Speed reading offers lots of benefits for everyone, especially in this information age. It’s not just about reading faster. With vast amounts of information available to us every day, investing a little time in learning strategies for faster reading makes sense. Staying current with all the latest news and trends also offers something beneficial.
Since speed reading takes time to learn and you’re probably already busy, you might be wondering why you should bother learning how to do it.
Take a look at some reasons why you should learn speed reading:
It boosts self-confidence.
Higher levels of self-confidence are a result of knowing you can learn just about anything faster once you have the ability to speed read. Being able to read faster and comprehend more will make you more comfortable in handling a situation in your workplace or business. When you improve your ability to read and learn faster and then make use of it – you will feel more confident speaking to your boss about issues he’s asking you about. You will be confident handling others’ questions. You’ll be bolder in making suggestions during discussions because you have knowledge about it.
Every book or article, whether fiction or non-fiction, helps us to shift our awareness and begin to see more depth, which can boost our self-confidence.
It gives you an edge in your profession or studies.
It comes as to no surprise that speed reading can give students an edge in their studies. There are also many professions that will find speed reading an incredible benefit. One that comes to mind in the field of law. Lawyers and judges do massive amounts of reading in the course of an ordinary day, and the faster they read and understand the material, the quicker they can take decisive action. Professors, scholars, journalists, writers, reporters, researchers, and novelists also do a great amount of reading. To keep up and accomplish more in less time, they need to develop speed reading skills.
It improves memory.
Speed reading doesn’t only make you a faster reader; it also increases your understanding. When you get better at understanding, the more likely you’ll remember it.
The brain is like a muscle, and if we train it, it will be sharper and will be able to perform better. Speed reading challenges the brain to perform at a much higher level. When your brain is trained to absorb information much faster, other areas of the brain will also improve, including your memory. When you read, memory acts as a stabilizer muscle that gets worked up when you do speed reading.
It improves logic and thinking.
Reading is an exercise for the brain, and speed reading is like a workout. When you train your brain to read faster, it affects your brain’s neuroplasticity. The brain becomes more efficient at sorting information and finding connections to other previously-stored bits of information. The more you improve your reading speed, the faster this process happens. You will notice improvements with logic as you get used to responding quickly to what would have taken a long process to respond before.
It offers better focus.
Do you find it hard to focus on your tasks? Are you always tempted to multitask but not finish anything efficiently? Information comes at us in many ways, so many people try to multitask to get more things done. With speed reading, you can get better at focusing on one task at a time, making you able to finish more than if you multitask.
The average reading speed is at least 200 wpm (words per minute), which is the average reading speed. But some can read up to 300 wpm. The reason is that the traditional reading style we were taught is not that efficient, and also, there is a lack of focus. Speed reading can help you focus better, as you train the mind to get more information a lot faster and retain it in your memory.
It makes you more productive.
Most of the time, getting things done is all about eliminating distractions and focusing on the task on hand. Speed reading is all about concentration until you start doing it on autopilot. It gives you a new way to be mindful, and it teaches the mind to ignore anything else but this one activity. Then, you can use that same skill to complete your other tasks for the day.
It enhances your ability to learn.
If you got problems focusing on your tasks, speed reading could greatly help. With this, you will get more interested in everything you read. Combined with your enhanced creativity, you’ll find yourself eager to extend your learning. The more you educate yourself, the better opportunities you have.
It reduces stress.
Reading is highly relaxing in general. It can help in reducing stress because it gets the mind off worries and other thoughts that are not healthy nor beneficial. When you read faster, you’ll be more absorbed in the material, causing you to focus on the information you are reading. This is known as active meditation, which can help release tension, reduce stress, and increase emotional well-being. And just like exercising the body, exercising the mind through speed reading can also trigger your happy hormones.
It enhances problem-solving skills.
Everyone has problems and challenges, and the subconscious mind can solve them. The conscious mind solves problems at about 100-150 miles per hour, while the subconscious blazes away at close to 100,000 mph. Speed reading allows you to stream more information to your subconscious, allowing it to solve your problems.
It helps you become more innovative and creative.
The more you know, the more you can innovate. In any professional field, thought leaders are innovative. They cross-pollinate ideas with the team. Connecting and combining ideas and objects is important for innovation, and it’s a key part of the creative-thinking process. Along with the ability to reframe problems, it engages your imagination and unlocks your innovative thinking skills. If you learn to speed read and make it a skill, it may just lead you to your next million-dollar idea.