3 Reasons To Read A Book Rather Than Watch TV

You've come home after a long day at work, your mind and body are both exhausted. Nothing sounds better at that point than just plonking yourself down on your bed or your couch and binge watching a few episodes of your favourite show. It doesn't require you to think or work anymore, you can just sit there and stare at the screen and talk to no one. That right there, might be the problem. Watching TV is almost like going into a state of semi-sleep, where your brain is not actually required to be alert or attentive, without actually allowing you the benefits of sleep. Sure, watching a good film that is actually engaging and informative can be thrilling and at times rather insightful, but the benefits of sitting in front of a television box for hours are yet to be discovered. Enter, the infamous pile of books probably stashed away somewhere in your house. Pick one of them up, because the benefits of reading surpass those of simply watching mindless TV. Here are a few good reasons to read a book and ditch watching TV - at least a few times a week.

1. You're less likely to binge eat

Raise your hands if eating junk food while watching TV is one of your favourite things to do? Well, you're not alone. When you're watching TV, you're less likely to be mindful of your body's needs. Your mind is distracted and occupied by what's playing in front of you - therefore, it is easy for your mind to miss the body's signal indicating that you are full. Watching television after a long day might also feel relaxing to some, but it doesn't feel complete without food. This could be because of the association one builds between food and comfort as a child.

It doesn't work that way when you're reading a book. Your mind is completely engrossed and is working to create and imagine a visual story. There's little room for distraction. Also just the fact that you actually have to hold the book in your hand makes it slightly more difficult to eat simultaneously.

2. Reading makes you more empathetic

When you're watching TV sporadically and only to switch off and reduce stress, it's unlikely that you're actually spending time investing in the character in the movie or the show that you're watching. You're watching someone else's story, and while certain things may make you cringe, feel sorry or even feel a sense of endearment towards the character, the odds are that those feelings will leave you soon after you switch your television off. Unless, of course, you're spending all your time only watching a particular show. Nonetheless, it is still someone else's story and you'll always be watching as an outsider, hence actually gaining fewer experiences or lessons.

A book on the other hand allows you to delve deep into a character. Their story in a sense becomes yours because you're imagining it in your own way - the visual story is what you choose it to be. When you finish a book that you actually enjoyed, it gives you insight and perspective into aspects of human emotions that you might not have experienced or felt before; therefore allowing you to feel more empathetic towards others' experiences.

3. You are likely to become more articulate

How many times have you watched a movie or a show and learnt several new words? Hear new words, yes, but how many people actually make the effort to google search the meaning of a word after watching a film? And if you do, how often does it end in you retaining that word and using it in the future? Not too often, is my guess.

Reading a book doubles your chances of learning new words and improving your vocabulary. Not only are you reading that word and saying it out loud in your mind, but you're also visually seeing it. That allows your mind twice the chance to retain a word. You're also more likely to search for the meaning of the word if you read it in order to understand the sentence and move on.