Ah, the respite of the blanket fort, a cushioned haven from reality about which our terrific blogger-in-residence Arabella has already expounded upon beautifully. I made my own bid for the blanket fort several weeks ago when I said that my hermitage week is more like a hermitage month, but now that month that I typically associate with long, languorous bouts of reading is coming to a close. The bouts of reading might get a bit shorter as the days start to get longer and general busyness starts to pick up a bit, but the spirit of the hermitage stays with me all year long. While I never (ever) need an excuse to read, I do find that sometimes I need to offer others who don’t sympathize with my passion for reading quite so much a reason for one of my favorite downtime (or in many cases anytime) activity. This week, for those of you who have a similar problem, I’ve compiled a list of ready-to-go reasons (backed by science, no less!) to let people know that having a book as your constant companion and reading whenever downtime presents itself is not only normal, but healthy.

Reading makes you a better person

In a somewhat ironic twist, given that readers are often considered to be introverts, being an avid reader can help you interact better with other people. Reading literary fiction with its complex characters who aren’t always easy to get to know (or like), can make that reader a more empathetic person in general. The logic behind this is that working harder to get to know characters and understand their motivations and emotions. This in turn makes readers more practiced at empathy which carries into real-life social interactions as well. (This can also explain why we get so attached to characters in some of our favorite books.) Readers in general tend to be more empathetic overall because reading stimulates the part of the brain that helps you visualize movement. In essence, readers actually feel part of the action in a book happening to them. It’s a similar process in assuming the emotions characters are showing in a book. The reader ends up feeling those emotions, too giving readers higher levels of emotional intelligence and awareness.

“Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation”

Science has shown that not only is reading a stress-reducing activity, it can reduce stress more than other commonly employed stress-busing activities like yoga, enjoying a cup of tea or listening to music. Dr. David Lewis of the University of Sussex (whose quote from The Telegraph introduced this paragraph) indicated that reading reduced the stress levels of experiment participants by 68 percent and according to the study, “subjects only needed to read, silently, for six minutes to slow the heart rate and ease tension in the muscles… [often] to stress levels loser than before [the subjects] started.” We could all use a little less stress in our lives, so picking up a book, even for a short time can definitely help. The study didn’t address the effects of long-term reading habits, but I can only image the possibilities…

Reading helps your brain

This one probably won’t shock any bookworms out there, but there are studies that indicate exercising your brain with reading can increase both intelligence and overall brain power. Books generally expose readers to new vocabulary (even more than TV) and exposure to new vocabulary can make you smarter. Plus, reading books can help keep you smarter, longer. “Exercising” your brain with activities like reading has a similar effect on the brain as cardiovascular activity has on your heart: it makes it run better for longer. This can help stave off some of the cognitive issues associated with age, like memory loss and declining brain function.

It’s free!

Thanks to libraries making it our mission to provide people with as much reading material as possible, reading can be free for all who possess a library card. Because of libraries, reading is cheaper than an Netflix subscription, joining a gym, going to a movie, shopping, taking a trip and many other activities in an increasingly commercial world. So not only can you become a better person by reading, it doesn’t have to cost you a cent in order to do it.

So this week, dear readers, instead of recommending specific books, I simply recommend that you read whatever you want, whenever you want, and for as long as you’d like. Keep that book fort erected and let your “I’m-A-Reader” flag fly over it proudly. You’re not just enjoying yourself, you’re improving yourself. And isn’t having fun the best kind of self-improvement, anyway?