When was the last time you read a book, a magazine piece, or a newspaper article? If your reading habit is limited to entertainment posts, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and similar feeds, you are on the wrong track. It is common for people to avoid reading. In fact, a recent study showed that in 2018, 58% of Mexicans did not read a single book.

It is easy to see why people feel they no longer have the time, motivation, or need to read books. In an era when almost every book becomes a movie, a series, or a podcast, and information seems a click away online, the illusion of easy access keeps people from truly seeking knowledge. Very few people use the internet for what it was originally built for: education and information. They use it for entertainment instead of building culture. Reading is the best fix for that, because a book does not come with the same distractions. If you read online, a popup or a notification can pull you away, and you may never return to the page.

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10 REASONS TO START READING NOW

1- Brain stimulation

Several studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of (or possibly even help prevent) Alzheimer’s and dementia, because an active brain is less likely to lose power.

Like any other muscle in the body, the brain needs exercise to stay strong and healthy. The phrase “use it or lose it” fits the mind especially well. Puzzles and games such as chess have also been found helpful for cognitive stimulation.

2- It boosts intelligence

Diving into a good book opens a whole world of knowledge from a very early age. According to an article from the University of California, Berkeley, children’s books expose kids to 50% more words than primetime television, or even a conversation between college graduates. That new vocabulary does not only support better reading test scores. It also supports higher scores on general intelligence tests. Stronger early reading ability can also point to higher intelligence later in life.

A quick tip: if you want a powerful reading experience, choose a traditional book. Research suggests that reading on a screen can slow you down by as much as 20 to 30%.

3- Reading can make you more empathetic

Getting lost in a good book can make it easier to relate to other people. Literary fiction in particular can help readers understand what others think by tuning into other people’s emotions. The effect is much stronger for people who read literary fiction than for those who read nonfiction.

4- Stress reduction

No matter how much stress you carry from work, personal relationships, or the many other problems of daily life, it can fade when you lose yourself in a great story. A well-written novel can transport you to other worlds, while a compelling article can pull you into the present moment, let the tension ease, and help you relax.

5- General knowledge

Everything you read fills your mind with new information, and you never know when it will come in handy. The more knowledge you have, the better prepared you are for any challenge that comes your way.

Here is something else to keep in mind: if you ever face extreme circumstances, remember that you could lose almost everything else, your job, your possessions, your money, even your health, but knowledge can never be taken from you.

6- It improves memory

When you read a book, you have to remember a range of characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, histories, and nuances, along with the various arcs and subplots that run through the story. That is a lot to hold onto, yet the brain is remarkable and can store it with relative ease.

Surprisingly, every new memory you form forges new synapses (brain pathways) and strengthens existing ones, which supports short-term memory and can also help stabilize mood.

7- Reading before bed can help you sleep

According to the Mayo Clinic, building a bedtime ritual, such as reading before sleep, signals your body that it is time to wind down. Reading a physical book helps you relax more than drifting off in front of a screen. Screens such as e-readers and tablets can keep you awake longer and even hurt your sleep. The same applies to children: 54% of kids sleep near a small screen and, on average, get 20 minutes less sleep.

8- Stronger analytical thinking skills

Have you ever read a gripping mystery novel and solved the case before you finished the book? If so, you put critical and analytical thinking to work by tracking every detail and sorting through them to figure out “who did it.”

That same ability to analyze details is useful when you face situations in real life, whether personal or professional.

9- Better focus and concentration

In our internet-obsessed world, attention is pulled in a million directions at once as we multitask every day.

In a five-minute span, the average person may split time between a work task, checking email, chatting with a couple of people (via WhatsApp, Skype, and the like), watching Twitter or Facebook, monitoring a phone, and talking with coworkers. That pattern raises stress and lowers productivity.

When you read a book, your full attention stays on the story. The rest of the world falls away, and you can sink into every fine detail you are absorbing.

Try reading for 15 to 20 minutes before work (for example, on your morning commute if you take public transit), and you may be surprised by how much more focused you feel once you reach the office.

10- Inner calm

Beyond the relaxation that comes with a good book, the subject you are reading about may also lead you toward deep peace and inner calm.

Reading spiritual texts can lower blood pressure and create a strong sense of calm, while self-help books have been shown to help people dealing with certain mood disorders and mild mental health challenges.

Related: Learn to read faster so you can build more knowledge in less time. And if you are an entrepreneur, it can also help your business.