Since I got into reading I've been reading around 30 books a year, but the last couple of years I've been way below that, probably haven't read 10 books a year now.
I'm finding it hard to just pick up my book and read whenever I get the chance, and with having such a huge collection of unread books I'm always thinking about what to read next etc rather than just focusing on my current read.
What do you guys do to help when this happens? I have no problem when it comes to listening to audiobooks when I'm driving in work, it's just the reading at home and breaks etc that I'm struggling with at the moment.
by TheSithNord
11 Comments
My reading habit waxes and wanes. I just roll with it.
Stop counting the number of books you read. It serves no purpose and seems to be making you self-conscious.
I take days off from life and do reading days. literally read all day 💀🤘 I’ve read 3 books in 2 days this week.
I got Libby as an app on my phone and now when I’m messing around on my phone I think “hey wait a minute, I could be reading”. Also when I’m in a long line, or waiting outside the doctor’s office or trying to kill 30 minutes before leaving. All that little time adds up
I experienced this a couple years ago. I started slowly by setting a timer for 5 minutes each day to read bc i know i had at least 5 minutes to spare and it felt less like an obligation bc it was for a short time. I also would turn my phone on dnd and set it away from me during this time. I did this every day until i felt like 5 minutes wasn’t long enough. Slowly but surely my reading mojo came back and i looked forward to my reading time each day. I don’t use the timer anymore but i think i would use this again if i needed.
Don’t overthink it. Sometimes I read 20 books per year, sometimes I lazily go through a 500 page book over the course of 6 months.
I usually start my day with reading a few minutes while having my coffee and breakfast. It adds up. I also usually read in bed at night. It’s a good way to disconnect from the stresses of the day and calm down for sleep.
Set your phone down in a different room. Wind down a bit before picking up the book, such as having dinner first (without a screen) before cracking one open.
One thing I do is trade in used books to buy new ones. This only applies for physical books, but it also means that I feel rewarded for completing books, and my reward is more books!
Most importantly though, make sure you aren’t trying to force yourself to read to hit a goal for the year. You might end up turning a passion into a chore.
Do you have an easy read/guilty pleasure genre? I always pick up one of these when I get into a slump – it’s like a reminder of the fun of reading!
Try going on a diet of whatever it is that you keep doing instead of reading for a few weeks, and see if you start reading more. Once a habit is established, it’s easier to maintain.
I just decided to stop looking at streaming entertainment . I generally do this in the evening anyway, and it always gets me amped up and agitated and I don’t sleep as well. Now I am reading more.
I agree not tracking it is better for me too! It doesn’t really matter, you don’t track how many movies you watched or stress about your… tbw?
Books are there for you to enjoy when you are in the mood! TBR list is just a list of potential future enjoyments.
For how to actually read more…
I find I read less when I am stressed, over worked. (I also watch less movies and other hobbies suffer) This is due to brain fatigue. So if you are just having brain fatigue (which often looks like endless scrolling, indecision, being couch-locked sifting through Netflix but not picking anything, etc) then try to fix the source of it if you can.
Easier said than done, but if you are constantly living at burn-out brain fog after work, it’s worth the pain of changing something to save more brain energy for your free time.
If your brain is energized and you still need a little push to read more, what always works for me is to go park myself outside on a sunny day. Beach, river side, back yard etc. always gets me at least a couple good hours of reading.
I think trying to hit a quota probably sucks the fun out of it and makes it a chore. Just follow your muse and read what you want at a pace that keeps it fun for you