4 Reasons Why Sticking with a Reading Habit Consistently Promotes Personal Development

Every night before I shut my eyes for the day, I take the time to read.  It might be for 2 pages, sometimes 10 pages, sometimes it's just 2 sentences - but I ALWAYS make that time to read. 

It's a part of my nighttime routine and how I keep my promise to myself to read more.  

Sometimes it’s for fun - sometimes it’s to me grow personally or in my business.  But either way - it happens.  

So many times I have women tell me they wish they had more time to read (or do whatever) - but I believe that if you change your expectations from how long you’ll do the activity to just making it happen every day (even briefly) - you’ll make more progress than you realize. 

If you’re looking for other reasons to make the space to start a new habit or routine, I can share that as I’ve done this practice for many (10+) years now, I've noticed how it has helped me grow in so many other ways as well.

 If you want to grow as a person and live more positively, there are so many strategies that can help you achieve it.

It can be overwhelming to consider all of the options you come across in the self-help genre. Some of these can also seem impossible with the amount of work involved.

Growing as a person and making desired changes will take time and dedication, but the process doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, one surprising technique has shown to be quite enjoyable and effective for many. 

It has been shown that a strong reading habit promotes self-growth. If you’re an avid reader, this is probably good news. Those who don’t consider themselves to be book nerds can still find ways to benefit from the process. Take a moment to read just some of the amazing benefits!

Stay Sharp

We’re all aware that our minds tend to become less sharp with advanced age. While cognitive decline can be a part of the aging process, it has been shown that those who are regular readers are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than folks who don’t read. This seems to follow a “use it or lose it” philosophy. 

Get Strong

Not only will reading help to ward off cognitive decline in later years, but it will also help strengthen your brain today. Reading can actually forge new pathways and connections in the brain. It’s kind of like exercise for the body. Your mind will become stronger as you use it. Who doesn’t want to have a strong mind? Want to know more about this? Read this blog post How to Create Mental Fitness for Inner Strength

Be Open and Empathic

Empathy is a personality trait that can benefit you in a multitude of ways. With a better understanding of others comes a better self. Reading fiction, particularly, can help you to become more empathetic because it encourages you to relate to the characters, to consider their motivations or feelings, and to wonder about what they might do next. It opens you to the experiences of others and to the potential of making changes in yourself. 

Improve Your Mood

Reading can make you feel better. Known as bibliotherapy, it has been shown that reading can actually be used in the treatment of depression. Lowered stress levels are a result of immersing yourself in a book. This makes sense because it’s true that we can lose ourselves in literature. While reading, you’re not worrying about the problems in your life. As long as it’s not used as a means of running away from your troubles, your literary habit can be quite good for your overall mood and health. 

There are tons of other benefits that come from developing a reading habit. Hopefully, this list has given you some inspiration to dive into a good book as a means of improving your own personal development.