For busy working parents, things that used to be part of a routine before you had kids seem like a luxury. In a desperate search for more time, we often cut these “luxuries” – exercise, lunch with friends, and reading – not realizing the unintended consequences. For some of these things, such as exercise, we see signs such as weight gain and high blood pressure that force us to realize how important it was. For other of these things, such as reading, we feel the longing for the activity, but may not realize the consequences of cutting it out. But there are some….
Here are some reasons to add back reading into your daily routine:
Here are some reasons to add back reading into your daily routine:
- It helps you stay up-to-date on industry trends. In today’s quest for increased productivity, employees’ workload and project load has grown, leaving little or not time for “recharing” activities such as reading. If you’re lucky, you may get to go to an industry conference or two, but even those opportunities have decreased as budgets have been tightened. That’s where reading can come in. Signing up for eNewsletters, industry magazines, and blogs can help you stay ahead of trends and latest thinking. This is really important, and can in fact be an advantage since so many don’t have time to do it.
- It helps open your mind to out-of-the-box solutions. I love Harvard Business Review. I read it from cover to cover. I often get ideas for a work project or problem from articles that at first might seem irrelevant to my industry. That’s because life is full of patterns, as a friend once pointed out to me. The same types of problems (and innovations) can apply across industries—especially when it comes to themes such as leadership and employee engagement.
- It’s a de-stressor. Sometimes you just need to engage your brain in a relaxing task. This is good for your mind and spirit, and can recharge you. There are so many great books out there that take you to new and interesting places (such as Strum, by my friend Nancy Young). Don’t underestimate the power of a reading “mental vacation.”
- You’re setting a good example for your children. One of the greatest gifts you can give to your child is instilling the value of reading. You can tell them how important it is all day long, but it is far more powerful to show them.
- You can create special bonding time with your children. My older daughter is just now getting into beginner chapter books. In order to encourage her to read on a daily basis, I let her stay up a little later than her sister. Once her sister falls asleep, we cuddle up and she reads a chapter to me. It is such a great bonding opportunity, and it’s been so neat to see how far her reading skills have come!
While you it is tempting to cut reading out of your busy schedule, you may be giving up more than you realize. So grab yourself a good cup of coffee or tea, pick-up your favorite book, and give yourself this special treat!