Books are essentially portals to new, unique worlds and they are a good companion when you start to love reading. Reading fiction or nonfiction books paves the way for new imagination and knowledge but consistently doing it requires commitment, which is more difficult to acquire than it sounds. However, fret not! There are ways to help push you towards reading more frequently and we are here to help you.
1. Set goals and know the reasons why you want to read more
To start off, try setting small goals as to why you want to read consistently! It’s easier to pursue reading more when you have an end goal. Do you want to improve your knowledge in an area you’re interested in? Or do you just want to have interesting topics to talk about with your friends? Reading holds a lot of benefits and it’s not just a great hobby to fill up your time. It is a workout for your brain as it trains your mind’s ability to focus and increases your attention span.
If you’re a writer, then it’s essential for you to read frequently to hone your writing craft. Reading other works by different authors not only improves your language but helps you to practice the art of analyzing. Annotate and highlight parts that make the storyline great and try to emulate the techniques in your own creative ways in your writing.
If you like a bit of a challenge and have the need for public accountability to help with consistent reading, then it’s best to set a reading goal. Goodreads’s annual reading challenge is a fun way to track how much you’ve been reading with friends. Here’s an example of the 2021 Reading Challenge on Goodreads. You should put a realistic reading goal that you know you could manage to do. Take baby steps and set around 10-30 books to finish this year. With an attainable goal in mind, you’ll feel motivated to read more books.
2. Pick an easy book first
To read more, it doesn’t mean that you have to read super thick and complex books like Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. We’ve all been there where we would stop reading a book halfway through because it was not to our liking. This can be quite discouraging. So, our advice is to start choosing easy read books! Pick up easy books to read like a thin novel or a collection of short stories. The beauty of great short stories and thin novels is that they are usually concise, fast-paced, and only require one to three sittings to finish them. The satisfaction of finishing a book no matter how thin it is, is enough to propel you into the habit! Slowly and surely, you will start to feel more encouraged to read thicker books.
You can also dive into graphic novels that have beautiful illustrations to keep up the energy for reading. They are drastically becoming more popular among teens and adults alike because they are short and do not require much time to finish reading them. We suggest graphic novels when you are looking for something light with illustrations that attract you to read. Graphic novels like Art Spiegelman’s Maus have exciting and rich plots that are fast-paced and can keep readers on the edge of their seats.
3. Replace Netflix series with books
We can’t deny that there are just too many good series on Netflix that we need to watch and join the hype. Binge-watching a new show is a guilty pleasure that most people enjoy which translates into less reading time. If you’re a hybrid of a bookworm and an avid binge-watcher, it’s best to find a balance between your two interests.
When you realize that you’re reading less and less, try to read a book at a time where you’d find yourself binge-watching like while you’re eating lunch or before going to bed. As you change your medium of entertainment from TV shows or movies to books, you’ll find yourself wanting to read books more often. What sounds more relaxing than reading a book cozily in your blanket with a cup of hot chamomile tea?
4. Always carry a book or have ebooks and audiobooks on your phone
Bookworms always carry a book with them wherever they go and there’s a good reason behind this habit. It’s because having a book with them at all times encourages them to read more and consistently when they have time! And since ebooks are easily available now, you can just download or purchase them on your gadgets.
Read every time you have spare time to kill; while waiting in a long queue or when you’re on public transport. Translate that time wasted by scrolling through social media to reading time. It may not be much time but at least you’ve read something and activated your brain to exercise.
However, if you’re more of a listening person, we suggest you listen to audiobooks! From poetry to short novellas, there are a variety of audiobooks to choose from platforms such as Audible and Audiobooks. Audiobooks are increasingly popular these days because of their convenience. You can listen to them wherever you are or while doing anything like chores. It’s just easier to listen to someone else reading a book to you while you rest on the couch or driving.
5. Re-read books that you enjoy
Many bookworms have fallen prey to the unbearable void of the reading slump. It is a period where even a page of a book seems like an impossible feat. This setback will clearly leave those TBRs of yours dusty on the bookshelves. If you ever find yourself feeling this, pick up a book that you’ve read and loved! The joys of revisiting a book that you love will open up your heart to delve into more different worlds.
You don’t have to force yourself to read genres that genuinely don’t interest you. Not every book is meant for you. Don’t waste your reading time by pressuring yourself to finish a book that makes you bored. Immerse yourself in topics and plots that catch your attention and in return, you will enjoy the process of reading more than ever!
6. Set a reading time
Make it a habit to squeeze in reading time in your daily schedule and create a distraction-free environment. It doesn’t have to be the same time every day for the rest of your life and it is better to change it regularly as you see fit to balance your other priorities. However, reading at least 30 minutes a day will help turn the intention to read more into an ingrained habit. Intentions are merely your thoughts and planning to do something, contrary to actually performing the plans.
Also, making reading a habit daily will shower you with tons of benefits! As research keeps demonstrating, reading increases one’s level of empathy, particularly through fiction. Fiction may help you to understand what others are feeling or thinking as you’ve been exposed to possible real-life interactions in a story. Additionally, reading a physical book before bed improves your sleep! Reading ebooks through a screen might not help as much because the electronic screen will make it harder for you to doze off but paperbacks hit differently. This is because reading a physical book proves to ease the mind and reduces stress which results in the release of melatonin; a hormone that helps people to sleep. When you struggle to sleep at night, try reading a few pages of a book.
So, it’s best if you adhere to your reading time and be firm with yourself. Cut out all distractions that might deter you from reading so that you can improve yourself physically and emotionally. Put your phone on silent mode and tuck it away slightly farther from your reading area. Treat yourself to a quiet time for peace of mind.
7. Get a friend to read the same book
One of the ways to get you pumped up to read a book is to get a close friend of yours to read the same book as you! Try to make sure it is a genre that you both can enjoy to elevate that element of excitement together. You can talk about a lot of things such as which character you love the most or how you both felt about the climax.
Nothing beats reading discussion other than doing it with your good friends. It is a bonding activity that will keep you closer because you both are experiencing a great or terrible adventure together. Reading books is one of the calming ways to slip you away from reality while reducing your stress level. These days, everything seems to be competing for your attention from work to chores and online meetings or classes and you could use a breather. What better way to do it than diving into a new made-up world with a good friend.
Good luck!
