As I read, travel and change. Books allow me to live a thousand lives and learn from each other. I can be an explorer, an elephant, a gazelle, a doll, a mountain or a star.
In the 1930s, two Asturians based in Cuba set up a tobacco company, cigar manufacturing workers had a long day of work and, to pass the time, an employee read them novels.
May others boast of the pages they have written; Am I proud of the pages I read?. ?Jorge Luis Borges
The romance they liked the most was Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Montecristo”, which led workers to increase the productivity and quality of cigars, so they decided to call these cigars “Montecristo”.
This simple story teaches us that reading gives us wings, stimulates our imagination and allows us to live other lives, dream of places we do not know, feel different emotions, love people we have never seen.
When we read, we can not only identify with the different characters in the books, but we can also learn about places, cultures and customs that we do not know, which will allow us to have a better understanding of our environment and the people around us. us.
Next, we’ll discuss some of the benefits of reading, such as increased empathy, creativity, memory, combating Alzheimer’s disease or stress, developing intelligence, or the ability to speak and listen.
In 2013, Emory University scientists compared the brains of readers and non-readers and discovered that readers use their imagination to understand the emotions of characters in the books they read and are therefore generally more empathetic.
Reading increases the ability to understand how others feel, this empathy translates into a fundamental skill for development in different areas: friendships, family, relationships and work capacity.
Several studies have concluded that lack of memory use is one of the causes of its loss, so we recommend certain activities such as crossword puzzles, sudoku and reading, to keep the mental circuits responsible for memory lubricated.
“Reading makes a man complete; conversation, agility and writing, do I need?. – Sir Francis Bacon-
Reading helps us remember the facts that happen, the situation of people, the conflicts we know through books and the lives of the characters that the author shows in each book or text, this way of remembering strengthens our intelligence.
According to dr. Lewis Davis’ studies, reading reduces stress levels by 68% and relaxes us by slowing down the heart rate. Six minutes of reading a day is enough to significantly reduce stress.
When we read our minds it takes us somewhere else, so if we have a bad day at work, for example, reading will help us relax, disconnect from problems and manage to have a good time without thinking about anything else.
When it comes to a case of memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease exists. Several studies have shown that reading is a good tool to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by stimulating brain function, connection and increased brain circuits.
In 2001, several researchers showed that older people who read or perform mental exercises regularly are less likely to develop the disease. Therefore, practice this simple habit every day and exercise your brain.
Reading allows us to be better speakers, because through reading we can acquire a good vocabulary and learn new words. This learning will help us to write better and speak more fluently, using the language for which we want to express.
A person who reads has not only lived several lives through the characters in the stories he has read, but also has many topics to address, a great ability to listen to himself and observe the world carefully.
With reading you can live a life of adventure in the Amazon, a king in an imaginary land or an orangutan in the jungle, each page will flood your soul allowing you to enjoy each situation while you read. Reading is a pleasure, it is cheap and very accessible.
Also, you will live lives not only in the present, but also in the past or future. A book allows us to travel in time and know what our ancestors were like or to wander about what we will be in the future. Reading is dreaming and opening your eyes to thousands of different realities.
“Reading a good book is a constant dialogue: the book speaks and the soul responds” – André Maurois-