15 Amazing Benefits to Reading and Writing That You Need to Know

Are you a bookworm like me? I’m guessing you are if you found your way to my blog. I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until within the past few years that I uncovered the hidden secret that there are actually benefits to reading! Well, it was a secret to me anyway. But I’m not a doctor. I just play one… nowhere.

Anyway, it’s so important for us to protect these noggins of ours if we want to keep our minds sharp, our mindset open, and our imagination roaming free like a wild stallion. That’s one of my favorite parts of either entering- or creating- fictional worlds. It lets my brain horse out to play. So giddy up and check out these amazing benefits to reading and writing!

7 benefits to reading

(Disclaimer, I am not a medical professional and all the information I got in this section was from Healthline. I’m merely reflecting on them, and it does not constitute medical advice. I’ll cite any direct quotes.)

#1 Reading flexes those brain muscles

First off, one of the benefits to reading is that it’s like taking your brain to the gym. I’m talking a jog on the treadmill, bicep curls, squats, Crossfit that you will want to tell people about after… The whole shebang.

Healthline says, “Using MRI scans, researchers have confirmed that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.”

Every page we read is another quarter-mile lap at the local track, and our lungs and legs are getting stronger each time. Cognitive health is so important, so why not boost it by doing something that’s actually fun?

#2 Reading helps you to build empathy

I don’t think it takes a Socratic-level thinker to say that the world needs more empathy right now.

But really, to better function as a human, and as a society, we need to be able to think about other people’s experiences. We can’t use just the events in our life as a basis for how we view the world, and reading can help with that!

Healthline says, “…research has shown that people who read literary fiction — stories that explore the inner lives of characters — show a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.”

So, reading scientifically makes you a better person. How wild is that?

#3 Reading keeps your brain young

This one was very fascinating to me, as someone whose family has been affected by neurological degeneration. Reading can make your brain feel like a kid again, and isn’t that what we all want? I know we often want that emotionally, but you can have it cognitively, as well.

Healthline says, “Although research hasn’t proven conclusively that reading books prevents diseases like Alzheimer’s, studies show that seniors who read and solve math problems every day maintain and improve their cognitive functioning. And the earlier you start, the better. A 2013 study conducted by Rush University Medical Center found that people who’ve engaged in mentally stimulating activities all their lives were less likely to develop the plaques, lesions, and tau-protein tangles found in the brains of people with dementia.”

So, no boring Sudoku is necessary! I actually really like Sudoku, but in case you don’t you can hop over to Westeros instead. Same effect. Plus, reading that series has been a study of resilience in and of itself for all fans…

The next one is a biggie! So keep reading to find out one of the main reasons I read.

#4 Reading keeps those stress levels down

Healthline says, “The study found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga and humor did.”

Okay, so (again, not doctoring) but over time, reading books could LITERALLY. SAVE. YOUR. LIFE. That’s mind-blowing. I’ve had blood pressure issues in the past, and live with PTSD and anxiety, so instead of my billionth Diet Pepsi, maybe I should pick up a book instead? *awkward emoji*

#5 Reading helps you sleep better at night

I know a lot of you could use help here. You either struggle to fall asleep, to stay asleep, or to wake up feeling like you even fucking slept at all. (Oh hey, the latter. What’s up?)

According to Healthline, “Doctors at the Mayo Clinic suggest reading as part of a regular sleep routine. For best results, you may want to choose a print book rather than reading on a screen, since the light emitted by your device could keep you awake and lead to other unwanted health outcomes. Doctors also recommend that you read somewhere other than your bedroom if you have trouble falling asleep.”

So, get your read on at night! Just maybe save the bed for… beddy things.

#6 Reading can improve your mood

(Again I want to make a disclaimer that none of this is medical advice. Seek help from a professional if you need consulting on mental or physical health. I’m making commentary and citing direct quotes from articles.)

Healthline states, “Reading fiction can allow you to temporarily escape your own world and become swept up in the imagined experiences of the characters. And nonfiction self-help books can teach you strategies that may help you manage symptoms.”

This has been one of the massive benefits for me over the years. As far as TV, Anthony from Bridgerton can be better than any pill I’ve ever taken. *Anthony from Bridgerton is not a form of medical treatment and should only be used in cases of Regency fantasy and romantic escapism. Please take your medication as prescribed.*

And that’s just TV. BOOKS? Having to use your eyebrains to picture it in your head yourself? Allowing yourself to be carried off to the ton, or Hogwarts (which was a castle in a series written by Emma Watson), or the Shire…?? It’s truly a magical experience.

#7 Reading can make you live longer

Another bit from Healthline states, “A long-term health and retirement study followed a cohort of 3,635 adult participants for a period of 12 years, finding that those who read books survived around 2 years longer than those who either didn’t read or who read magazines and other forms of media. The study also concluded that people who read more than 3 1/2 hours every week were 23 percent likely to live longer than those who didn’t read at all.”

I want to live a long time. Not like a LONG LONG time. I mean, I don’t want to see the planet completely implode. But long-ish would be nice, like early to mid-nineties. So, I’m going to keep reading. For the next sixty-odd years, until I die.

Let’s sum up the benefits to reading

As I’ve mentioned, there are several health benefits to reading (according to reputable sources), including physical and emotional ones. Pick up a book when you feel sick, down, nervous, or terrified of what life has in store for you. You never know- it might help.

Last Healthline tip: “One thing to note: Don’t read solely on a device. Flip through print books, too. Studies have shown repeatedly that people who read print books score higher on comprehension tests and remember more of what they read than people who read the same material in a digital form. That may be, in part, because people tend to read print more slowly than they read digital content.”

8 benefits to writing

These benefits were found in two different articles- one on The Sparring Mind and one on Skills You Need. Writing has been very therapeutic for me on my mental health journey. It sounds weird, but I find that I write myself into my characters, usually unintentionally, which leads to a lot of things I wasn’t aware I was even feeling.

Isn’t that amazing?

#1 Writing can make you happier

Adam Grant states in the article on The Sparring Mind linked above, “Research by Laura King shows that writing about achieving future goals and dreams can make people happier and healthier… And Jane Dutton and I found that when people doing stressful fundraising jobs kept a journal for a few days about how their work made a difference, they increased their hourly effort by 29% over the next two weeks.”

So, even just manifesting goals and journaling can help. Imagine combining that with the benefits to reading above- the creating of fictional worlds, and finding ways to escape in your writing. Even just imagining that is a good start.

Now I’m imagining you imagining and I’m smiling. Thank you!

#2 Writing helps you think more clearly

The article also says, according to a book by Richard Langham, “As an added benefit, in both emotional intelligence and in hard sciences like mathematics, writing has been shown to help people communicate highly complex ideas more effectively. Writing helps eliminate ‘it sounded good in my head’ by forcing your hand; brains forgive fuzzy abstractions, prose does not.”

So, brain fog? Parent brain? Confusing time in your life? Any or all of the above? Pick up a pen, or more likely a keyboard, and write, write, write. Write about anything and everything. Your brain will thank you when the next day, you remember that thing you went to the grocery store for last time and forgot.

#3 Writing helps develop a better feeling of gratitude

(Again I want to make a disclaimer that none of this is medical advice. Seek help from a professional if you need consulting on mental or physical health. I’m making commentary and citing direct quotes from articles.)

Gratitude can be hard to come by in a world that feels like it is on fire, in some places literally. It’s hard to take a step back and see the good things in your life when the odds seem stacked against you. During the pandemmy, people have lost jobs, loved ones, and a sense of purpose, among other things. Finding gratitude again can be a really long journey.

This was interesting. The article on The Sparring Mind says, “As the authors of one study noted, subjects who reflected on the good things in their life once a week by writing them down were more positive and motivated about their current situations and their futures. The catch was that the benefits were minimal when they wrote about them every day. This makes sense; any activity can feel disingenuous and just plain boring if done too often. It seems like the key is to reflect and write about gratitude regularly, but not begrudgingly often.” (Boldface and italics are my own.)

I always thought you needed to do it daily for it to be effective, but once a week is much more manageable, especially if you’re really struggling.

#4 Writing helps you learn

The Sparring Mind says, “Simply being a curator of good ideas encourages deeper thinking, research, and ‘heading down the rabbit hole’ in order to find unique takes on topics that matter to you. Committing to creating a volume of work also allows you to tackle big ideas more effectively.”

To be able to write anything, whether it be an academic work, a poem, a short story, or a novel, there’s a strong chance you’re looking up SOMETHING. Whether it be related to grammar, word choice, fact-checking, or advice on world-building, you are actively learning. And that can lead to an easier time learning “in real life,” as well.

#5 Writing can help you recover memories

I sort of touched on this earlier when I mentioned how in my current series, I’ve found myself unintentionally writing myself into my characters. Turns out this is actually helpful!

Skills You Need states, “Start writing down those which you do remember. Before you know it, a certain word or a phrase you’ve put down on paper will trigger some other memory you would never have thought of otherwise. Some of those memories won’t be pleasant, but you will be able to look at them from a distance and put them perspective, and ponder how much you have learned from those experiences. On the other hand, happy memories will put a smile on your face, and you will remember events and people you care about, driving you to get in touch with them again.”

A week or two ago, I was working on the sequel to my upcoming novel. I started writing inner dialogue for one of the characters and words came out of my fingers like lightning bolts of revelation. Honestly, I started crying. Not because I’m such a profound writer, but because I was like, “Damn. I do feel that way. That was a thing that happened to me.” It’s such a wild feeling, but it’s shown to be true for me!

#6 Writing can help put your life into perspective

This has also personally happened to me. I’ve come to certain realizations not just about myself, but about other people, and the world around me. This is so important as we move through life, stepping outside whatever bubble we’ve created for ourselves, and a very valuable benefit of writing.

The article says, “Writing fiction will also help you analyze things and look at them from a different point of view. You will be able to draw parallels between those fictional events and situations, and those which took place for real in your life. This will help you look at them in a more objective light.”

#7 Writing can improve your verbal and written skills

I do think this is true, but I have mixed feelings about the quote. So, here’s the quote first…

“When you are writing something down, you become more careful in choosing the right words. This means your writing will be more eloquent, concise, and elegant than your actual speech. But, if you keep at it long enough, plenty of those beautifully put together words, phrases, and sentences will begin to find their way in into your verbal communication skills. You will start to use an expanded vocabulary, which will leave a better impression of you on the person you are communicating with. Both your personal and professional lives stand to benefit from this.”

I don’t think your vocabulary and speaking skills reflect on you as a person, and that was sort of the vibe I got from the wording here. (Although, there’s me then. Forming an opinion about the author based on his speaking skills, but I digress.) I do understand the intent though.

#8 Writing can leave you feeling like you really accomplished something major

I think this leaves any direct quote from the article unnecessary and speaks for itself. If you are the sort of person that tends toward negativity and low self-worth, and you’ve written something, hell yeah! You wrote something. And whether you are the only person to ever read it, it’s left an impact on you that no one can ever take away.

Take advantage of these 15 benefits to reading and writing

(Again, NOT A DOCTOR.)

There is so much to take away from this. I shared 7 benefits of reading and 8 benefits of writing, and I truly think there is something on this list for everyone. Multiple things. If you are a human, then reading and writing can help you. Period.

So pick up a book, Kindle, pen, laptop, smartphone, and do the things. Get the work done.

How you can follow me and get a copy of my books

I would love to connect with you and talk about what some of your favorite books are. You can also subscribe to my email list for a twice-monthly update on my writing projects and the occasional giveaway. You can find that info on this page.

I’d love for you to stay connected through social media as well.

While you’re at it, check out my first post where I introduce myself and talk about my first novel, available to order NOW on Amazon (paperback) and other digital retailers (ebook)

Thanks for reading.

Chat soon!

-Julian