9/20 (Sat.) Benefits of Reading & Do It Regularly (Host: Gavin)
發表於 : 週二 8月 19, 2025 9:25 pm
Do you know what benefits you can get from reading? 
Read this article and you will be amazed of the magical effects! Moreover, the fun of reading is also worth discussing. On the other hand, I agree so much on the mentioned tips to routinize a beneficial activity. The advice can be applied to not only reading but also anything you need. Let’s make 9/20 not only a meeting date but also the start point of a better life! 
Note:
Thanks to the modern technology, we can have broader definitions of reading. For example: audio books/E-books/Podcast/blog/vlog/lessons in APPs... . Incorporate those into the discussion if you prefer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I research and write about happiness, so every year before Jan. 1, I ask people, “What resolutions will you make this year?” With reliable frequency, people tell me, “I want to read more.” Perhaps that‘s not surprising. Most of us have the sense that reading is good for us–like getting enough sleep or eating more vegetables. And it’s absolutely true. Research shows that reading benefits mental health, gives us more empathy for others, mitigates stress, sharpens memory, helps us learn, and increases our tolerance for uncertainty (particularly useful these days). One study even showed that reading books helps us live longer.
But, to be honest, while I'm gratified to know that my favorite activity is good for me, I don't really care that it’s healthy. I read because it's fun. To me, reading is more fun than practically anything else. It's like listening to music or hiking–the benefits are great, but that's not why I do it. I've played hooky from work to finish a novel (Stephen King's The Stand). I've given 12 friends a copy of the same book (Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language). I've re-read the same novel 10 times, understanding it differently every time (Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway). I've picked up one novel by an author, then raced to read everything else that writer published (Octavia Butler's Wild Seed). My favorite thing to do on a Saturday or Sunday is to binge-read for hours. So, from a happiness-boosting perspective, it's both healthful and enjoyable to resolve to try to read more, but "I want to read more" isn't an effective way to frame that resolution. I love to read, and even someone like me benefits from setting habits around reading. So what's a better way to tackle that aim? Reading for at least 25 minutes every day in 2025 is the answer.
We're more likely to keep our resolutions when they're concrete and measurable. "No screens 6:00-9:00 p.m.” works better than "reduce my screen time." Also–and this may seem counterintuitive–it's often easier to keep a resolution when we do an action every day than when we do it sometimes. Habits form best when we do an activity often and consistently, so by reading for 25 minutes each day, we're more likely to make it a habit. Committing to doing something every day also eliminates the decision fatigue of asking ourselves, "Today or tomorrow?" "Do I deserve a day off?" "I'm traveling, do I have to do it?" Like brushing our teeth, reading can become a daily activity that doesn't spark any internal debate or procrastination.
An observation I've made over the years is that something that can be done at any time is often done at no time. By committing to 25 minutes of reading every single day for the year of 2025, we can make reading a regular habit. How many other ways can we reap so many extraordinary benefits–while also indulging in one of life’s greatest pleasures?
Excerpted and modified from Time https://time.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Session 1 (Benefits of Reading books/audio books/E-books/Podcast/blog/vlog/lessons in APPs):
a. “Reading benefits mental health, gives us more empathy, mitigates stress, sharpens memory, helps us learn, and increases our tolerance for uncertainty.”
With so many benefits listed, would you try to read more? Why or Why not?
b. “To me, reading is more fun than practically anything else.”
Have you ever felt enchanted when you read? What genres of books/specific books are you fond of?
c. Describe your own experiences of benefiting from reading. (For example, a way of making friends / calming yourself / enriching your imagination / learning practical skills …)
Session 2 (Do It Regularly):
d. “It's often easier to keep a resolution when we do an action every day than when we do it sometimes.”
What habits would you like to develop recently? Would you consider making a daily plan, or how will you discipline yourself?
e. “Something that can be done at any time is often done at no time.”
Do you prefer flexibility of choosing the timing to do something, or a specific schedule to avoid procrastination?
f. What routines do you keep and how do you benefit from them?
Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:20pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Short Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements
Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 4:00pm – 6:30pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $85)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘
Important Notes:
1. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
2. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three-minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion.
3. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely for three times. After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1000 lifetime membership fee, or NT$500 for students.
Read this article and you will be amazed of the magical effects! Moreover, the fun of reading is also worth discussing. On the other hand, I agree so much on the mentioned tips to routinize a beneficial activity. The advice can be applied to not only reading but also anything you need. Let’s make 9/20 not only a meeting date but also the start point of a better life! Note:
Thanks to the modern technology, we can have broader definitions of reading. For example: audio books/E-books/Podcast/blog/vlog/lessons in APPs... . Incorporate those into the discussion if you prefer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I research and write about happiness, so every year before Jan. 1, I ask people, “What resolutions will you make this year?” With reliable frequency, people tell me, “I want to read more.” Perhaps that‘s not surprising. Most of us have the sense that reading is good for us–like getting enough sleep or eating more vegetables. And it’s absolutely true. Research shows that reading benefits mental health, gives us more empathy for others, mitigates stress, sharpens memory, helps us learn, and increases our tolerance for uncertainty (particularly useful these days). One study even showed that reading books helps us live longer.
But, to be honest, while I'm gratified to know that my favorite activity is good for me, I don't really care that it’s healthy. I read because it's fun. To me, reading is more fun than practically anything else. It's like listening to music or hiking–the benefits are great, but that's not why I do it. I've played hooky from work to finish a novel (Stephen King's The Stand). I've given 12 friends a copy of the same book (Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language). I've re-read the same novel 10 times, understanding it differently every time (Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway). I've picked up one novel by an author, then raced to read everything else that writer published (Octavia Butler's Wild Seed). My favorite thing to do on a Saturday or Sunday is to binge-read for hours. So, from a happiness-boosting perspective, it's both healthful and enjoyable to resolve to try to read more, but "I want to read more" isn't an effective way to frame that resolution. I love to read, and even someone like me benefits from setting habits around reading. So what's a better way to tackle that aim? Reading for at least 25 minutes every day in 2025 is the answer.
We're more likely to keep our resolutions when they're concrete and measurable. "No screens 6:00-9:00 p.m.” works better than "reduce my screen time." Also–and this may seem counterintuitive–it's often easier to keep a resolution when we do an action every day than when we do it sometimes. Habits form best when we do an activity often and consistently, so by reading for 25 minutes each day, we're more likely to make it a habit. Committing to doing something every day also eliminates the decision fatigue of asking ourselves, "Today or tomorrow?" "Do I deserve a day off?" "I'm traveling, do I have to do it?" Like brushing our teeth, reading can become a daily activity that doesn't spark any internal debate or procrastination.
An observation I've made over the years is that something that can be done at any time is often done at no time. By committing to 25 minutes of reading every single day for the year of 2025, we can make reading a regular habit. How many other ways can we reap so many extraordinary benefits–while also indulging in one of life’s greatest pleasures?
Excerpted and modified from Time https://time.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Session 1 (Benefits of Reading books/audio books/E-books/Podcast/blog/vlog/lessons in APPs):
a. “Reading benefits mental health, gives us more empathy, mitigates stress, sharpens memory, helps us learn, and increases our tolerance for uncertainty.”
With so many benefits listed, would you try to read more? Why or Why not?
b. “To me, reading is more fun than practically anything else.”
Have you ever felt enchanted when you read? What genres of books/specific books are you fond of?
c. Describe your own experiences of benefiting from reading. (For example, a way of making friends / calming yourself / enriching your imagination / learning practical skills …)
Session 2 (Do It Regularly):
d. “It's often easier to keep a resolution when we do an action every day than when we do it sometimes.”
What habits would you like to develop recently? Would you consider making a daily plan, or how will you discipline yourself?
e. “Something that can be done at any time is often done at no time.”
Do you prefer flexibility of choosing the timing to do something, or a specific schedule to avoid procrastination?
f. What routines do you keep and how do you benefit from them?
Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:20pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Short Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements
Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 4:00pm – 6:30pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $85)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘
Important Notes:
1. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
2. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three-minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion.
3. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely for three times. After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1000 lifetime membership fee, or NT$500 for students.
