5 amazing benefits of reading books for your brain

Reading is not just a great little everyday pleasure; Currently there are studies that show the benefits that this activity has for Our brain.

And there is no activity that does not leave a mark on our nervous system, and reading is no exception. In addition, as it is a habit that can be incorporated into our daily lives and that involves many parts of our brain, its effects can be quickly noticed.

So taking a liking to the world of fiction and non-fiction not only makes us seem more cultured; it is also a way of obtaining benefits that we will enjoy far beyond the public image that we project.

The benefits that books bring to the brain

These are some of the positive effects that reading has on our mind, although they do not have to be the only ones; in time more could be discovered. Science will tell.

1. Makes the brain more interconnected

There is evidence that the habit of reading books makes several groups of brain neurons are more and better connected to each other. This occurs, at least, with the nerve cells of the left temporal lobe, closely related to the management of language.

That is, thanks to reading, neurons in our brain will tend to communicate more with each other, establishing stronger links with each other. And why is this beneficial? Well, among other things, because a more interconnected brain is known to alleviate dementia symptoms.

This means that although the passage of time can cause many neurons to die, having created many communication routes available, our brain learns to "dodge" damaged routes by resorting to other

2. It makes us empathize more and better

It has also been observed that reading fiction books, which have one or more protagonists, makes neurons in the sensory motor zone of the central sulcus better communicated, which is linked to a greater ability to put yourself in the shoes of other people. One of the most unsuspected benefits of reading.

In some way, reading books makes us feel identified with what the characters do, coming to imagine ourselves doing what they do. This fact makes the readings become a empathy enhancer.

3. Helps to beat stress

There is evidence that reading regularly allows us to introduce a small oasis of peace in our lives, a few moments of calm in which we experience sensations similar to those produced by meditation.

In fact, there are reasons to think that, In terms of its stress-reducing power, reading is even more effective than going for a walk or listening to music. An interesting conclusion that encourages us to disconnect with the classic pleasure of reading.

4. It allows us to sleep better

Assuming reading as a ritual before going to sleep can make falling asleep easier and, therefore, our brain has better health and time to repair itself.

What explains this is that reading fiction is a way to disconnect from our daily worries, and that means that it allows our attention to disengage from obligations, problems with work, etc.

Reading is definitely a good way to stop rumination, and it makes us better able to avoid falling into those thoughts that put us on alert. This makes it less likely that our brain is active when trying to find solutions to what worries us, something that theoretically sounds good but in practice it does not let us sleep, making us more and more tired and have greater difficulties to maintain the concentration.

5. Books help us exercise our memory

Regular poetry reading has shown have an effect on our ability to remember items, something that also happens with music. The key is that helps us to link information with a certain type of emotional state generated by reading the verses, and that allows us to remember better.

That is, emotions act as clues that lead us to certain kinds of memories associated with them, something that is closely related to discoveries about memory. discovered a few decades ago by psychologist Gordon Bower.

Bibliographic references:

• Rayner, K.: "Eye movements in reading and information processing: 20 years of research." Psychological Bulletin.
• The Wall Street Journal: Bibliotherapy: Reading Your Way To Mental Health.