Once we leave college and are no longer required to slog through endless books for our grades, oftentimes reading falls by the wayside. With a busy life and career, who has time to crack open a book at the end of the day?

Strengthens writing skills

Writing skills matter in the work place. Even if you're not in an office job that requires you to make presentations at every meeting, writing skills are an asset. Powerful writing skills can help you write a concise email to your boss, troubleshoot problems in the workplace, or document injuries and other concerns.

Strong writing skills come in part from reading. The more you read, the stronger your writing skills become.

Helps you think better

Even if all you read is fiction, you will probably at some point find the analytically part of your brain going to work on the latest story you read. Reading makes us think more, expands our horizons, and can even be a transformative experience. 

 These same critical thinking skills can be used in the workplace, helping you critique projects before they are submitted to your boss, and helping you to divide up projects bit by bit.

 It reduces stress

A study conducted by the University of Sussex found that reading reduced stress levels in 68% of the people tested. That's a significant amount of people. Stress can compromise how we perform in the workplace, make us sick, and even kill us. When you're stress free, you're able to focus on getting your job done and being a productive employee.

The next time you feel guilty about stealing away to read that juicy novel you picked up months ago, set your feelings aside and get those pages turning. Your career will thank you.