Reading might be the last thing on your mind, especially after reading endless papers and textbooks this school year. But I promise that reading a book can be so beneficial for you! Not only can it keep you entertained over the summer, but it can also be a powerful tool for maintaining your literacy skills! Continue reading for some reasons to pick up a book. 

It keeps your brain active

Reading helps relieve stress, strengthen your brain's neural pathways and stimulate your cognitive function. It’s an activity that can help you unwind yet also improve your vocabulary and critical thinking skills. I noticed a significant difference in my ability to communicate and my comprehension after consistent reading. I was able to articulate my thoughts more clearly to others, and it even improved my writing! So when you think about reading as a whole, it's not just a leisure activity; it can even benefit you academically. 

It helps your brain mentally recover!

You gotta love those low-effort fiction novels! Even the cliché, typical-trope ones. After an intense university semester, reading something low-effort finally allows the overworked parts of your brain to relax while keeping you engaged. 

It expands your knowledge

I encourage you also to read dense, complex, or informational literature! It can be highly rewarding. This can include topics such as real-world issues, memoirs, historical concepts, or science. Not to say that I’m biased or anything, but I do love a good self-help book! 

When you engage with different genres, you broaden your perspectives on historical events, narratives, and thought-provoking ideas. This can expand your critical thinking, build empathy, and just strengthen your knowledge, all good things!

It can help you escape reality!

After just completing the semester, many of you may be feeling burnt out and exhausted, and the last thing you want to think about is university. Reading is a great distraction and a break; it allows me to jump into another world! Especially in fantasy or dystopian stories, you can immerse yourself in a new environment. When a book is genuinely good, it gets me thinking and anticipating what's to come next. It's a better experience than movies and shows! The way some books are beautifully written and structured can truly make them a wonderful experience. 

You can finally read on your own terms!

During university, you don’t really get a choice on the textbooks and literature you have to read. In the summer, you may have more freedom to choose what you can read. That’s what makes reading so enjoyable. Even if you may not think reading is for you, consider exploring various genres; you’re bound to find something interesting. Even if reading isn’t for you, consider audiobooks or starting a book club with a couple of friends. By doing so, you can hold yourself more accountable and make the activity more enjoyable.

To all my book lovers, keep reading away, you are helping your brain and well-being more than you’ll ever know!