It’s that time of year
for resolutions – go to the gym regularly, eat healthily, read more! I never
have a problem with the latter, those that know me personally also know I’ve
always got a book in my bag and at least a couple or more on the go at home.
I cannot imagine my life
without reading. Books have been part of it for as long as I can remember - the
first place I was allowed to go to on my own was my local public library and
I’ve been visiting them ever since. However,
I know that many people struggle with finding the time to read. It’s not that
they don’t want to, they’re aware of the benefits of reading but just never
seem to get round to doing it on a consistent basis. Life is busy, other
commitments take over and you sort of get out of the reading habit.
So, a few tips and
suggestions on how to create a reading routine and make it a regular part of
your life:
·
Make it easy
to read. Surround yourself with reading material – this includes magazines and
journals as well as books – and leave them where you’ll pick them up. I have
books and magazines by my bed, in the car, the living room and kitchen. This
means if I find myself with a spare 10 minutes or so I read. The book in the bag
gets read at the dentist (or, more recently, at my blood donating session), the
book in the car gets read when I’m waiting to pick up the grandchildren after
an activity, the magazine in the kitchen gets read when dinner needs another 5
minutes.
I can happily have several books on the go at one time as long as they’re
different genres - though I once made the mistake of reading two timeslip books
together and got horribly confused! But I know many people can only read one
book at a time and if this happens to be a large chunky hardback, it’s unlikely
you’ll want to carry it around so track down some short stories or non-fiction
that you can dip into. Or use an e-book reader.
·
Set yourself
a goal. What do you want to achieve? One book per month, a certain number of
books in a year? Twenty minutes of reading per day? Be realistic about this and
make sure you don’t turn reading into a chore by adding pressure but having a challenge
can sometimes give you the motivation you need.
·
A reading
routine also helps. Designate a specific time for reading and stick to it; mark
it in the diary and set your alarm. A lot of people read before bed – and it’s
a great time to do it as it relaxes you and lowers your blood pressure before
you to switch off but if you find yourself falling asleep after a paragraph or
two it might be better to carve out another slot during the week. Brushing your
teeth for 2 minutes twice a day? You don’t have to look at yourself in the mirror,
you could easily read instead. Or wrap yourself in a large towel after the
shower and read for 10 minutes while you dry naturally!
·
Keep a
reading diary. I use Goodreads to note not only what I’ve read but also books I
want to read (I should add that the want-to-read list grows much faster than
the have-read list) but there are others available, such as Bookly and
Storygraph. It doesn’t have to be online though; it could simply be a notebook
in which you jot down the book details and (if you want to) give it a short
review or marks out of five. Tracking your reading can help with motivation
especially if you don’t think you’re accomplishing much. But, again, this
should not become a chore – the worst thing you can do is to insist students
write a review on every book they’ve read and the same goes for adults.
·
Rereading
counts. Audio books count. E-books count. Gardening books, cookery books,
travel books count. The sort of reading I’m talking about here is “reading for
pleasure”, your personal reading, not something you HAVE to do. Sometimes the
things that you should read, such as professional journals for CPD or books for
studying/work, you may also enjoy (I do and I can’t be the only person who
does) but to get into that regular habit, your reading should definitely be a
pleasurable activity. This means finding something to read that you “want” to
pick up as you’re more likely to carry on with it.
·
Whilst we’re
on the topic of reading being personal, I should add that it’s okay not to
finish a book (DNF as it’s known). In the past I would read a book I wasn’t
enjoying until the bitter end. I now stop and move onto the next one. I’ve
realised that there are way too many books I want to read (and that’s not
counting any new ones being published or authors I haven’t discovered yet) and
I won’t have the time to read them all.
Also, accept that you will not like every book that’s been written. It may be
that the book you’re trying to read just isn’t the right one at this moment
and, if you go back to it later, you’ll really appreciate it. Or it could just
be it’s a style of writing you don’t enjoy or it has characters you can’t
connect with or the story doesn’t grab you. If you try to keep reading it, the
likelihood is that you’ll give up. Or that it takes you so long to finish the
book you won’t pick up another for fear of the same thing happening again. I do
wonder if this is why some children and young people stop reading? They try
book after book after book, never finishing them because they just haven’t
found the “right book at the right time” and getting little enjoyment from the
process.
·
I’ve found
that there’s always an exception. With regards to the above point, there have
been times when I’ve continued to read a book that I’m not particularly
enjoying and that’s when it’s been on a book group list. Being part of a book
community can be another way to get into that reading routine – it’s not much
point being part of the group if you don’t read the book as you can’t join in
the discussions so this can add a sense of commitment to your reading. Explore
both in-person and online book groups. I’ve yet to find a group where I look at
the book list and want to read everything but I’ve discovered quite a few
authors over the years and have read books I thought I’d hate yet ended up
loving them. Also, if you struggle with choosing something to read, a book
group list can provide an easy option.
·
Find a
reading buddy or maybe somebody who could be a reading role model. This can be
a good option if you can’t find a local book group or your commitments preclude
you from meeting up with them as you can be more flexible. They could be a
friend or even work colleague. You can decide what book to read together and
arrange a date to discuss it – either in person or online. Check regularly to
see how the other person is doing as this helps provide impetus to keep reading
and if neither of you like the book, choose another one. I often recommend to
students who are friends that they might like to read the same book together
and a surprising number jump at the idea. If you do know somebody who’s an avid
reader, ask them for suggestions, something they’ve read that you might enjoy
and that you can discuss with them. Readers usually love talking about books!
·
Think about
where you read. As I said, I read anywhere and everywhere but it can help to
establish a routine if you have a reading space. Somewhere that your brain
connects with reading as this makes it easier to get into that habit. Find a
comfortable chair with good lighting. Make sure there are no distractions so
put your phone out of reach or in another room. Have your book nearby. The
brain will eventually make the links so that when you sit in the chair, you’ll
automatically pick up that book.
·
If you’ve
really got into a reading slump and nothing seems to inspire then think about
what you’ve enjoyed in the past and seek out books in the same genre or read
something linked with your interests/hobbies – I can happily spend a couple of
hours browsing travel or art books. Look in your local library – mine has
displays of new titles, popular books, TikTok books and an author of the month
for inspiration. Also start small – this is probably not the time to pick up a 700-page
novel or a literary classic – an article of around 1500 words has a beginning
and an end and doesn’t take long to read. Just like this blog!
The above suggestions are
aimed at adults who would like to try and read more but most of them are
applicable to students as well and, at a time when reading enjoyment levels are
decreasing amongst children and young people (National
Literacy Trust research reported that just 1 in 3 children and young people
enjoyed reading in their free time), it’s important to encourage reading for
pleasure as much as possible.
