The Easiest Thing You Can Do To Live Longer

On a gut level, you may already suspect that reading a book is better for you than mindlessly scrolling on your phone. While the latter habit is known to increase stress, the former tends to have the opposite effect; people who set aside time to read often come away from it feeling calmer and more content. 

But short-term mental health benefits aren’t the only reason to get lost in a good book. Research shows that maintaining a consistent reading routine may actually extend your lifespan. Here’s what to know to get the most out of the habit.

How Reading Promotes Longevity

In 2016, researchers from Yale University published a study in the journal Social Science & Medicine suggesting that reading can be just as good for your overall health as it is for your mind. For their research, the team followed 3,635 adults ages 50 and up over the course of 12 years. At the end of that period, they found that individuals who read books for at least 30 minutes a day lived, on average, 23 months longer compared to those who didn’t read. The researchers controlled for numerous variables — including education, income, sex, and health — supporting their conclusion that the act of reading a book is what matters. 

So what makes reading books so beneficial? The deep levels of concentration required may have something to do with it. “When you get lost in a book, you often enter a trancelike state similar to meditation and that state is deeply protective,” Zoe Shaw, a psychotherapist who studies reading and longevity, told National Geographic.

The positive effects of meditation are well documented: Clearing your mind and focusing your attention is one of the simplest ways to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep quality. It’s possible that reading is a shortcut to a similarly beneficial mental state. 

The study also pointed to the social aspects of reading as another potential advantage. Engaging with longer written works, the researchers wrote, promotes “empathy, social perception, and emotional intelligence,” all of which have evolutionary — and therefore life-extending — benefits. Loneliness is one of the greatest risk factors for early mortality, and while books are no substitute for human interaction, they may prime us for stronger social connections in real life.

Other Benefits of Reading

Building a reading habit comes with other perks you can enjoy in the short term. Consuming new texts is a great way to expand your vocabulary, even if you don’t read with a dictionary close by. The more you read, the more words you add to your personal lexicon — making it even easier to read more challenging books down the road.

Reading regularly is also linked to improved cognitive abilities, such as memory and critical thinking. Interpreting written language into a complex narrative demands more of our brains than simply watching a story unfold on screen. That makes reading an excellent tool for staying sharp, similar to how stretching every day keeps your muscles limber. 

With so much short-form entertainment available on our phones on demand, however, many people are opting out of reading altogether. According to a recent study, the rate of Americans who read for pleasure declined by 40% between 2003 and 2023. 

The extra effort required to engage with a book is part of the appeal. If you have just 30 minutes a day to devote to the habit, your body and your brain will thank you.

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