There’s no doubt that reading has an outsized impact on brain development and intellectual growth. My parents are both educated, and they made a point to try to cultivate this love of reading in my life growing up. I’m not sure when they instituted “reading time,” but it was early enough that it stands out as a hallmark of my childhood.

The concept of “reading time” was simple enough. Each evening, after dinner and before bed, the house would be quiet and we’d all spend time reading a book. We normally did this in our rooms, and I think that it was usually for about half an hour.

As with most things that parents try to teach their kids, it took some time for those seeds to be ready to harvest. I did read in college, but not nearly as much as I should have. I graduated and thankfully, we don’t need to pay for classes in order to keep learning; the library is free!

I’m on my way back to integrating reading into my daily life. It’s a challenge because I have about four hours a day when I’m awake and the kids are asleep. Two of those hours are in the evening. That means that I have an hour to spend with Alison and an hour to read. I’ve found that on the nights where I read in the hour immediately before bed, I have no trouble falling asleep and have generally a good quality of sleep.

There’s something else that’s really great about reading. There’s no better way to spend your time than quietly working your way through a book. Plus, the feeling when you pass page 100 is always amazing! I never walk away from a period of reading feeling depressed or despondent. In fact, even if the book isn’t particularly uplifting, I feel satisfied with how I spent my time.

What you consume affects your wellness. By choosing to read instead of lazily surfing the internet or looking at my phone while “watching” TV, I end up in a better place emotionally and intellectually.

I love financial books, military history, and espionage stories. Read what you love and enjoy the lasting benefits of having invested your time in improving yourself.