diana pressey

Imagine if lawns were made of book pages instead of grass, with every lawn its own novel. Now imagine me as an insatiable lawnmower, consuming all the pages of every lawn on the city.

(This metaphor is both weak and cringeworthy! I am running with it.)

This was who I was in elementary school: a book mower. Whether it was Gone With the Wind, the Harry Potter series, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Jane Eyre, or—the pretentious worm that lives deep in my brain hates to admit this, but admit it I must—Twilight, I mowed down every book like it was my job. I sometimes crack a bad joke about having more books than friends when I was younger, but it isn’t really a joke.

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently mowed through Gone Girl as part of a class assignment. I think I devoured it in about 6 hours. It really took me back to my days of burying myself in literature.

I believe that reading is fundamental. Here’s why.

Reading provides perspective and cultivates empathy

Every work is written from a different point of view. When we read multiple, we can build understanding of those who are different from us, which is crucial. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was one of these for me. Everyone has their own perspective, and reading is a great way to get exposure to new ones that can shift your whole perspective.

Reading improves vocabulary and writing skills

I’ll just throw in a quote from Stephen King here: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Pretty much the only reason I have any writing abilities at all is that my dad handed me myriad adult-level books as a kid. The more words you read, the easier it is to learn them from context.

While your phone will keep you up, reading helps coax you to sleep

It’s just so easy to fiddle around on your phone before bed. I’m very much guilty of this, but it’s pretty awful for your sleep schedule and can cause insomnia. In contrast, reading is the ultimate stress relief and great way to unwind from the day. It’s actually proven that those who read sleep better.

Reading improves memory and could help prevent Alzheimer’s

The mental challenge of reading (as well as crosswords) is good for the brain. As people get older, it can help them prevent or fight the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. A lot of us aren’t quite there yet, but it can be beneficial to build the habit!

Reflecting on how much I used to read makes me a bit sad. I tend to blame school and the internet for my waning passion for reading and lower attention span, but I know I’m just making excuses. It’s up to me to read the way I used to, and not just because it’s required in schools. I resolve now to read books that spark passion and make my brain light up the way it used to all the time when I read during recess. I can’t wait.

Diana Pressey is a senior advertising/public relations major at UNC-Chapel Hill. She’s also a content marketing intern at InHerSight and campaigns team lead at the 1893 Brand Studio. In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing, dancing badly at concerts, belly laughing, and hanging out with other people’s pets. Click here to learn more about her, here to read previous blog posts, and here to get in touch.