Why Reading Is A Good Hobby – Reasons To Start Reading
People often ask the question: Is reading a hobby? Let me
tell you that it is! Here you will find the ultimate list of reasons why
reading is a good hobby!
Reading is a good hobby
To answer the question whether reading is a hobby, we
first need to understand what a hobby really is.
A hobby can be defined as any activity that is done
regularly, mostly in your free time and for enjoyment.
So, is reading a hobby? You can read books and magazines
whenever and wherever you want, in your free time. You can also decide yourself
what you want to read, so you can select books and magazines that you actually
enjoy reading. So Reading does meet all of the criteria, and we can conclude
that reading definitely can be seen as a hobby!
Reading Is a Good Hobby! And One Worth Spending Your Time
On
Of course, you also want to know if it is a hobby that is
worth spending your time on. Let me tell you that you should consider making it
a habit to read regularly. Regular reading has many advantages, reading is a
good hobby that can increase your overall knowledge level and help you improve
various skills. Of course, it will also just allow you to have fun and escape
the everyday life!
Below we have listed the main benefits of reading and
all the reasons why reading is a good hobby that is worth spending your time
on.
“Sleep is good, he said, and books are
better” — from A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin.
Reading Helps You to Relax
One of the most important reasons why people decide to
read is because they want to relax. You simply grab a good book and find a
quiet location and you are all set. What is more relaxing than spending a few
hours getting lost in a novel or reading about your favorite nonfiction topic?
For a while, you forget everything around you – work,
school, all the bad news in the world – you will definitely feel more relaxed
afterward. Of course, if you read a horror story this might not be the case,
but at least your daily problems will feel less important afterward.
You Can Read Anywhere and Anytime
Reading is a good hobby that everyone can do. All you
need to read is a book that you actually want to read. You can read your book
almost everywhere, of course, I would not advise you to read while driving your
car or your bike.
Some of the most common places where people read are in
public places such as coffee shops and libraries, relaxed on the couch or in
bed, on the bus or train while going to work, or while taking a long bath.
It does Not Cost a Lot of Money
Reading definitely does not need to cost a lot of money.
You can find reasonably priced books online in all of the very well-known
online bookstores. You can also reduce the average cost of your books if you
mainly buy paperbacks, which are considerably cheaper than hardcovers.
Another way to save money and spend less on reading is by
buying books in second-hand bookstores.
Reading Reduces Your Stress Level
Because reading makes you feel relaxed and you often read
in quiet places where you like spending time, reading will reduce your overall
stress level.
Various scientific studies have shown that reading a good
book effectively helps you to avoid stress. A recent study by consultancy
Mindlab International at the University of Sussex shows that even reading for
just six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than
two-thirds (68 %). You can read an article about this study in the Telegraph.
Reading Makes You Sleep Better
Recent sleep studies show that you will more easily fall
asleep after reading a good book. You will also experience a deeper sleep and
wake up feeling more energized. In addition, you will feel more satisfied as
you have used your time productively. At least you did not spend hours checking
Facebook or Twitter.
Reading requires your mind to think, to imagine the life
of the character in the book or to try and understand the more complex topics
in a scientific book. This will consume your energy if you read at night. In
the end, you will get tired and ready to fall asleep.
What does not help you to sleep better is watching TV or
checking your phone right before going to bed. So when you read a good book instead
you will not be tempted stare at a screen right before bedtime. You will be set
for a good night’s sleep.
Plenty of Books to Choose From
There are so many books in the world that you will never
be able to read all of them. This means that you have plenty of books to choose
from. Everyone can read and everyone can choose which books he or she really
wants to read.
“Read the best books first, or you may not
have a chance to read them at all “ –Henry David Thoreau
So reading definitely does not have to be boring! Reading
is a good hobby and there is a book available for every taste or interest. Are
you fascinated by a certain person and you would like to know more about his or
her life-story? Then why not read that person’s biography or memoirs? Or do you
prefer to read a thriller where you will have an adrenaline rush just after the
first page? Then I am sure that you will find the right book – in the Action
and Adventure Fiction section on Amazon alone you will find over 200,000 books!
Improve Your Vocabulary
Reading is a good hobby that will definitely improve your
vocabulary. Unconsciously, you will remember words that you never heard before.
You will see how you can use them in phrases and what they mean in different
contexts.
Also, you will improve your grammar, as you learn how to
build phrases, where to use punctuation and how to structure entire paragraphs.
Reading Improves Your Knowledge
Obviously, you will improve your knowledge if you read
non-fiction books. Whether you read about arts, photography, history, cooking
or a famous person, every book will uncover new insights. Every book will make
you think about facts you did not think of before. In general, readers are more
aware of how things work, why things happened in the past or who famous people
really were.
Reading a book will give you the chance to process a lot
of information and research in a relatively short amount of time. It is more
efficient and probably also cheaper to read a book on a topic than to take a
class or follow a course.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn
as if you were to live forever.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
But even if you read a lot of fiction you will increase
your overall knowledge and gather new information. Are you reading a story that
takes place in a country that you have not been to? Or does the main character
in the book have a profession or hobby that you had not heard about before? All
examples of ways in which reading will provide you with new knowledge.
Reading Makes You Look Smart
When you read a lot of books it gives a good impression
and makes you look smart. Additionally, you will be able to join much more
conversations as you will have much more to say about a broader range of
topics. You will be better at expressing how you feel and getting your point
across.
“Always read something that will make you
look good if you die in the middle of it” –P.J. O’Rourke
As reading also improves your vocabulary, you will use
difficult, intelligent words more often… This will definitely make you look and
sound smart!
It Makes You Look…Sexy
This is particularly applicable for men that like to
read. Studies have shown that intelligence if one of the main characteristics
that women look for in a man. So if reading improves your overall knowledge and
makes you look smart, then it even makes you look sexy!
Reading Increases Your Tolerance
When you read a lot of books, you will learn about people
in different situations, with different opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles. This
will not necessarily mean that you will agree with everything that you read or
learn about. But you will be able to better understand the situations of others
and show more empathy. You will learn not to judge without understanding or
knowing the story behind certain behaviors and opinions. In this way, reading
can and will increase your tolerance in daily life.
Reading will also let you experience a lot of emotions –
happiness, fear, excitement, sadness, and so on. By living these emotions while
reading and learning from the stories that you read, you will be able to better
handle these emotions in your daily life.
Improve Your Memory and Concentration
When you read regularly, you will improve your
concentration. Once a story caught your attention and you cannot keep yourself
from turning page after page, you will practice focus and concentration. This
will be of great benefit in your daily life and activities.
Reading a book is not like reading a short article or an
online blog post. A book requires your full attention for a longer period of
time. You need to focus on the story and the main characters to fully immerse
yourself in it. As the story unfolds, you will soon forget about everything
else and keep your thoughts in focus. Unconsciously you are practicing your
memory and increasing your attention span.
Reading Reduces the Risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
I recently read an article by the Fisher Centre for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation that
explains how reading can reduce the risk of Dementia. It states that reading
books and magazines can help to keep memory and thinking skills intact and
preserve brain health.
The study the Centre refers to shows that people who
perform mentally challenging activities most often had a slower rate of decline
in memory.
Improve Your Imagination – Escape The Daily Routine
Most books do not have a lot of images and pictures. You
can only read descriptions of what the main character looks like, the places
that he visits or where he or she lives. You can only use your own imagination
to creating the corresponding images in your mind.
Reading is a good hobby that will not only improve your
imagination but also allows you to escape your daily routine. When you read a
good book you can really get lost in the story. A book gives you the chance to
escape your daily reality and experience a whole new world!
Reading a book gives you the opportunity to live
experiences that you are not used to. You can really immerse yourself in the
story and live the life of the main character in the book. Escape your daily
life and get into a whole new one. Be the king of a mighty empire for a day, or
feel the rush of investigating a murder case that seems impossible to solve.
Feel what the character is feeling, understand his problems and concerns, think
outside of your own world.
Reading is Fun and Addictive
Of course, reading is a good hobby and has all the above-mentioned
benefits. But the most important reason to start reading or to read more
regularly is simply that reading is fun.
Reading is not only fun and has a high entertainment
value, you will also discover that it is very addictive. Once you finished a
good book and turned the last page, you will soon be thinking of the next book
you want to read. If that happens, definitely keep reading. You will have lots
of fun while improving lots of skills.
You Can Even Make Some Money
If you love reading and reviewing books, then you might
even make some money while doing so. Writing book reviews can get you free
copies of books to read and review, or even get you a fee for each review. If
you want to know more about this, make sure to check our list of hobbies that
allow you to make some money by doing what you love.
source: http://thehobbyts.com/why-reading-is-a-good-hobby-reasons-to-start-reading/
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