I Started Making Time To Read Daily And It Changed My Life
I have always fully endorsed the aphorism: “You are what you read”. No matter what type of information you are ingesting, the content you choose to read is being absorbed by your brain, shaping your thoughts and perspective, and expanding your horizons.
Reading changes the way you see the world, treat yourself and other people, and process information and real time events.
However, it is easy to get out of the habit of reading, and easy to let it slide off your long list of priorities. After all, it is a quiet and entirely self-initiated activity, and many adults don’t make time for it.
I find that making reading a cornerstone and staple of my daily life significantly improves my quality of life, and overall, just heightens my awareness of being alive and making good choices.
Statistically, there are many reasons to incorporate reading into your daily routine, whether morning or night. Here are a few:
It improves long-term memory, concentration, and brain function (aka you’ll be the still whip-smart senior in the retirement community).
It increases your intelligence through new knowledge, enhances vocabulary and literacy, and develops analytical skills.
It encourages contemplation and self-reflection.
How has reading as a daily habit benefited me in the long run?
Without a doubt, I believe I am a better person because of what I have read. I attribute much of who I am to the material I have read over time, and feel strongly about the power of books. Simply put, books have changed my life by continually challenging my preconceptions and inspiring some of the most positive and rewarding mentality adjustments I have ever had (and needed).
I treasure the moments where I set down a book and, upon finishing it, I feel like my world just shifted in a vastly unquantifiable and nearly-indescribable way. Reading a good book is like having a good conversation with a loved one.
Reading humbles me and makes me more empathetic.
True stories, memoirs, and self-help books in particular have changed the way I think and act toward other people over the course of my life. Reading allows me a glimpse into a person’s life, mentality, and motivation that is entirely different than my own. Getting a better understanding of the different kinds of people and lifestyles in this world—and the fundamental similarities that still tie us all together as humans—has allowed me to strive for more grace and tolerance in my interactions with others.
Reading is inspirational and positive.
Throwing myself into a story where the characters overcome their personal struggles and barriers, whether fictional or true, inspires a desire for strength, perseverance, and fortitude on my end. These concepts do truly transfer into my real life—reading about others’ faults and strengths, defeats and victories, provides value and insight into my own.
Reading is my opportunity to learn.
As adults, once you leave school and an organized environment dedicated to education, it is left up to your self-initiative to seek out opportunities to learn, just for the pure and beautiful sake of learning. I believe it is critical to always seek new ways to learn and grow as I go through life, and reading supplies this.
Reading engages my imagination and kindles curiosity.
Wow, remember to hold onto your imagination as an adult! It can be hard, right? Much of this modern world and living in it is caught up in day-to-day, black-and-white to-do lists, commitments, busy-ness, socializing.
Reading inspires writing
If you like to write as I do, daily reading can keep the habit of writing fresh and prioritized. I tend to write more when I am reading, because other authors’ engaging and beautiful words inspire my own.
Benefits of incorporating reading into your morning routine
Enjoy Your Morning Routine
Reading can help you stabilize and enjoy your morning routine. If reading is something you enjoy, then beginning your day with something you love to do sets you up for success and puts you in a good mood as you move forward into the day. It gives you something to look forward to, and may be the motivation you need to get up earlier, instead of sleeping in.
Start Your Day Slowly
Reading opens your day softly, restoratively, and quietly; it is an easy transition from sleeping to moving into the busy schedule of daily life. It’s a soft opener that lets your mind and body wake up fully, all while you sip your tea or coffee, and sit awhile with silence and your own thoughts.
Get Creative
Reading in the morning puts your brain into creative, problem-solving, and critical-thinking patterns, which can be applied to your workday responsibilities.
Get Up Earlier
Reading in the morning can help you get up earlier. Personally, I love to wake up before the rest of the world and enjoy the peace and solitude of a still-asleep house and city. If I know I will want to read for a half hour, 45 minutes, or even an hour in the morning, I am encouraged to go to bed earlier, instead of burning the midnight oil.
Benefits of incorporating reading into your nighttime routine
Enjoy Your Nighttime Routine
Reading can improve your nighttime routine, too. As in the morning, reading a book before bed offers your mind and body an easy, restorative transition from the full speed of the day to sleep mode. It gives you the opportunity to physically and mentally unwind, gives you something positive and relaxing to look forward to, and offers easy entertainment while falling asleep.
Put Away Your Phone
Reading replaces time on your phone. More and more, awareness is growing of the harm of scrolling endlessly on an electronic device before bedtime. Think about whether phone usage before bed actually improves your emotional happiness, your mood, or your sleep in any real way.
Replace The TV
Reading also replaces TV time. We all love a great TV show every once in a while, and watching a show has become the preferred way for many to unwind, relax, and take the stress of the day off of their minds. It is easy entertainment—but so is a book! A good book is just as entertaining as TV (*cough* but better).
Sleep Better
Reading prevents you from staying up too late and improves sleep quality. Because it is so soothing, before you know it, you’ll soon be slipping off into sleep—which is as it should be!
De-Stress Yourself
Reading offers personal me-time. If you have demanding work or family responsibilities during the day, reading is a no-stress activity where you can open a page and escape into another world. It takes your mind off things, allowing decompression with no effort from you.
How to start including reading as a daily habit:
Looking for some ways to kickstart reading as a habit in your daily life?
Keep a book physically accessible and visible. Plant it by the couch if that is where you tend to hang out in your free time to otherwise scroll through your phone. Or, keep it by your bedside, so that you can easily reach for it before going to sleep.
Commit to a designated amount of daily reading time, such as 15 minutes or 30 minutes.
Commit to reading a designated number of pages a day or chapters per week.
Read our selections for Books of the Month—we review diverse books that we have loved, and update the list monthly.
Start or join a book club with friends. You would be surprised at how having a community to share your ideas and reflections on what you are reading will increase your engagement with the material.
Read the original stories and books of your favorite TV shows and movies. It’s hard to get out of the habit of screen time; we all know it. If you need a nudge choosing reading over screen time, pick out your favorite shows and movies that are based off of books, which is honestly most of them! Such as:
Series: Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, 13 Reasons Why, Sherlock (Holmes)
Movies: Harry Potter, Eat Pray Love, Emma
Follow a #bookstagram on IG for inspiration. There are many fantastic booklovers on social media now that will give you great ideas for which books to read and get into. It also provides an opportunity for community and conversation over the book!
Physically place your phone and all other screens elsewhere, out of reach, when it is time to read.
Try different times or methods to make reading fit fluidly into your daily schedule. Make it easy for yourself by experimenting with what time of day suits you best.
Commit to a period of substituting social media for reading. Try putting the time you would normally spend on the apps towards reading your book.
If you take public transportation on your daily commute, reading is an amazing way to spend that time.
Like all habit-building, it can take time to turn reading into a daily practice, but it will become less of a struggle as your subconscious removes the choice and effort. As time goes on and you stick with it, you will find that reading becomes a joy, a cornerstone to a healthy daily routine, and a life-changing habit that you will want to maintain forever.
Happy reading!