There are far more health benefits to the act of reading than learning about new subjects or letting go of your imagination. Interestingly, reading fiction is just as healthy for your brain as reading nonfiction. So, whether you are reading for fun or for personal development, know that reading has physical and emotional health benefits, no matter what material you are consuming. So, crack open that romance novel, detective thriller, or self-help book knowing you’re doing your brain good.

Reading reduces stress.

Research from the University of Sussex in 2009 found that reading reduces stress by 68%. In fact, reading was found to be more stress-relieving than reading or listening to music. Researchers speculate this is because reading invites you into another world, allowing your brain to become absorbed in an entirely different subject or series of events in the present moment.

Reading helps to connect disparate ideas.

This may sound like a given, but it’s worth noting: Reading improves the vocabulary of children as well as adults. The more you read, especially if you read a wider range of genres, the more your vocabulary grows.

Fiction leads to more creativity.

Some of the best self-help advancements can actually come from what you learn inside a novel: Reading fiction can make you a better, more open-minded thinker.

Reading increases one’s understanding.

Be it social media, the 24-hour media cycle, or anything else, opinion has become quite divisive lately. It can feel like we are constantly being pitted against each other, and that on every issue we need to not only take sides, but also judge the person on the opposite side. We are losing our ability to see other perspectives and potentially empathize or connect with others who do not hold similar views.