An expert spoke about the positive impact of regular reading on a person

Regular reading allows you not only to broaden your horizons, but also to increase the efficiency of the brain and improve the overall quality of life. Alexander Nikiforov, director of the electronic library system "Lan", told more about the positive impact of reading in a conversation with "Izvestia" on November 27.

Cognitive functions
While reading, the brain solves intellectual tasks, about 17 departments of the brain are involved, which are responsible for visual perception, memory, concentration, selective attention. The best way to "pump" the brain is to read complex literature, because this is how complex associative connections are built.

Creative abilities
Among other things, literature helps to develop imagination, fantasy, creativity. A person models the world created by the author, imagines characters, places, sounds. In the head, the pages of the book turn into a vivid movie. In this case, the same parts of the brain are activated as in the real experience of events, the expert notes.

Thinking
The reader memorizes information, highlights details, establishes cause-and-effect relationships, transfers the information to the events of his life, added the interlocutor of the publication. Thus, he stated, it develops analytical abilities and teaches critical thinking.

Stress resistance and sleep patterns
While reading, a person is distracted from the daily hustle and bustle, relaxes, calms down. Nikiforov shared that due to this effect of reading, stress levels are reduced by 68%. In addition, the quality of sleep increases.

Personal growth
According to VTsIOM, the expert reports, 57% of Russians read books for self-development, to learn new things, every fourth - for work or study, and the younger people are, the more often they choose reading as a tool for self-development. People who read challenging books acquire and internalize information from different areas and can apply it to their lives. They form practical skills faster, Nikiforov claims. All this contributes to personal and professional growth, he summarized.

Communication skills
The habit of reading regularly contributes to the development of insight, empathy, the ability to empathize with others. In addition, people who read have a large vocabulary and can support a conversation on various topics.

Quality of life
Nikiforov also stated that cognitive functions decline with age, which worsens the quality of life. A 2013 study at Rush University in Chicago found that cognitive function declines 31.9% slower in people who read. Also, being intellectually active and reading helps prevent Alzheimer's disease.

The development of the internet has increased opportunities for people who read. Book lovers have access to a large amount of educational, scientific, fiction literature thanks to e-books. Despite the stereotype, the useful effect of reading e-books is not inferior to paper books, concluded the interlocutor of the publication.

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