For many of us, whether we admit it or not, reading has always been a crucial part of our lives growing up, whether it has been storybooks as a child, discovering the world of libraries and finding books of our favorite genres, or having free time to read every day during “Silent Reading”. However, as our lives have become more and more hectic, many have forgotten the joy of simply reading an enjoyable book. Instead, when reading, we mainly focus on assigned books from school rather than taking the time to enjoy the story itself. Still, there are plenty of reasons aside from just earning an adequate grade as to why you should read every day.

As students of AHS, stress is a common feeling everyone feels on a day to day basis. With tests, quizzes, homework, and projects bombarding our schedules, it is easy to get caught up in the cycle of work, stress, and sleep. Luckily, reading can help relieve stress by taking your mind off of life and distracting you from your problems. You will become immersed in the story without even realizing it, and feel much better after reading a few chapters.

Reading is one of the best ways to improve your memory, as it stimulates your brain to not only take in words but to also comprehend their meanings and form a picture in your head. As a result of this “brain workout”, your learning abilities, such as comprehension, analytical skills, and critical thinking will increase as your brain processes the story, leading you to have improved brain function overall, including memory. In addition, the increase in brain activity due to reading can have lasting effects that will continue even later on in life at an older age!

On a daily basis, everyone is so caught up in their ever-moving lives, constantly going from place to place, moving from task to task, always thinking about the next thing in the back of their minds. Therefore, your attention span is short and you are easily prone to becoming distracted, causing you to become less productive. Fortunately, when reading, you are required to devote a longer amount of time without losing focus. Over time, you will be able to concentrate on a single task without losing focus so quickly.

Overall, although most of us are constantly involved with our crazy lives, it is still important to read every day, as it gives us multiple benefits that will help us in a variety of ways.

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