When was the last time you read a book, or a substantial online article? Do your daily reading habits streetch no further than tweets, mundane Facebook updates, or the cooking instructions of ready meals? If you’re one of countless people who refuse to make a habit of reading regularly, you might be missing out: reading fiction has all sorts of advantages. 

For a start, several studies reveal that reading fiction improves empathy and nakes us more likely to suspend judgement of different values and participate in compassionate behaviour. A more recent study published in  2013 in the journal Brain Connectivity found that reading fiction improves the reader's ability to put themselves in another person’s shoes and flex the imagination. And this, in turn, improves theory of mind. The stories of Cinderella and Snow White are more than just fairytales read to us when we were young: these have moulded our early concepts of what is right and wrong.

Through reading fiction, our imagination blossoms. Literary fiction is an incredible example of art because it allows remarkable room for individual interpretation. With expanded creativity, you discover new ideas that can take any idea to the next level.

More than just arousing our imaginations, it is also by reading books such as Jane Austen’s novels that I have found myself, and in the process realised my true emotions, as well as my wants and needs. When we read, the fetters of social pressure are released, and we find ourselves looking at life in the perspective we’ve always believed to be true but hidden from ourselves and others. Reading helps us to discern our most important priorities including goals for personal improvement.

Reading can provide us with a sense of calm in just a few minutes. A 2009 study by the University of Sussex has revealed that by reading for six minutes, it can help us reduce our stress levels by up to 68 percent, which could be because our minds begin to wander and relax.

Still, I have to give credit to non-fiction works too because it is from them that we gain knowledge. In textbooks I learned to appreciate the science behind human behaviour. However, it is fiction which reveals wisdom, or the ability to apply knowledge, through exposure to various intricate and imagined situations.

Curling up with a captivating novel now and then may not help us gain “practical knowledge”, but it should remain a part of our lives. In an increasingly utilitarian, technology-oriented society, fiction has become ever more relevant. It is more relevant than non-fiction because it possesses the ability to make us humans. Even if you're not an avid reader, reading fiction can activate your creativity, increase your levels of empathy, make you a better speaker and much more.