How I fell back in love with reading
Practical steps to keep the magical artform from disappearing from your everyday.
I look back fondly on the years as a kid when I used to reach for a book with ease. No phones, no games consoles, limited tv time. Sitting on my beanbag and read for hours. Pure bliss. This was of course short-lived. The older I got, the less I read. Life got busy, I was studying more, I couldn’t find books I liked… sound familiar to your own story?
After talking to lots of my peers around my age I realised very few of them actually read. Being a Generation Zer, I recognise this is an increasingly normalised thing. We have the biggest amount of access to knowledge but we are lacking the focus. Often known as ‘The Paradox of Choice’, we have too many options compared to previous generations and therefore often go for the easiest one that brings the most short-term pleasure. Reading rarely fits in there due to the lack of dopamine it provides compared to something like scrolling on Instagram.
Coming to understand this I spent the last year delving deep into trying to get back into reading. I had to move from reading to being a chore and something completely foreign in my every day to implement it into my day-to-day routine.
Not going to lie it was tough, but now I believe I have formed some good habits. I’m not the quickest reader but can quite comfortably finish around 2 books a month which to me feels like a great accomplishment. Here are my learnings from the process:
№1: You need to pick something you actually want to read
This is easily the most critical step. Books are a long commitment. You can easily be reading one book for 10+ hours. Don’t just pick something everyone says you have to read. Feel free to drop a comment with some of your favourite books or let me know if you need a recommendation.
Most of us are probably guilty of stubborn reader syndrome. We pick a bad book and then end up never picking it up or reading one or two pages every so often. This stops us from reading the stuff we really want and ultimately prevents us from falling in love with reading as a whole.
№2: Stop reading books if you aren’t enjoying them
If a book is hard work to get through just stop it. Simple.
№3: Bring a book with you everywhere
You wonder why you have 6 hours on your phone screen time. It’s because it's on you 24/7. Switch that habit for reading and you’ve easily got yourself some time to read. I love myself a little read in a coffee shop, bus, or just as a break from work. It definitely takes some time to get used to and you may get self-conscious about pulling out a book in public but after a while, it will become second nature. If I don’t have a book at hand I tend to just reach for my phone. Get used to always having a book.
№4: Set aside time to read
Despite reading at short intervals through the day as I mentioned in the previous point, this doesn’t allow you to really get into a book.
Everyone always inevitably tries to get into reading or doing more at some point in their life. The myth is that you’ll naturally just go to do it but as it is so much slower than most things in our bustling life it just doesn’t seem appealing.
To start with you’ll read slowly, you’ll find it hard to concentrate and you definitely won’t do it naturally.
Start with just 10 minutes each day. Commit to that for a week. You can do more but you have to do it for at least 10 minutes each day. That’s not hard right?
The more you put time aside consistently in your day. The more you’ll get into the various stories and narratives. The quicker you’ll get through books and you’ll enjoy the process more.
№5: Work out how your books can go further
What I mean by this is to do something with that knowledge or story that you spent time taking in. Books are often years or lifetimes of hard work and effort so don’t think you can remember it all. Write books down.
Notetaking is a great motivator for me reading books, it allows me to keep all my knowledge and have a blog post too. This is one of the main reasons I don’t enjoy kindles. I love engaging with the book- doodling, highlighting, and making notes. This is all a really fun part of the reading process.
But if writing isn’t your thing no worries, maybe start a book club or just chat to your friends about a book. This allows you to fully appreciate the art form and think about the book beyond just the time looking at the words.
When you don’t feel like picking up the book you’ve also got some external pressure to do it. If you want someone to give you a bit of accountability to finish that book collecting dust, feel free to reach out in the comments. Tough love is never a bad thing!
№6: Understand the benefits of reading
Reading of course is good. You're doing it now! But in comparison to doing other things, it is often not prioritised. I looked deep into the benefits of reading and it shocked me.
Reading reduces stress, anxiety, and diseases. It also builds intelligence, communication skills, and memory. Additionally, it helps with sleep too.
When recognising these I felt more of an urge to read and contributes to my wanting to better myself. Now it’s a habit I now feel better about myself and enjoy the process of reading a lot more.
№7: Challenge yourself
When you have completed your first book or two reading then becomes this sort of game (Maybe that’s just me?). I love setting myself challenges to read a certain amount of pages, books and write notes about them.
Similarly, I love pushing the boat out and reading something completely random every so often. So recently I’ve gotten really into Japanese authors, so every month or two order a random book I know nothing about and read it. I may not love it but it brings excitement to the reading process.
If you don’t like putting pressure on yourself like that just mixing up where you read can be good, maybe you can join Goodreads and challenge yourself to do a short review, or who knows even start a book community.
Spice up the reading experience and challenge yourself.
№8: Get inspired
I often feel inspired or excited to read when I’m around fellow readers. I love visiting bookshops for this reason. You’re surrounded by an abundance of books and it motivates you simply due to the fact you want to justify the 5 new books you’ve just purchased.
A cost-effective equivalent of this is reading book reviews, blogs, or watching book Youtubers. I find myself gaining insights I never knew before and get excited to read again and see whether I agree/ disagree with the blogger.
The more you understand the benefits and see fellow people regularly reading the more it normalises the habit. I look forward to chatting about books with friends, sharing insights, and lending books. It’s a brilliant cycle.
Ultimately we are in an age where content is getting faster and attention spans are getting shorter so books may seem outdated. If you’ve got it this far you are probably part of the elite few who thinks that’s nonsense. I’d love to hear if you agree with my takeaways and maybe hear some of your own ways you stay excited and motivated to read.
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, I’ve got to go now though- I’ll be in my reading chair if you need me.
“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” — Oscar Wilde