I’ve always enjoyed reading, but as my commitments have grown in number, I’ve found I have less time to spare and therefore less time to read.  However, I’ve discovered some easy techniques that have helped me get back into the habit of reading more and finish all the other stuff I need to do.

Six Tips to Get You Reading More

Reading Time

If you’re someone who wants to start reading more but somehow never has the time it’s a good idea to make reading part of your daily routine.  By setting aside a specific time in the day and dedicating it to reading, you’re more likely to actually do it.  Simply adding it to your diary, schedule, or calendar makes it official.  It also ensures that you don’t feel like you’re wasting time that could be spent doing something else because you’ve deliberately worked reading into your schedule.  You can always double up and do two things at once, such as have a coffee break and read, or have lunch and read, as long as reading is in your routine somewhere and you stick to it.

Always Have a Book

A good way to make sure you always have the opportunity to read is to bring a book with you wherever you go.  This way, whenever you have a spare moment you haven’t accounted for you can just whip out a book and start reading.  You won’t have to feel guilty that your time is going to waste because you’ll always be prepared.  It also means you won’t have any excuse not to read as you’ll always have a book on hand.  This is especially useful when travelling, rather than sitting on a bus or train or plain etc. doing nothing you can read, getting both your daily reading in and making the time go quicker as you have something to occupy yourself with.  Two birds with one stone.  You’ll be reading more than every before.

Different Mediums

It is always a good idea to vary your options and increase the number of opportunities you have to start reading more.  By using different mediums as well as the tradition book, such as eBooks and audio books, you can spend even more of your time reading more.  When you’re busy with menial or physical tasks like cleaning, cooking, exercising, commuting etc. you can listen to an audio book to help pass the time and make whatever you’re doing more enjoyable.  This is an easy way to get through books and tasks quicker.  EBooks are great because of how portable they are, if you’re going somewhere and don’t have enough space to pack a physical book an eBook is a practical alternative as they’re stored on your phone or a kindle etc.

It’s also good to read different mediums so you don’t get bored or tired.  After reading a hard-going classic it might be nice reading a graphic novel or a comic to lighten the load.  Say you’ve just read a collection of poems; you may want to read a play next.  Books come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so it’s definitely worth looking at all your options and choosing a variety to get the most out of your reading.

Make a Reading List

Something that is sometimes harder than the actual reading itself is figuring out what to read in the first place, I know it’s something I used to struggle with a lot.  Trying to pick what to read next can be stressful and take the fun out of the whole thing if you’re not careful, a solution is to make a reading list ahead of time.  Having a reading list means you don’t have to think about what you’re going to read next; you just start the next one on the list or pick from a smaller range of choices.  This allows you to spend your time reading more rather than just thinking about reading more.

Reading lists are also a good way of keeping track of the books you’ve come across.  If you see a book you want to read but it’s not yours or you aren’t going to buy it straight away, you can add it to your reading list, so you don’t forget about it.  Reading lists can also be quite motivational, every time you finish a book you can mark it off, and as you start reading more you’ll be able to see the number of books you’ve marked off growing and how far you’ve come.

Find Book Buddies

Having someone who is reading the same book as you is great because you share all your thoughts on the book with no fear of boring them as they are just as enthusiastic as you are.  You could join a book club, make your own, or just agree to read the same book as someone else.  By committing yourself to a club and/or getting other people involved you will have more motivation to stay on top of your reading so you can enjoy your time with them.  Who says reading is anti-social?

Make the Perfect Reading Spot

Anyone who loves reading knows that is hard to get comfortable, especially if you’re reading for an extended period of time.  To encourage yourself to read more it’s a good idea to make the prospect of reading as enjoyable as possible, one way to do that is to create a really cosy spot to read.  Gather cushions and blankets, maybe make sure you have a little table nearby to put your drink on, stash biscuits somewhere.  Get everything you could want to have when you’re reading, this way reading will be more appealing and feel less like a chore.

Turn Off Your Phone

It is a good idea to get into the habit of turning off you phone and stop using technology an hour or so before you go to bed.  Doing this has been proven to help you sleep better so you are more refreshed the next day.  But without you phone or tv what are you going to do?  Reading is the perfect thing to fill that time before bed with.  While the blue light from screens keeps you up at night and makes it harder to sleep, reading has the opposite effect helping you to wind down and relax.  Plus, as it’s the end of the day you don’t have to worry about the things you need to do because you’ve (hopefully) done them all, so there’s no need to feel guilty for reading.

Reading regularly is a great habit to get into and is really fun too!  There’re so many genres and stories for you to discover and the more you read the more worlds you’ll be able to explore.  Simply using one of these six tips is enough to help you on your way towards the reading goals you’ve set yourself for this year.