I love reading. I really do. In the past, I've devoured novels like One Indian Girl, The Kite Runner, and Oh Shit Not Again – couldn't put them down.
But recently? I bought 8-10 books that I was genuinely excited about, and I haven't even completed 20% of a single one. They're just sitting there, mocking me.
Here's what happens: I pick up a book (physical or digital), and immediately this voice in my head goes, "Why are you wasting time on a romance novel or some melancholic story? If you're going to read ANYTHING, shouldn't it be your textbooks? Something productive?"
And then… I don't read the novel. I don't read the textbooks either. I just end up scrolling on my phone for hours instead.
I'm stuck in this weird reading slump where I'm guilting myself out of reading for pleasure, but that guilt isn't actually motivating me to do anything productive. I'm just… paralyzed. And my phone has become this default escape.
Has anyone else experienced this? How did you break out of it?
I miss the feeling of being completely absorbed in a story. I miss actually FINISHING books. But I can't seem to give myself permission to just… read for fun anymore. Which book should I pick so that I can get rid of this.
Any advice would be really appreciated.
by OD29NEXUS
3 Comments
This is so relatable! It’s not just a “reading slump”; you’re describing “productivity guilt.” That inner voice is a trap. It guilts you out of reading for fun, but instead of making you productive, it just paralyzes you. The result is you don’t read the novel, you don’t read the textbook, and you default to scrolling—which is neither restful nor productive. You have to reframe this: reading for pleasure isn’t a waste of time, it’s active rest and the perfect antidote to mindless scrolling.
To break the cycle, start small. Try the 10-Minute Rule: just set a timer and read one of your new books for 10 minutes. No pressure. This is just to break the paralysis. As for which book to pick, don’t choose the “serious” one. You need an addictive “gateway drug” book. Given your past reads, pick the fastest-paced thriller or mystery from your pile. You need a plot so gripping it completely silences that guilt-voice and makes you forget you even have a phone.
Set a timer on your phone for how long you’d like to read for (and that’s realistic), and then put your phone to the other side of the room, on airplane mode lol
Lately because of the reading slumps I’ll go into, have decided to fully go back to using the public library and the Libby app. I only buy non-fiction books. But with the library/Libby I can check out and return books quickly and keep looking for something that sparks my interest and not feel guilty for having wasted money or needing to return anything.