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books#aids-sleep
Where do I start? What books should I read??
Great question! Here are some of my personal favourites, both classic and modern:?
- Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin?(love gaming & character development? Then, this is the book for you).
- The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak?(a beautiful book about the love between greek & turkish cypriots, history, transcendence, and eco-consciousness).
- Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (please be careful, this may have some trigger warnings. But Murakami's writing is just way too good not to recommend).?
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde?(a one of a kind novel: a man who sells his soul for eternal youth & beauty but then sinks into a life of crime, but his body retains perfect youth while his recently painted portrait grows into a hideous record of evil).
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (for all of you STEM-inspired ladies, and men too of course).
I'm going to stop myself there. Otherwise, the list will go on forever. If you want more recommendations, visit my bookstagram as linked above. (I know, self-promotion, how dare I).?
How will books help me in my job??
Ah, the million dollar question. People often say, "I don't have time to read", and "boy, thank goodness I don't have to read anymore after my degree". But, to that I say, you're missing out on so many benefits. People don't realise that reading is detrimental to our growth individually. But why? This is because people need to recognise the benefits of reading. I was one of those people until I discovered these compelling benefits.
Here are some of the reasons why reading can help you prosper in your career:
- Improves decision-making & analytical skills: daily, we experience hard decisions we have to make in the workplace. Still, sometimes we make rash and irrational decisions without thinking about them. Reading helps us process information and enables us to deal with uncertainty comfortably. Reading also helps with analytical skills because it helps us to analyse different situations with a critical thinking minding. Once we attain these analytical skills, we can become more efficient and add value to our everyday work.
- Expands vocabulary: We all could have guessed this one. More reading means a greater understanding of words. I love it when I'm reading a book and have to Google a word to understand it and start using it in my everyday life too! (No judgements here, please). Not only do we learn new words, but this, in turn, makes our communication rich and meaningful. Being well-spoken in our professional and personal life builds confidence, progression and development within ourselves on an individual level.
- Strengthening writing skills: I can vouch for this benefit as it's made me a better email & report writer, and I can communicate more effectively. Trust me when I say the more we read, the stronger our writing becomes.
- Increases productivity: not only do you become a more superior worker, but it reduces stress, increases your EQ and helps you become a better version of yourself. We become more empathetic because we can perceive different views.
I hope this has encouraged you to pick up a book this weekend - happy reading!
