How To Develop A Habit Of Reading The Newspaper

Newspaper reading is no doubt, a desired habit because it generates awareness in readers, and also instils confidence in them, as they get to know about activities of influential people. You can stay informed about world developments and enhance your personality by reading a daily newspaper. Besides keeping you updated with current issues, achievements, facts, discoveries, research, laws, events, ideologies, politics, movements, historical facts, etc, reading the newspaper also helps you improve your language. It improves your memory, boosts your reading skills, and indirectly enhances your writing skills as well. Newspaper reading comes with a lot of perks, and costs less than a rupee. Let's explore some of the benefits of reading newspapers in more detail.

Benefits Of Reading Newspapers- Enhanced Knowledge

• Newspaper reading is the most concise, and quickest way to learn about world affairs. News and articles give you an insight into global events, and provide you with abundant information and general knowledge. The news agencies cover a wide range of subjects like politics, fashion, lifestyle, sports, entertainment, and more, so the reader can stay updated with whatever is happening in the world.
• Added to that, no matter where you live, the news is like strands of threads connecting rural and urban residents. With constant access to information, you can stay informed about the happenings in a city, town, or village. Readers can easily access e-papers and e-magazines, allowing them to stay updated on the latest news.

Benefits Of Reading Newspapers- Improved Language

Reading news not only contributes to knowledge acquisition, but also contributes to personal growth. It can help you build and improve vocabulary, and enhance your language skills. You might often find that those who read the newspaper regularly, have relatively better command over language. Such people are also likely to be better writers. Also, reading the newspaper fosters your ability to connect the dots to form a bigger picture, and gain insights into how everything is interconnected, from the economy, to the political system, to the environment.

Benefits Of Reading Newspapers- Better Conversations

Being an engaged and responsible citizen is highly important. Being actively involved in the development and progress of the nation is imperative, even if it's just through dialogue or conversation. Having read the news makes it easier to draw connections and parallels, when people discuss current events and politics. Thus, as a knowledgeable and responsible citizen, one can be part of the larger conversations that involve the state and the nation.

Benefits Of Reading Newspapers- Reading Habit

Newspapers allow you to cultivate the habit of reading every day. It is well known that reading voraciously has numerous benefits. Besides providing essential knowledge, reading newspapers is also a great hobby, which can boost brain connectivity, enhance reasoning capabilities, improve vocabulary, interpersonal skills, reduce stress, and aid sleep.

Ways To Help You Start Reading The Paper

Learning To Love The Newspaper

It is important to know what is happening around the world, no matter where you are, or what you do. But many students may find reading a newspaper tedious, which makes developing the habit of reading a newspaper a challenge. A lot of students today are often carried away by distractions, while not realising how beneficial and productive reading a daily newspaper can be. So, what can we do to instil this habit?

Develop The Zeal

The key to success is determination. To satisfy that unsatiated thirst for knowledge, newspapers are relied upon for worldwide information. Develop a passion within yourself for learning about what is happening in your country, and in the world. You can be a responsible citizen and work toward resolving issues you know are prevalent in society, if you are aware of them. It keeps you informed and enables you to participate in discussions on world affairs.

Create A Routine

Get into the habit of reading the newspaper every morning by creating a routine. It might seem tough and gloomy in the beginning, but stay dedicated. For instance, you may start reading for 10–15 minutes after breakfast. Make sure that you commit to reading only for a shorter time in the beginning, since committing to a longer time for reading might seem too demanding. In time, it could be slowly increased as you acquire the habit, but don't rush too quickly.

Make It Happen - The 21-day Magic

It takes rhythm and consistency to build any habit. When you start reading a newspaper, you need to make sure that you remain regular in your reading. You might find yourself disinterested at first, but your task is to overcome this reluctance. To make something a habit, you should do it every day for 21 consecutive days without missing a beat, and without any doubt in your mind.

Make It A Group Activity

Studies show that groups formed with like-minded individuals are more likely to succeed. Create a group with friends or join a community online. Identify a time that works best for everyone to develop the habit of reading together as a team. Participate in group discussions and exchange information with others. Conducting activities as part of this can also help you network with other people.

No Need To Cover Everything In The Paper

Newspapers contain a lot of important information. You don't need to cover everything in the newspaper, instead, start with topics that interest you. Is it sports, politics, editorial, science, technology, entertainment, current affairs, or national affairs? By reading your favourite section first, you will gain a boost of energy to read all the other sections, thereby making the newspaper more enjoyable to read.

Pay Attention To The Headlines

The headlines summarise the content. Take the time to read the headings on the page and decide which one appeals to you. Scan through the first paragraph as a next step, and if it interests you, continue reading. The primary goal here is to read only what interests you. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to headlines before deciding the significance of any given piece of information.

The Fun Side To The Paper

There is also a fun side to newspapers, ranging from sudoku, to crosswords, to quizzes, to horoscopes. While you read the parts of the paper that interest you, you may also engage in a few of these fun activities. This will increase your engagement with the newspaper, as well as make reading it an enjoyable activity. Boost the fun of reading the newspaper by solving crosswords and sudoku puzzles.

Write About What You Read Each Day

Write a blog or article about what you learned by reading the newspaper that day. It is one way of keeping you interested in your new endeavour. You can also create infographics and share them online. Many people do not find the time to read the newspaper, but may glance at your write-up when they are on their way to work, or when they have some free time. It will not only improve your knowledge, but will also make it easier for you to relate and connect to others who often discuss politics and current events.

Most of us think that Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites provide enough information to notify us about the world, so why invest time reading newspapers? But, as we know, the benefits of reading newspapers go beyond just keeping yourself up-to-date. As a premier source for the dissemination of important data, timetables, advertisements, course schedules, examinations, competitions, scholarships, etc, it is a treasure trove. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself if that's not your thing, just take the first step and commit to 15 minutes each day in your routine. We are sure you will begin to love reading it, soon, once you begin. Happy reading!

Yashodhra Arora is a counselling psychologist. She holds more than 10 years of hands-on experience in HR, and behavioural and career counselling of high school students, in India and the USA.