Reading: A Healthy Habit

“An apple a day keeps a doctor away”, as rightly said, our body needs healthy food for its nourishment, so that we live longer and healthier. But, what about our brain; how does it work and how can we make it healthier. As most learned people in the world would believe, reading a book is mental food. Whatever kind of books we read; it always provides some kind of nourishment to our brain. Historically, reading began on this planet some 5000 years back and there was no proper language then. People in that age read only signs that were scribbled or expressed but were fixed to show a particular process or code. Gradually in a few years when the brains started developing, there were more signs and codes to communicate and hence there was more information to be shared. Thus writing was invented and the fixed language was invented. In older times, reading was considered as a silent and passive activity and writing was considered as a superior art, due to lack of literature across the world. However that does not hold true nowadays, as we believe reading is one of the best investments one can make in life.

Scientifically, when we read, we use our right brain which is not normally active. That means whatever activities that we do in our daily routine are all left brain activities, which does not require much effort. But if you activate your right brain through your reading, it may work wonders for you. You can make extraordinary use of your right brain and achieve many great things in your life. For instance, you can score excellently in your tests, or can develop or learn any new skill, language or art quickly.

Reading increases your knowledge and thus develops your thirst for exploring new things. Reading gives you mental peace and satisfaction; in a way it connects you to a different world that you can enjoy and experience through a book.

Reading Fiction can transport you to a world of imagination. You just have to choose the world you would want to go to, like Cinderella, Harry Potter or Alice in Wonderland.

Reading Non Fiction can help you develop your own personality and help you achieve anything and everything that you desire. Through management, personal discipline and setting goals and achieving them step by step, Books teach you to be honest, humble and forgiving. You can be friends with books; they teach you everything you want to learn in life. They help you get success in life both on personal and career front. To achieve academic success and achieve all happiness, mental strength, success, positivity and knowledge, you must inculcate a habit of reading regularly for at-least an hour a day. Books have got hidden treasures in form of knowledge, illustrations and experiences that no one can ever take away from you. Surround yourself with lot of reading materials; encourage yourself to choose different genres every time you finish a selected one. Use technology wisely to boost your reading skills. Read as much as you can and become the enlightened one.

Ms. Amrita Mishra
Teacher,
VIBGYOR Kids, Goregaon, Mumbai