5 Ways to Get Back Into Reading

Blogging, Books 4 Minutes

Guest Post: By NotSoModernGirl

I am so excited to feature my very first guest post on the blog today. Eleanor (NotSoModernGirl) has kindly agreed to share her thoughts about returning to reading after some time away from books. As usual, her ideas are relevant and useful. I’d like to thank Eleanor for putting together such a wonderful post. Here it is:

 

I’ve always read books ever since I was little, but after going to University- and having to read so much for my degree- I fell out of love with reading for pleasure. I would always have a book on the go, but I rarely finished it- and if I did it would take me months.

 

Ever since finishing University, I’ve tried to get back into reading. However, with lockdown and the uncertain world situation, I turned to Netflix to distract me- and it’s only since things started to get less intense in the world that I’ve started to pick up books again as a welcome hobby.

 

Now I love reading almost as much as I did before. Yes, my attention span isn’t what it used to be, and I still take a while to finish a book, but I’m so happy I managed to get back into reading, and I’m finally finishing all the books I start- and enjoying them!

 

In this post, I’m discussing 5 ways to get back into reading for pleasure. It might take a couple of weeks or a couple of months, but there are definitely a few ways to improve your reading habits and get back into a hobby you once used to love.

1.   Read a bit at a time

 

You shouldn’t force yourself to read a lot in one sitting, because it’s not going to happen and you’ll feel disappointed in yourself.

 

Push yourself to read a little bit at a time, such as before bed or in the mornings. You might only read 5 pages, but that’s the best way to stay consistent, and actually enjoy reading as a hobby rather than as a chore or something you do for your degree.

2.   Choose a book- not your phone

 

It’s so easy to pick up your phone when you have 5 minutes of downtime, but try to choose a book instead. Make sure to have your book close to hand, and any time you would be mindlessly scrolling on your phone- read instead.

 

It’s a hard habit to get into- and I’m still working on it- but it’s a great way to give your mind a rest from bright screens, and get some valuable reading time.

3.   Mix it up

If you can’t decide what to read, try something a bit different. You don’t need to read the same genre as you always used to, and there are so many book blogs and recommendations out there to find the perfect read for you.

 

Choose books that are different from each other to keep yourself interested, and try out different types of books, such as non-fiction reads.

 

I loved reading ‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller during lockdown, as it was unlike anything I’d read before. I also found that choosing non-fiction reads got me interested in reading again, and this is a great way to try out different books and find out what you like now, after a brief period without reading.

4.   Take your book everywhere

 

This is an idea I’ve started recently, and it’s really paid off!

 

If you take your book with you in your bag, you always have it whenever you have some down time. If you have a break at work or you’re waiting for the bus, pull out your book and read for 20 minutes.

 

This is a great way to pass the time, and when you have your book on you then you have no excuse not to read!

5.   Choose books that interest you

 

There’s no point reading books that don’t interest you. Don’t read an old classic if it’s not something that makes you excited to get back to reading, and don’t read a popular book because you feel like you should. If you want to read a Romance novel, go for it. Or if you want to give Sci-Fi a go, then do that.

 

You should be reading whatever gets you interested, and you’re not going to get back into reading by choosing books that don’t inspire or interest you. You need a book that pulls you back to it, and finding that perfect, fast-paced book is the most important part of getting back into reading as a fun activity.

 

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Thank you so much to Jamie for letting me post on his blog today!

 

I really hope my tips help you fall back in love with reading, or encourage you to pick up a book instead of your phone next time you’re taking a break from work.

 

It can be hard to get back into reading for pleasure after a short or long break, but it is such a rewarding and fun hobby- so it’s definitely worth pushing yourself.

 

 

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This guest post was written by Eleanor. She is a freelance content writer from the UK, and she loves writing lifestyle posts for her blog and other websites.

 

Check out her blog, or connect with her on Twitter to find out more.

 

Published by JamieAdStories

I am a new independently published author with a history as a teacher and a dream to write short stories, novellas and scripts. From now on, I shall be blogging my way through the process of becoming a writer for a living and sharing my stories.

Published

29 thoughts on “5 Ways to Get Back Into Reading”

  1. Lovely guest post! I must admit I’ve gotten out of the habit of reading. It used to be my commute to work time but now that I work from home mostly I’m missing out on that time. Thanks for the push to get back into it!

  3. awesome guest post & great ideas on how to get into reading. I agree that taking the book with you helps. I would also add to turn off your phone so that you won’t be tempted lol 🙂

  4. Yes Eleanor has great advice! I have to turn my phone off at work otherwise I would not get any work done. Haha But I turn it on and read a little at lunch time.

  5. Great guest post! As an avid reader, I have learned that sometimes changing the format of the book can draw me into reading it. Audiobooks really have helped me to read more books as I listen to them while walking, cleaning the house etc. Thanks for sharing these great tips.

  6. Love all of these advices and great to see Eleanor guest posting for you! I have had my fair share of slumps in the ast two years, but reading different things at the same time and on different format really helped me x

  9. Fab post Eleanor and Jamie. I’ve just had a real reading binge while I was on holiday for a week and now I’m really stuck into my book and reading way past a sensible bedtime. It’s great to be sucked in, but the late nights are catching up with me.

  11. These tips are great.

    I have a long list of books I need to read. I’ve started doing it in small chunks. But I need to get better at putting my phone down and taking my book everywhere.

  12. I’ve been struggling to get back into reading for over a year now. I just can’t seem to focus on the words in front of me. Thanks for the tips, I’ll give it a try.

  13. So true! These are the things I did to get myself back into reading. And I also blog about the books I’ve read. This motivates me to read more and more. I just love reading.

  14. I’ve been having a hard time getting into reading lately due to a lot going on in my personal life. I’ll follow your advice and hopefully get back to reading in no time.

  17. Okay first off, hi Eleanor! I just came here after reading an unrelated post on your own blog, so that’s a fun coincidence I guess.

    I fell off my reading habit the last few weeks and am now trying to get back in the swing of it. I think #5 was the big one for me – I had been reading a few books that had been gifts or that I otherwise felt obligated to read and was totally losing interest. So that’s where I’m starting, but I want to give some of these other small shifts a try too, and see if those help me really get going again!

  21. These are really great tips! I have a hard time finding the time to read so I really like the idea of taking a book with you everywhere!

  22. I love this! It took me a long time to get back into reading for pleasure after finishing school. I definitely go through waves where I read a lot and then other times when I’m not reading hardly at all. I’ll try these next time in a rut 💚

  23. Great post. I loved reading as a child when I could but I didn’t have devices so reading was what I did instead. Although I lost the reading bug as I grew up, I learned to relove it when starting my freelancing career

  24. Thanks so much for these ideas! I used to love to read but don’t do it nearly as much as I wish that I did. I think these tips will be a great way to help me get back into the habit. Thanks for sharing!

  25. Great post! It’s far too easy to fall out of love with something. Mine was my change in routine last year with everything that was going on and it really affected my reading. I’m loving getting back into it now. Really enjoyed reading this.

  28. Great post, I fell out of the habit for years (English degree problems 😂) then started using my kindle more a couple of years ago, still have slumps. I often get asked how I read so much, it’s simple a little bit every day, it’s how I properly switch off x

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