By Megan Shinner | Advice Editor
As January assessments are (hopefully) coming to a close, you’ve found yourself with a bit more free time on your hands. You’d like to get back into reading but you’re feeling so drained from all those sources you’ve just read for your essays. The TBR pile is getting bigger by the day from your impulse book buys after promising yourself that this is the book that would get you back into your old reading habits. Below are some tips to finally break that reading slump!
Start Small
Books can seem quite overwhelming and such a commitment when we look at the outside, which is probably half the battle you’re facing. It takes time to get to grips with the characters, plot, location – it’s quite an exhausting thought sometimes. If the whole process of reading a book seems a little too much – just start smaller! There are plenty of brilliant books out there for less than 200 pages, from classics to comedies. However, if a book is still feeling too long, try reading a magazine or an online blog about a topic you like. Once you’ve got the ball rolling, you’ll be away!
Try Mood Reading
As daunting as that ever-growing tower of TBR books may look, the last thing you want to do is try and force yourself to read something just because the 3-month-ago version of you thought it was interesting. By all means, if there is something there that you want to read – go for it! If not, perhaps it’s time to change your genre? If you’re fed up with crime thrillers, try a romance. If you don’t want to delve into fiction just yet, try a psychology book or an autobiography by one of your favourite celebrities. Reading shouldn’t be a chore, and you should enjoy what you are committing to. Find something fun and engaging and you’ll be good to go.
Try an Audio Book
If struggling to focus seems to be the issue, try an audiobook. This way, you don’t have to sit down and dedicate a chunk of time to one thing. Audiobooks give you the freedom to potentially go on a walk or clean your room whilst also diving into a book. One thing is for certain – your multitasking skills will be put to the test! There are some great sites and apps that offer free trials or the first few books for free so you can see if audiobooks are more your thing.
Set a Regular Goal
You know what they say – practice makes perfect! Set yourself a daily reading goal to get back into the habit. A good starting place could be just 10 pages, or a chapter a day. A good time to do this could be just as you wake up or just before you head off to bed, to either create a relaxing start to the day or to wind down from a very busy one! You may even want to head to a park (if it’s not too cold!) and set a 30-minute timer so you’ve hit your reading goal and managed to spend some time outside that day. Discipline is the best way to solidify a habit and by starting small, you are sure to get to where you want to be.
Add Comment