5 Important Benefits of Reading
5 Important Benefits of Reading
Getting yourself into a reading routine is essential because it has so many benefits to improve your daily life. Here, I have compiled five great reasons to start your reading journey today, from decreasing stress to becoming inspired, including the perfect ways your interest in fashion can translate into a good book. Find out how below!
- A smart way to learn new things
Whether it is a book, an article or a poem, everything you read will be digested by your brain. You will subconsciously compile little facts, styles of writing and things that pique your interests, so, If you want to learn something new, reading really is the best way to focus on your particular subject.
One key benefit of reading to learn is that the hobby itself increases your attention span. We are so used to snippets of content scrolling through our phones or looking at adverts that we sometimes find it challenging to concentrate for extended periods. Social media content, for example, is so short and quick that we can easily become bored. Getting yourself into an excellent book puts your attention span to work, building it up slowly as you make your way through the writing.
If your interest is in fashion, designers have some great autobiographies and biographies that could really help you learn about their innovation! Here are my top three featuring huge names in the fashion industry- they are simply impossible to put down!
Vivienne Westwood by Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen by Judith Watt and Dior by Dior.
- Good for relaxation and mental health
Reading can also do wonders for your mental health. It has been proven that as little as six minutes a day can drastically reduce stress. So, Imagine how calm and peaceful you would feel after half an hour of reading before bed! Another fantastic thing about reading is how it can allow you to immerse yourself in a completely different reality and put yourself in someone else's shoes for a short while. This will help you to take your thoughts off any issues you're facing in life and allow your mind some rest.
Reading can go hand in hand with any of your passions and create mindfulness. Books that will be easier to read and simply enjoy sometimes have photographs or shorter blocky paragraphs to make your reading seem less of a strain. I can recommend;
Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon,
Worn in New York: 68 Sartorial Memoirs of the City and
Peter Lindbergh: A Different History of Fashion by Thierry-Maxime Loriot
- they are all incredible books with fantastic imagery and unique storylines.
- Keeping your brain active
As previously mentioned, your brain's attention span can sometimes seem very short. This is particularly true if you don't already dedicate some part of your day to reading. Ultimately, our brain needs to be stimulated to keep it active and working, to function at its best. Reading is a great way to boost activity in the brain as it gives us time to think and process what we are seeing, improving our memory at the very same time.
If memory longevity is what you desire from reading, finding something that requires a little extra attention is a must. A fashion bible is excellent as they always include so many interesting facts to expand your knowledge in! Some examples include Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible or The Fashion book by the Phaidon Press.
- Inspiration
Like any source of art or media, the content you read can be perfect for finding new ideas, hobbies, and mindsets. For example, a self-help book can encourage a healthier diet or a business savvy attitude. And a poem could inspire you to make artwork or learn a new instrument. The way we take in and access information can have varying impacts on everyone. You simply never know what you might read that could inspire a really big or really fun decision!
If you want to know more about fashion trends over time, or predictions for the future, there are many to choose from. These sorts of books will get your mind working and will most definitely inspire you, whether to explore new shops and fashion houses or to get sewing! For example, Fashion Trends: Analysis and Forecasting by Eundeok Kim, among others and 200 Skills Every Fashion Designer Must Have by Aisling McKeefry! Brush up on your trend forecasting skills with these creative reads.
- Get yourself some time away from a screen.
Whether for work or personal life, we all find ourselves behind a screen for a lot of the day. It's great to unwind in the evening and give our bodies some time to relax. For example, if you try to sleep straight after scrolling through your phone, your mind will still be busy with the bright lights, sounds and colours of social media. Getting yourself off the phone and into a good book can directly counteract this, leading to improved sleep quality. Reading before bed has also been known to increase vivid dreams.
So, what's stopping you?
As a young entrepreneur and founder of award-winning fashion brand Born to stand out, Austin Okolo found it incredibly useful to dedicate a part of his day to reading. Based on his newfound interest, he started a book club late last year to help people in a similar situation he once found himself in, which was: where to start? The goal is to help as many people as possible to begin their reading journey and get people as excited as he is about the possibilities reading can have.
Have a look at his book club here; https://readingwithaustin.com/ and sign up to receive a free book every month!