How to read more

After a long day at work, or school, or just existing, not many of us have the willpower to sit down with a nice book and read for hours. Especially when it’s so tempting to simply scroll through Instagram or binge-watch on Netflix (which is absolutely fine too, I’m not judging!).

However, if your goal is to read more (often or more books), here are my top 6(+1) tips:

1. Make the most of ‘wasted’ time

Long commute on the train? Waiting at the doctor’s? It’s so easy to just grab your phone, but don’t (I know, what a great piece of advice that no-one else had thought of before!).

Instead, bring a book with you everywhere you go so you’ll be more likely to sneak in a couple of pages at random times throughout the day.

You can also use the time you spend stuck in traffic to listen to an audiobook. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet managed to keep my brain focused enough to enjoy audiobooks (and I also don’t really drive), but it’s something to work towards…

2. Practise mindfulness

What does mindfulness have to do with reading? Well, essentially, mindfulness is all about being aware of what’s happening around us, but having the ability to embrace distractions, rather than get overwhelmed by them.

These distractions can be internal – your brain just wanders off and you end up reading the same sentence 5 times. Or they can be external – people talking, washing machine running, or, my personal nightmare: the music you hear through someone else’s headphones, which somehow always sounds like they’re listening to the same song on repeat.

By practising mindfulness, with the help of apps like Calm or Headspace, you’re less likely to get distracted and more likely to focus on your book – no matter where you are!

3. Don’t be afraid to give up

Disclaimer: this tip may cause discomfort to those who tend to persevere with a book they absolutely hate!

I’m not proud of it, but, yes, I’ve given up on a few books in my life. Sometimes it’s simply because I didn’t like the book. More often than not, it was because a certain book was not right for me at that point in my life, but I ended up loving it when I gave it another go a few years later.

So, if you’re 50 pages into a book and you still don’t like it, simply put it away and pick up another book. You can always go back to your old book at a later time. If it’s still not engaging you, then don’t be afraid to accept that it might not be the right book for you.

4. Create a reading nook

And by nook I mean any large or small space you have available and can dedicate solely to reading. Make that space as cosy and inviting as possible and make sure you only use it for that purpose.

It can be anything from a specific tree in the park, to a whole room in your home (if you have a whole room just for your books, I am impressed, and a little bit jealous!).

For me, that nook is a big armchair in my living room, accessorised with a blanket, a lovely plush pillow and a floor lamp.

5. Avoid comparisons

If you’re on Goodreads, you’ve probably seen your friends year after year setting reading challenges of 100 books per year…and they’re currently on their 68th book…and it’s only February! OK, I’m exaggerating, but you know what I mean.

It’s natural to feel intimidated, or even envious of their reading “success”, but remember: it’s not a competition. Everyone is different and you should be setting your own goals – you know how much free time you can (or want to) dedicate to reading to fit in with your other hobbies and commitments.

Which brings me to tip #6…

6. Start slow

You know how it is – you promise yourself you’re going to wake up at 5am every morning and read for 3 hours before you start working.

This is an amazing goal, but if you currently wake up at 8am and read 2 books a year on average, then you might want to start slow and small.

Start by reading for 10 minutes a day the first week and slowly build up your reading time to as many hours as is realistic for you and your life.

Bonus tip – Add chocolate

Well, I wouldn’t be doing my blog any justice if I didn’t mention chocolate!

Reading is meant to be enjoyable, and what better way to enjoy a good book, and look forward to reading every day, than having a piece of delicious chocolate?