A 10,000 Dollar reward?
A few weeks ago, I came across the story of Donelan Andrews, a teacher who won 10,000 U.S dollars from a company’s reading reward a program called “It Pays to Read” contest. My mouth fell ajar. As if that wasn’t enough, thousands of dollars were donated to schools in the area that Donelan lived to fund children's literacy.
How did this happen? She became the distinguished
recipient of this reward simply because she took the time to read through the
print of a lengthy travel insurance policy. She discovered the contest on page
seven of the contract, where it stated that the reward would be assigned to the
first person to read that far in the document. Donelan said she had always been
an avid reader and so it was no surprise that she received the reading reward.
I love reading myself and would love to get rewarded for my reading. How about
you? If you could get rewarded for reading, would you endeavour to read some
more?
How often do you read?
Folks have been reading for over 2,000 years
running, whether from words engraved on stone tablets, on cave walls, on
papyrus, or in books. It is the primary way of passing across vital messages
from person to person. However, the available statistics show that the number
of people reading has dropped drastically. It has been postulated that the
average Nigerian reads less than one book per year and that 40% of adults in
Nigeria never get to read a non-fiction book from cover to cover following
graduation. These statistics are alarming considering the effects it could have
on the socio-economic profile of our nation.
Reading can bring you multi-dimensional rewards
which range from passing an exam to becoming a professor. However, we should
consider the far-reaching effects that reading could have on our physical,
social, and emotional well-being. Let us highlight some of them:
Reading improves empathy, another social skill that
impacts emotional intelligence. This can be explained by the fact that
reading takes you into the world of a fictional or non-fictional character and
makes one understand and relate to what they feel. Reading another person’s
story also sends a signal to your mind that you are not alone in your
challenge. This signal has the potential to inspire you to look for ways of
overcoming your own challenge.
Reading enhances sleep hygiene. Reading can be used
to induce relaxation just before bedtime. Ever remember falling asleep while
listening to a bedtime story? The effect of reading here is quite different
from the effect derived while studying for an exam during which you would want
to stay awake.
Chronic sleep deprivation compromises well-being,
therefore a variety of adjustments in addition to reading can be made to ensure
a night of restorative sleep. However, reading for relaxation should be done
from a book rather than from a device such as a laptop or a phone. Such devices
send out light signals that reduce the secretion of the sleep hormone,
melatonin.
Reading improves cognitive function and reserve.
Research conducted by neuroscientists has reported that reading can improve
brain function in a number of ways. A study conducted by Gregory et al showed
that long-term changes in brain connectivity were improved by reading.
Another neuroimaging study demonstrated how a
remedial intervention in poor readers was able to improve the white matter in
their brains which translate to efficient processing of information. In order
to keep the mind engaged meaningfully in the latter years of life, reading is
one of the activities recommended making the brain more adaptable in certain
mental functions.
According to the National Institute on Aging, an active mind can compensate for the changes that occur in the nervous tissue as
a result of aging such as dementia.
In conclusion, reading is a lifestyle as well as a
skill that can be developed if practiced as a regular habit. The health rewards
of reading can be accessed not just by scanning through newspaper headlines or
reading tweets and messages on social media. You can take out 15 minutes to an
hour to read every day. Do this not because you want to pass a test but in
order to derive pleasure from it along with all the health rewards that come
with reading.
Dr Ore Taiwo Makinde is a Consultant Family
Physician and certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician.
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