EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – We’ve long known that we can find comfort, solace and help in the pages of a book.
Now, research is showing even more benefits to reading.
We spoke with the CEO and President of Building Blocks here in Evansville, who walked us through some of the major benefits of reading – not only in children but in adults, too.
Aleisha Sheridan says in 2009 there was a study done on the effects of reading that showed a 70% decrease in stress levels.
Sheridan says even more studies show that even six minutes of reading could reduce stress, and 30 minutes would be the equivalent of doing 30 minutes of yoga.
In even more recent research, a 2016 study from Yale University School of Public Health found that people who read books had a 20% reduction in risk of death over 12 years compared with non-book readers.
While not everyone is prone to pick up a book regularly, Sheridan challenges you to benefit from a new book.
”Some people do not like reading,” Sheridan said. “But knowing that there is that escape from your day-to-day life that you can create, step into a new world or read an autobiography. Something of interest to you. Even audiobooks. Being able to listen and just connect other than just your day-to-day and be able to relieve and escape that any stressors of the day.”
Sheridan even tells me that reading has been proven to help people with dementia.
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