The Effects Of Reading On The Brain

1. The Amazing Benefits Of Reading

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We all know how important reading is, from when we were small children being read a bedtime story to being told to read books for homework at school. We know reading is important, but why? It's not just about exploring new worlds or characters - reading actually has amazing health benefits for the brain, so here's what you need to know!

2. Connections In The Brain Are Heightened

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When you read a narrative in a book, it actually changes the way your brain functions and connects. The left temporal cortex of the brain, which is the part responsible for language and vocabulary, actually connects in a stronger way when you're reading, so that the process will be heightened!

3. And The Effect Lasts For Several Days!

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The amazing thing about this is that you actually reap the benefits of this heightened connectivity for several days after you've been reading. That means that even in a rest state, if you've been reading all day on a Monday and haven't read anything for the rest of the week, that part of the brain will still benefit from the stronger connection.

4. The Brain's Primary Sensory Motor Activity Is Stimulated

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This sounds like a whole load of technical jargon, but it actually means that you'll share in the physical experience of what the book's characters are doing. When you read about an action in a book - like a character running or working out at the gym - your brain's primary sensory motor activity is actually triggered as though you were doing the action yourself!

5. So The Neurons For That Action Are Actually Activated!

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The neuron activity in the central sulcus of the brain - which is the part responsible for motor function - is activated during reading which means they're creating a sensation of the action itself for us. This means you're not only reading about running, for example, but you're experience the sensations of running.

6. This Means You're Literally Sharing The Experience Of The Characters

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We've heard all about 'putting yourself in other people's shoes' and getting lost in a fictional world where you follow your character's journey, but because the brain is triggered in this way, you're quite literally putting yourself in the character's shoes through actions!

7. The Brain Will Actually Rewire Itself

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When you read, you're actually improving the communication of the brain and causing it to rewire itself. This sees brain tissue actually altering itself, and more white matter being created as you read - which is something in the brain made up of millions of nerve fibers that connect neurons.

8. Your Working Memory Is Improved!

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Reading is one of the best activities you can do for improving your memory function. There's so much your brain is going through when you're reading - and plot points to remember, of course - including language comprehension, auditory stimulation and visual processes. All of this improves your working memory.

9. It's Like A Gym Workout For Your Brain

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Reading is one of the best mental workouts you can give your brain, because of all of these processes it has to go through. Reading, unlike other forms of media like watching a film, makes the brain have to come up with its own images and understanding of text on the page, which is a hefty workout.

10. Reading Increases Your Attention Span

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Having a longer attention span means sticking with something from start to finish without getting distracted. That isn't to say you can't get distracted when reading - we've all been there reading the same page for the 10th time because we were thinking about something else! - but because a book is written in a sequential order (start, middle, finish) it makes our brain better think in that type of sequence.

11. Reading Is A Better Choice Than The Internet For Staying Focused

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We know how difficult it can be these days in terms of distractions, and the internet is the worst culprit. In its defence, there are many things online to help you stay focused, but if you want to make sure you're holding your attention for longer, reading a physical book is a better choice than anything online.

12. This Is Particularly True In Children

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A lot of these studies on reading effects on the brain are particularly true in children, and this might have something to do with how their brains are still developing and learning. Reading can help children - who are notoriously distractible - stay focused for longer, which is why it's a great activity to get them involved in!

13. It Can Increase Your Capacity To Empathize

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Empathy is something that comes naturally to some, and is a difficulty for others. But when you're reading a story, you're learning about the journey of someone different to you - especially if the book is from their personal viewpoint and you're experiencing everything they're thinking and feeling. If this is someone in completely different shoes to you, it can help you to understand and empathize better in everyday life.

14. It Increases The Ability To Make Instant Photos In Your Mind

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The brain never ceases to be amazing in creating visual images instantly in your 'mind's eye'. The more you read, the more your capacity to summon accurate mental images will grow. Of course, people who suffer from the condition aphantasia, where your brain can't make images in your mind, will not experience this.

15. Audiobooks Light Up The Brain In The Same Way

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You might be wondering if audiobooks have the same positive effects on the brain as physical reading. After all, a lot of people these days listen to books on-the-go. The good news is that an audiobook will still stimulate the brain in all the right places. Your brain is going to be triggered by processing the language and description of the spoken word.

16. Reading Is Pretty Much A Virtual Reality Experience

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A lot of people know the feeling of 'getting lost in a book', where you forget all sense of time and space and realize you've been reading for 12 hours straight. Reading is very much a virtual reality experience for the brain - you're stepping into another time and place and you're fully experiencing that.

17. The Brain Reacts In Different Ways To Different Types Of Stories

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The interesting thing is that the brain reacts in different ways to different types and genres of stories. A lot of this is about critical and educational reading versus reading for pleasure. Studying important literary works and analyzing them can stimulate your more complex cognitive function, while reading for pleasure means more blood flow to the brain.

18. Foreign Languages Can Help Grow Your Brain

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We know that learning a foreign language in itself is something that can give the brain a boost and learn something new - but reading a language/about a language can have positive effects, too. This is because it takes more effort on the brain's part to process a language that isn't your native one.

19. Your Brain Can Easily Adapt To New Ways Of Reading

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Your brain is amazing at adapting to new situations, and the same goes for reading. If you've been a lifelong paperback reader and you've been holding off switching to e-books because you're worried your brain won't be used to it, don't worry - your brain can take only a week to get used to the new way of reading!

20. But There Is A Different Experience For The Brain With E-Books Versus Physical Books

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Interestingly, the experience of reading the exact same story on the page will be different to reading it on an e-reader. This is very much to do with something called 'spacial navigability'. You know when you look at how many pages you have left in a book and get a certain feeling about how long you've got left? With an e-book, you don't get that - it can feel like you have no idea how long you've got left, or where you're up to, which can affect how the brain processes the experience.

21. People Who 'Aren't Readers' Can Still Benefit From Brain Changes

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The world is split into die hard readers and those who couldn't pick up a book to save their life. People who very much struggle to read or don't get enjoyment from it can still be 'trained' to take in a story in a better way and still reap the mental benefits. Studies have shown the huge different in the brain in people who never read, and then committed to reading for a short space of time to see the difference.

22. Reading May Help Feelings Of Anxiety

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As long as you're not reading a hard-going book about anxiety, of course! Mindfulness has long been associated with helping people with anxiety to focus on the moment and not overthink. When you're reading, you're focusing on that one activity and helping your brain to escape from your everyday thoughts.

23. It Can Help Prevent Cognitive Decline

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Mental cognition is defined as the ability to learn, make good judgements and remember details - and we know how much more difficult that can be when we get older. Reading can actually help to prevent this negative mental decline, because you're keeping your brain in shape.

24. Reading Can Also Help Reduce Stress Levels

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We know how badly stress can impact the body and the brain, with increased heart rate, headaches and even higher blood pressure if you're dealing with high amounts of stress over time. Studies have shown that reading, even just for 30 minutes, can relax the mind and body.

25. Could It Even Help You Live Longer?

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While picking up a book and reading isn't going to magically add 10 years to your life, the reason that it's associated with a longer life is because the many benefits of reading for the brain and overall health (such as stress reduction) could be a key part of a healthy lifestyle that can help you to live for longer!

26. It Can Help improve Your Concentration

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Reading, although enjoyable, is a very demanding process on the brain - it's just that you're not aware of how hard your brain is working when you're enjoying getting lost in a different world. Because of the amount of processes your brain has to go through, it has to concentrate to do so - which means your concentration ability can be improved, too.

27. It Could Even Help Reduce Risk Of Dementia

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There have been studies into the relationship between reading and dementia in older people. One study tested participants who were over 65 years old, and found that those who began intellectual activities like reading later in life had lower risk of dementia in the years after.

28. Reading With Your Children Creates A Positive Association

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If you have children - or even babysitting young family members - then reading together is actually an important experience. Reading with, and to, young children helps to reinforce a positive mindset about the reading experience, so the child is more likely to continue it as they get older!

29. It Can Broaden Your Way Of Thinking

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When you delve into different kinds of stories, with people and characters from all walks of life, you're learning more about the world, about different people and different ideas. This can help you to have a more open mind in real life, and to process situations in a different way.

30. It Builds Your Vocabulary

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Books are full of words, of course, so that's great news for your vocab! Reading is going to help to expand your vocabulary and help you to learn new words. If you read a book and you don't know what a word means, a good practice is to look it up - this way, you'll be learning new words all the time!