TeamReading can inspire you, make you experience new worlds, and teach you valuable lessons. How to find the time to read though? When something becomes your habit, you find the time for it, even if it means scheduling a specific time of the day that you dedicate to reading. Here are 10 ways to get yourself to read more often:
1. Always carry a book with you.
Carry a book with you wherever you go. Most likely, you will encounter plenty of opportunities to read. Maybe you’ll read on the bus to work, or while you wait at the dentist’s. Don’t always have room for a hardcover in your bag? Carry books on your phone! Reading a book on your phone can be a much better way of spending time than scrolling through social media.
2. Start or join a book club.
Turn reading into a social activity by joining a book club. It’s one of the best ways to get yourself to read more often, and it also lets you meet you new people and hear their thoughts and recommendation. Getting to talk about the book with other people who’ve read it makes reading more fun! You can also start your own book club and it can take place online over Zoom if you want to include people from all around the world.
3. Stop reading when you don’t like the book.
Don’t keep reading a book just because you feel like you must finish it once you’ve started. It’s okay to stop reading a book that simply doesn’t hold your attention. Sometimes, a book can surprise you and you can get to like it after reading a bit more. However, if after 50 pages you don’t like the book, close it and open another one. There are more books in the world than you could read in a lifetime, so don’t waste time on those that you don’t enjoy reading.
4. Skip the pages and don’t read word to word.
It’s also okay not to give a book your full attention. You don’t have to read word to word and feel free to even skip pages as well. You’re reading for your own personal pleasure, so you decide what the rules are. Don’t feel guilty about skipping pages or not reading word to word. After all, there are parts that might be irrelevant to you, and it’s okay to skip them to get to what serves you.
5. Listen to audiobooks.
One of the ways to get yourself to read more often is to listen to audiobooks. This allows you to enjoy storytelling while multitasking. You can listen to an audiobook instead of music during many everyday things. Listen to an audiobook in the car on the drive to work, in the gym while you work out, or in your home while you’re cleaning the house.
6. Read several books at the same time.
Reading several books at once gives you the possibility to switch to another book when the first one gets boring. You can read different genres at the same time, and choose based on your mood. Don’t read more than three books at once, but three different ones will always give you something to look forward to reading.
7. Have a reading nook.
Having a quiet, cozy space for reading is one of the best ways to get yourself to read more often. All you need are a comfy chair and good lighting and you have a reading nook that will make reading time to relax, not a boring chore. Make sure that you are comfortable in your special space for reading and you will read more.
8. Have a reading list ready.
You could spend hours searching for the perfect book and end up picking the wrong one. So, have a reading list ready. Write down the titles that you want to read and cross them off the list one by one. When you finish one book, you’ll know which one to read next right away, so you’ll be more likely to pick that book up as soon as you’re done with the first one.
9. Remove any distractions.
You need peace and quiet to enjoy reading, so make sure that there are no distractions. Close your door and make sure that there are no external noises. It would also be a good idea to turn off your phone or leave it on silent in another room so that you wouldn’t get distracted by it.
10. Get some context.
In the end, keeping up with online content that the authors provide, reading the synopsis, and watching book trailers can motivate you to discover the world of a new book. Get some context before deciding what to read and you’ll read more!
