The Magic of a Daily Reading Ritual

​​On average, adults read at a speed of between 200 and 300 words per minutes. This is the same reading rate as students who are in the 6th grade. Many resources also state that for success in college, an adult must be able to read between 350 and 450 words per minute. Looking at adults in the workplace, the same is likely true for them as well.
 
Recently on our Facebook page, we created a post about reading for 20 minutes per day for 20 days straight and asked our community what kind of impact that would make for them. Someone mentioned that for him, it might mean that he would actually finish a book. Another person posted that she already does this every evening. Someone else tagged a friend to challenge them and in return, said this could help her follow through with setting aside 20 minutes each day for reading.
 
For every person, their reading scenario will be completely different. For some, they may not like to read for unique and personal reasons that are not visible, for others, they may like to read but find they are too busy. 

Finding time to read can be challenging when you are busy, but it’s not impossible.  Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Set a reading goal: For some reading one book might be plenty, for others they may want to read 12 books within a year, and some may want to spend their 20 minutes reading the newspaper or a magazine. You might be surprised at how much you read when you schedule that time.  
  
  
• Keep track of your progress. This will help to keep you motivated and inspired.
  
  
• No matter how crazy your schedule is, make a conscious decision to read first thing in the morning or make it the last thing you do before you go to sleep. You could also make some time to read while you have your lunch. You get to decide, but schedule it and make it part of your day!
  
  
• You could cut the time you spend on social media to half, and use that extra time for reading.
  
  
• Don’t overthink it, allow yourself to read whatever content you find most engaging no matter what the outlet.

   
Whether you are a student, own your own business or work for someone else, you already read more than you think. From blogs, news, industry reports and everything in between, you'd be surprised at the amount of time you spend reading.

Making a conscious decision to pick up a book/e-book, magazine or other content when you are not at work will benefit you in many ways, here are just a few:  

A daily reading ritual has been said to:

1. Slow the progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
2. Can help you relax and reduce stress
3. Improves focus and concentration
4. Combats depression
5. Improves general knowledge
6. Improves sleep quality
   
   

Now that you know some of the benefits and have a few tips to get your started if you are not already an avid reader, hop onto our Facebook page and join our 20-day reading challenge. All you have to do is LIKE our page to join in on the fun. If you decide to participate, you could become our first LLNB Top 2020 Reader, just for participating. 

Click here for more details.