The Lifelong Learner: How Reading Contributes to your Well-Being

I know, I know.  You’re just too busy and too successful to take the time to stop and read.  There are so many books piled on your nightstand, but by the time you climb into bed, you don’t have the time or energy to read one of these books that has been haunting you.

First of all, don’t make reading something on your “check list.”  Reading is not just another task to accomplish; reading gives you rejuvenation and inspiration to do your job and life your life better.  Reading should be something you do for two reasons:

1.      It is necessary to your life—you have to do it.

2.     You enjoy it and find it pleasurable

Reading should be like food; it is something we crave, yet also something we enjoy.  We need it to live our daily lives, and to continue living, but we also really love eating the good stuff—we even make a hobby out of it.  Try viewing your reading as nutrition—you’ll be amazed at the way this helps!

Perhaps if you view reading as something that contributes to your personal success, this would change your mindset.  I’m going to give you a few ways that reading will change your life & improve your well being below:

-       Stimulates your mind—reading is so good for your brain!

-       Beneficial for your soul

-       Gives you ideas (for professional life, personal life, etc)

-       Helps you see from the perspective of someone else

-       Makes you smarter & more intelligent

-       Teaches you things you did not know about yourself

-       Shows you values and life lessons to incorporate

-       Did I mention reading is enjoyable??

I know that you’re busy, and you don’t have time to pick up another hobby or activity.  Neither do I!  While reading can definitely become a hobby and a past time, it can also just be a quick thing you do once a day to get nourishment.  My encouragement to you is if you are struggling to incorporate reading into your life, start slow.  Begin with reading one chapter out of a book each night before you go to bed. Before you know it, you won’t be able to put the book down, and reading will become a normal habit for you.

What books have helped you the most this year?  Share below with us!