Before I went to college, I used to read so much. Books were my vice, I could remember staying up with a flashlight and straining my eyes to read the latest Twilight book that I had no business reading in fifth grade. I could read up to three books a week and throw myself into the magical world of fiction.
Then, I went to college.
I brought all my favorite books, expecting to read them on whatever downtime I had and I even bought some new novels that were recommended to me by mentors. What I didn’t expect was denounce reading all together.
As an English major, each class I take requires at least three books for a semester. Imagine stacking about fourteen books on top of your desk in a menacing tower you wish you could push over and forget completely. As more professors gave us required readings, the less I wanted to read in my free time. I mean, who wants to read during the weekend when you just spent a whole school week doing the same thing by force?
So slowly, I stopped enjoying the feel of finishing a novel and it soon became a chore. This year though, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to get back into reading. As a writer, I feel that reading helps improve writing style, and I was right. Reading helped me finally uncover my writer’s block, and made my own editing process a breeze. According to the BookRiot.com (https://bookriot.com/2018/02/27/does-reading-make-you-smarter/), studies even show that reading improves factual knowledge, emotional intelligence, and brain connectivity. It engages and tests your learning, which in turn, makes you smarter.
So whenever you’re having trouble with a blank page, or just need to de-stress: read. Visit your local library or bookstore and find an interesting book. You don’t have to finish it all in a week, and it could even take months, but words stimulate the mind.
As a nuanced take on an old saying, a page a day keeps the doctor away.