by 
There is this misconception that some people read purely to brag about it, and I’m not saying that’s wrong because I belong to this class of people on occasion. But, there are many other reasons why you might want to incorporate reading into your morning routine.
One thing I should mention is that when I say reading, I mean it in any form at all. This means you could commit yourself to reading a newspaper, a journal article, or listening to an audiobook every single morning.
Building a reading habit is probably going to be one of the hardest things you do—I’m speaking from experience because I know how stressful it is to commit yourself to doing something, especially when it means changing your lifestyle.
Because, let’s face it, challenging yourself to read something every single morning will change your lifestyle. For example, if you usually stay in, you’ll need to wake up earlier. If you have kids or a job, this means determining how to allocate your time wisely so that you don’t end up burned out.
As I’ve said several times before, especially when discussing ways to meet a reading goal, the key is to start small and then build up from there. The worst thing you can do when embarking on a new lifestyle path is to overstretch yourself. Remember to take it one step at a time.
I have written several other posts about how to get back into reading again, so if that is something you’d like to check out, you can look at it. But this post is primarily about all the benefits of reading every single morning.
1. Reading improves your vocabulary
If you are on social media, you might have seen this popular meme that resurfaces from time to time. Basically, it asks about a word that a person has always mispronounced, even though they were well aware of the meaning and context for it to be used.
One thing you are going to notice is that a lot of people have done very funny things, but even better is the fact that knowing a word’s meaning without actively searching for it and being able to use it in the right contexts means that whoever uses that word might have picked it up from a book.
This is part of the reason why readers have a lot of bragging rights. Trust me when I say that if you start reading something every single morning, naturally you are going to expand your vocabulary and find that you become knowledgeable about a lot of things.
Also See: How To Read Books For (Almost) Free: Tips To Save Money While Reading
2. Reading every morning will help you sleep better
If you read what I said earlier about switching up your lifestyle and basically having to wake up earlier every morning, you might be a little curious about how waking up early will help you sleep better, but I promise it will.
Firstly, reading is very relaxing by its very nature, so when you sink into a book, you’ll find you can unwind and reduce your stress. If you do this every morning, the night before, you already know that you are waking up earlier to read.
This means that you can then ease yourself into sleeping earlier, and when you fully establish this habit, you’ll find that your sleep pattern has been regulated. The stress-reducing benefits come into play because you will find that you fall asleep faster.
3. You’ll set a good tone for the day if you read every morning
Of course, this depends on what you read in the morning. Personally, I’m very big on reading poetry or affirmations every single morning, and ever since I started, I have noticed a very significant shift in my approach towards whatever I encounter during the day.
What you want to do, on this note, is to try to add books that inspire positive feelings in you. Then, make sure you read those every single morning. It could be a romance novel, a book of poetry, or affirmations—something that you want to set the tone for your day.
4. Reading every morning stimulates the brain
Medical practitioners recommend reading for individuals who want to stimulate their brains and keep them active, and there’s no better way to do this than to incorporate reading into your morning routine.
Trust me when I say that over time, you’ll see that your creativity level has been boosted, and you’ll be much more productive in a matter of a few weeks, which is a win regardless of what’s happening.
You May Also Like: 90+ Bookish Gifts To Send The Book Lovers In Your Life
5. Reading makes a person smarter; reading every morning makes you the smartest
Remember what I said earlier about bragging? The truth is, there’s no way you can read something every single day and not get smarter.
If you’re able to read every single morning as I mentioned before, your brain is stimulated, and you’ll find that you absorb information at a faster rate.
For anxious individuals like myself, this means you can carry any conversation and probably never be caught unaware—my greatest fear is being stuck with a group of people talking about something I can’t relate to or ask good questions about.
And don’t think this means you have to read only non-fiction or newspaper clippings. One magical thing about books is that you will learn something no matter what—even if it’s smut you are reading. What you should do is simply pick a book you vibe with and go from there.
6. Emotional intelligence? Big check
Whenever I sit down to think about it, I like to credit the fact that I’m very in tune with my emotions and the emotions of others because I have lived a thousand lives through the books I have read.
A lot of people like to diss fiction readers because there’s still a general perception that fiction books aren’t serious. And, this is usually targeted at those of us who are obsessed with romance novels, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
A good book will take you through the characters’ emotions, which will help you relate to and understand them so well that in the future, when faced with a similar scenario, you’ll know how to approach it with an emotional intelligence that Harvard couldn’t teach.
This makes you a more empathetic person who’s able to relate to the feelings of others. Trust me when I say that everyone wants to be understood, regardless of whatever stage of their life they’re in, and everyone will appreciate you wherever you go.
7. Reading every morning will make you a better person in general
Whether it’s that you are becoming smarter, more empathic, or simply learning to be disciplined, if you read every single morning, you will notice that you have become a better person in a couple of weeks.
When you read affirmations, your inner voice becomes more positive; when you read non-fictional works, you learn to appreciate lives outside of yours; and if you are able to sink into a perfect fictional work, you will find that all tension in your body has been released. All of these are part and parcel of personal development.
Read Next: 14 Bookish Events To Host With Your Fellow Book Lovers
If you decide to start reading every morning, it’s going to be difficult at first, I promise. You’re probably going to want to give up and simply go back to doing whatever you used to do in the morning. And while I’m not saying that reading every single morning will change your entire life, you will definitely see a difference.
Building a good habit like this will always have a ripple effect on every other aspect of your life, and there is really no downside to investing in yourself this week, so why not give it a try? Here is a post I wrote earlier about how to read 100 books a month.
There are many other posts on the blog about life as a reader and about reading in general. Make sure you check them out in the related posts section below and join the conversation in the comments.
