We’ve all heard that reading is good for us. Most of us don’t realize exactly how beneficial it is. Especially if you are reading inspirational books.
Reading can improve your mental and physical health. It can improve your relationships and connections in the world. Reading can raise your self-confidence and increase your ability to cope with life.
Keep reading for the 10 biggest reasons to pick up some inspirational books today
1. Inspirational Books Can Improve Your Mental Health
Studies show reading inspirational books can improve your mood, ease depression and anxiety.
In fact in the United Kingdom doctors have a list of books to prescribe for mental health concerns. Books on prescription are recommended for patients dealing with anxiety, stress, and depression.
2. Inspirational Books Help Your Physical Health
Your mental health and physical health are intertwined. As mental health improves the benefits are also apparent in your physical health.
Lower stress and anxiety can lower your risk of many diseases and conditions. Reading can improve your overall health and ease symptoms you’re suffering from.
Some conditions affected by stress and anxiety are:
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- back pain
- heart disease, heart attack, and angina
- stroke
- headaches including migraines
- irritable bowel syndrome
- circulation
- Alzheimer’s, dementia and memory issues
- insomnia and sleep disorders
Reading slows your heart rate, lowers blood pressure and improves oxygen intake. All are beneficial to your overall health and reduce your risk of complications
3. Improves Brain Function and Makes You Smarter
That’s right reading inspirational books makes you smarter. There are three types of intelligence and reading the right books can improve all three.
The three types of intelligence affected are:
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is knowing how to interpret the emotions and feelings of others. Books help you decipher how others think and feel in various situations. Reading can give one hope and produce solutions for emotional concerns.
Fluid Intelligence
This is having the knowledge and skills to solve problems. Critical thinking and creative problem solving are boosted by reading. This is especially true in stories of inspiration and triumph. You learn skills others use to deal with situations. Your brain attempts to figure out the solution as you read. This gives your brain exercise and improves brain function
Crystallized Intelligence
This is the information and wisdom you have learned to survive and thrive in your life. It is useful information your mind accesses to cope with or accomplish the desired task. When you learn to walk or talk this becomes crystallized intelligence.
Reading inspirational books increases your intelligence. It gives you more resources and information to access.
Exercising your brain and exposing your mind to inspirational books improves brain function. This is the same as exercising your body grows your muscles and physical ability.
Brain function is affected for days after reading. There is heightened connectivity that is visible on fMRI for days after reading.
4. Sleep Better
Reading before bed can help you sleep better. It de-stresses your body and mind. It also allows you to stop thinking about your own demands and concerns in life.
For the best help getting to sleep read a paper book. It’s important within an hour of wanting to sleep that you read from pages and not an electronic device. The light from device screens stops your brain from preparing for sleep and can agitate you.
Inspirational books can help you go to bed inspired and hopeful rather than worried.
5. Slower Mental Decline
Mentally stimulating activities like reading can slow mental decline as we age. It keeps our brain young and functioning better. This is especially true later in life as reading can slow mental decline by as much as 32%.
There’s increasing evidence reading every day lowers your chances of cognitive disorders. Some also believe it may slow the advancement of the disease for those who are diagnosed.
6. More Successful
The most successful people in the world don’t just write inspirational books. They make reading a priority in life.
Oprah Winfrey doesn’t only read a book every month, she gets millions of others to read it too. She has always been a huge promoter of reading and enlightenment. Inspirational books are often the focus of her television show topics.
Some others who firmly believe reading is a major factor in success:
Elon Musk responds to the question “How did you learn to build rockets?” with “I read books”.
Bill Gates has always been an avid reader. He recommends 150 books on his blog “GatesNotes”
Warren Buffett reportedly spends up to 80% of his day reading.
Mark Zuckerburg started a goal of reading a book every two weeks and trying to encourage others to do so.
Steve Siebold interviewed 1200 of the world’s most successful and wealthiest individuals. He was not surprised to learn that reading was a priority with all of them.
7. Reduce Stress
Just six minutes of reading a day can reduce stress by as much as 68%. It’s more successful at lowering stress levels than listening to music or watching t.v.
Getting immersed in inspirational books can help your imagination. It can de-clutter your mind and focus your thoughts. You can be inspired to set new goals. Reading can inspire you to travel to new places and experience new things.
Focusing on new ideas and goals can help you concentrate on positive possibilities.
Even browsing for a new book to read can reduce stress and relax an avid reader. Spending time wandering around a bookstore like Servant books to de-stress is beneficial.
8. Improved Relationships and Connections
Reading inspirational books can improve personal and business relationships. You have more to talk about. You also have more points of reference to cope with any situation.
Your improved physical and mental health help you be present. Relationships are better. You listen more intently and your brain function is sharper.
9. Increase Vocabulary and Concentration
The more you train your brain to concentrate, the better it does. Reading is an exercise for your brain and increases concentration.
It also increases the vocabulary you are exposed to. This gives you a mental reserve to access in life. A rich vocabulary can delay mental decline and increase mental sharpness. You can think of words more quickly because you know more of them.
10. Inspirational Books Can Be Life Changing
A study conducted in the UK shows 27% of people make life-changing decisions because of a book. Major career choices, relationship decisions and setting new transformational goals are all inspired by books.
Make Inspirational Books a Priority
It’s important to make reading a priority in your life. It improves mental and physical health. Every aspect of your life can be improved by the right book.
Knowledge is power and books hold knowledge that can bring powerful changes to your life.
Check out our blog for other ways to improve your life and gain knowledge.