I got into reading my first year of university when I was craving something new, some kind of adventure to distract myself. Movies and TV shows started to feel dull and predictable. During Christmas break, I was looking through the office at my home and fell upon The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It was a big hardcover book with thick pages, illustrated with pictures of the real artifacts and places from the story. It was exactly what I was looking for. From then on, I was hooked on following characters on their adventures and descriptions that painted my mind.
It’s been about two years since I’ve been regularly reading novels, and I have realized the improvement it has made in my life. Here is why reading novels in a digitized world is a great hobby to adopt.
1. It’s a form of meditation
Reading blocks out the world around you, making you concentrate on one thing: the story developing in front of you. When reading you are still and calm, losing yourself in words and descriptions. It provides you with a moment to slow down, for your mind to relax and to be
present. Reading during my commute helped me unwind, made time go by faster and felt less wasted (just make sure to still pay attention to not miss your stop).
2. Gives you experiences you couldn’t have in real life
Books give you the opportunity to experience events that you could not in a lifetime. For example, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. We will never be a young girl during World War II, but thanks to her writings, we are put in her place and experience what she lived.
3. It develops your imagination
Descriptions give you the freedom to interpret what the author writes. Indeed, you create the image on your own with the help of what the author has in mind. Unlike movies, TV shows and social media, images are already presented to you, leaving you no room to imagine. Plus reading in general, benefits your brain.
4. New sensations than movies and TV shows
Reading and watching give different sensations. Watching is passive, while reading is active. Good authors know how to use their words to trigger emotions. Horror novels really interested me because I couldn’t understand how reading could scare youor make you jump out of your seat. There isn’t eerie music or different shots that change the perspective, there are only words. But words like ‘suddenly’ and ‘that was when’ give that jolt of scare. Here is an example from Stephen King’s The Shining: “There was a sudden rattling, metallic sound behind him. […] There was something behind the pink plastic shower curtain. There was something in the tub.”
5. A way to disconnect
Scrolling through social media gets repetitive and boring. Sometimes a break from screens is needed to feel refreshed. So, open up a good old analog paperback to clear your head in a more constructive way; disconnect for a moment and be present with yourself. You will feel more productive and give a little more value to your time.
6. You can pick what you want to read, you know
I had bad memories of books that I had to read for school which discouraged me from reading in my free time. Now that I have discovered a genre of novels that I relish, it’s so much more enjoyable! Choose a book that you want to read, and you’ll see how pleasant it is!
7. You do, in fact, have the time to read
It might be difficult to find time… But instead of being on your phone at the breakfast table, read your book. Instead of plainly standing in the metro, read your book. There are so many little moments in your day that can be filled by reading.