{"id":3425,"date":"2019-03-12T08:22:54","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T13:22:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?p=3425"},"modified":"2019-03-12T08:22:58","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T13:22:58","slug":"why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body","title":{"rendered":"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Why<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For people who love to read, curling up\nwith a good book feels utterly indulgent, especially when paired with a cozy\nchair and a steaming cup of tea. But here\u2019s some news that\u2019s worth putting your\nbook down for: Reading is actually good for you (in more ways than one)! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Why<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of Reading<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s like exercise for your brain
\n<\/strong>We all know physical exercise is good\nfor our bodies, so it makes sense that an activity like reading, which\nexercises your brain, is beneficial to neurological health. The type\nof reading you do<\/a> (e.g. lightly skimming a page versus focusing\nclosely on the text, aka \u201cdeep reading\u201d) impacts the amount of neural activity\nyour brain experiences, as well as which areas of the brain receive the\nbenefit. That doesn\u2019t just help your current brain health, either: Reading is\nalso associated with a slower cognitive decline<\/a>\nlater in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can help you relax
\n<\/strong>Reading might increase activity in your\nbrain, but according to one study it can help you reduce stress<\/a>\nby as much as\n68 percent<\/a> within just six minutes. What you\u2019re\nreading<\/a> matters, though, so if relaxation is your goal, choose\nsomething you enjoy that doesn\u2019t leave you feeling upset or angry, especially\nif you use your reading time to get ready for a good night\u2019s sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to implement a bedtime\nreading habit in the hopes of improved shut-eye, know that reading on a screen,\nparticularly\nwith blue light<\/a>, can have just\nthe opposite effect<\/a>. And as any good bookworm knows, settling in\nwith a real page-turner may keep you up past your bedtime rather than knock you\nout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It boosts creativity
\n<\/strong>Reading broadens our worldview. It gives\nus a peek into experiences we\u2019d never have in our own lives and exposes us to\nideas and cultures we might never have witnessed otherwise. And when our\nhorizons are extended in this way, we\nnaturally become more creative<\/a> because the limits we previously\nimposed tend to dissipate. Reading not only gives us permission to use our\nimagination, it gives our imagination a boost in whatever direction we care to\ntake it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It increases self-confidence
\n<\/strong>In that same vein, reading can help\nyou feel more self-assured<\/a>. If you feel self-conscious about\nsomething, you can always find a character (or even a whole world!) in which\nthat very trait is completely normal, if not desirable. If you feel\nuncomfortable about your lack of education on a certain topic, read up on\nit\u2014you\u2019ll be ready to join in a discussion in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can make you more empathetic
\n<\/strong>A well-written book, particularly within\nthe realm of literary fiction, takes you into another world, into someone\nelse\u2019s life\u2014which might look nothing at all like yours. And that\u2019s a wonderful\nthing, because when you have a chance to walk in someone else\u2019s shoes, it improves\nyour emotional intelligence<\/a>, allowing you to better understand\nother people\u2019s feelings<\/a>. This holds truer for books that are heavily\nreliant on the interior development<\/a> of characters. That makes sense:\nThe more you get inside someone else\u2019s head (whether they\u2019re real or fictional)\nthe more likely you are to truly understand them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It makes downtime more enjoyable
\n<\/strong>No studies need to be conducted to prove\nthis to be true! If you have a good book at the ready, downtime doesn\u2019t feel\nlike a waste so much as an\nopportunity to read a few more pages<\/a>\u2014and when you shift your mindset\nin this way, that can improve your entire outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Factors to Consider<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reading is reading, right? To an extent,\nyes. Reading of any kind requires you to make connections, but a book with\nchapters\u2014as opposed to, say, a newspaper article\u2014generally requires more memory\nand increased critical thinking. This kind of work creates new neural pathways\nbetween regions of your brain, and that can lead to quicker thinking. So,\nreading something short and simple won\u2019t necessarily be as beneficial<\/a>\nas something that requires a deeper, longer read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, as mentioned, the type of reading\nyou do, the kind of book you read, and whether you hold a physical book or an\ne-reader in your hands can all affect your brain in different ways. This holds\ntrue for audiobooks<\/a> as well: While research shows audio books\nstimulate the brain similarly to paper books, listening doesn\u2019t require quite\nthe same effort because there\u2019s a voice providing the rhythm, sound, accents,\nemphasis, and more. When you read, on the other hand, it\u2019s up to you to piece\nall of that together. An audiobook is a great option for times when you can\u2019t\nhave your eyes on a page. You might even find that having a compelling\naudiobook cued up is a great\nincentive to go for a walk or hit the gym<\/a>! But to get the complete\nbrain benefit of being a bookworm, make sure to keep real books (or at least\ndigital versions) on hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s always nice to learn there are\nproven benefits to a beloved hobby, and given all reading does for us, it seems\nlike this is a hobby very much worth cultivating. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For people who love to read, curling up with a good book feels utterly indulgent, especially when paired with a cozy chair and a steaming cup of tea. But here\u2019s some news that\u2019s worth putting your book down for: Reading is actually good for you (in more ways than one)! Benefits of Reading It\u2019s like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":3418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nWhy Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body - Health Perch<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It\u2019s always nice to learn there are proven benefits to a beloved hobby, and given all reading does for us, it seems like this is a hobby very much worth cultivating.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Health Perch\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-12T13:22:54+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-03-12T13:22:58+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kristen Seymour\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"It\u2019s always nice to learn there are proven benefits to a beloved hobby, and given all reading does for us, it seems like this is a hobby very much worth cultivating.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kristen Seymour\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body\",\"name\":\"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body - Health Perch\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-12T13:22:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-03-12T13:22:58+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/8edbf391fd42bb3185b1449d8039d00a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":627,\"caption\":\"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/\",\"name\":\"Health Perch\",\"description\":\"A Digital Health Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/8edbf391fd42bb3185b1449d8039d00a\",\"name\":\"Kristen Seymour\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/04f8768625754d0641007bab76583921?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/04f8768625754d0641007bab76583921?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kristen Seymour\"},\"description\":\"Kristen Seymour is a freelance writer and editor who has spent the last 15 years covering topics ranging from food and fitness to pets, tech and travel for outlets including USA Today, Women\u2019s Running, Fit Bottomed Girls (where she\u2019s a co-owner), and many more. She works from her bike desk (highly recommend!) in sunny Sarasota, Florida. When she\u2019s not writing, you can often find her walking, running, or drinking coffee at the nearby beach.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/author\/kristens\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body - Health Perch","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body","og_description":"It\u2019s always nice to learn there are proven benefits to a beloved hobby, and given all reading does for us, it seems like this is a hobby very much worth cultivating.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body","og_site_name":"Health Perch","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/healthperch","article_published_time":"2019-03-12T13:22:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-03-12T13:22:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":627,"url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kristen Seymour","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body","twitter_description":"It\u2019s always nice to learn there are proven benefits to a beloved hobby, and given all reading does for us, it seems like this is a hobby very much worth cultivating.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg","twitter_creator":"@healthperch","twitter_site":"@healthperch","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kristen Seymour","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body","name":"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body - Health Perch","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg","datePublished":"2019-03-12T13:22:54+00:00","dateModified":"2019-03-12T13:22:58+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/8edbf391fd42bb3185b1449d8039d00a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Tips-to-Actually-Read-More_og.jpg","width":1200,"height":627,"caption":"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/why-being-a-bookworm-is-good-for-your-brain-and-body#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Being a Bookworm is Good for Your Brain and Body"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/","name":"Health Perch","description":"A Digital Health Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/8edbf391fd42bb3185b1449d8039d00a","name":"Kristen Seymour","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/04f8768625754d0641007bab76583921?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/04f8768625754d0641007bab76583921?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Kristen Seymour"},"description":"Kristen Seymour is a freelance writer and editor who has spent the last 15 years covering topics ranging from food and fitness to pets, tech and travel for outlets including USA Today, Women\u2019s Running, Fit Bottomed Girls (where she\u2019s a co-owner), and many more. She works from her bike desk (highly recommend!) in sunny Sarasota, Florida. When she\u2019s not writing, you can often find her walking, running, or drinking coffee at the nearby beach.","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/author\/kristens"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3425"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3425\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}