Can 15 minutes…..Reading change your life?!!

It is a proven fact that reading can help reduce stress, how much do we need it in a country torn by war and under a stifling economic blockade. Many of us take this simple act of “reading” for granted, because we have so much “required” reading in our daily lives-the newspaper, traffic signs, emails, and bills. But how often do we read for pleasure?

Reading can be a wonderful (and healthy) escape from the stress of everyday life. Simply by opening a book, you allow yourself to be invited into a literary world that distracts you from your daily stressors. Reading can even relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. It works better and faster than other relaxation methods, such as listening to music or drinking a hot cup of tea. This is because your mind is invited into a literary world that is free from the stressors that plague your daily life.

Find a book or magazine that piques your interest-a romantic paperback, gardening magazine, or even a cookbook. Set aside 30 minutes to read every day in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

Another study of the reading practices of more than 9.9 million students over the 2015–2016 school year found that more than half of the students read less than 15 minutes per day on average. Only students who read 15 minutes or more a day saw accelerated reading gains. 15 minutes seems to be the “magic number” at which students start seeing substantial positive gains in reading achievement; students who read just over a half-hour to an hour per day see the greatest gains of all.

It is not out of place that UNESCO observed World Book Day on 23 April, 1995, as a worldwide celebration of books and reading and to encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading.

The date holds a special significance as it marks the death anniversaries of two of the world’s greatest writers – William Shakespeare and prominent Spanish chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote the founding novel of Western Literature also died on 22 April.

The International Junior Chamber in Suwayda and Zarqa Al-Yamama Library, have marked the day by launching Soutour (lines) project,  seeking to encourage reading among children and adolescents. The project’s first phase includes a workshop for the manufacture of paper book dividers, with the participation of children between the ages of 6 and 12 years.

Books have long embodied the human capacity to conjure up worlds, both real and imagined, giving voice to the diversity of human experience. They help us share ideas, obtain information, and inspire admiration for different cultures, enabling far-reaching forms of dialogue between people across space and time.

 Lama Alhassanieh