Balancing Reading with a Busy Schedule
Reading is an exercise for the mind. It helps us calm down and relax, opens doors of new knowledge to enlighten their minds, and enhances our cognitive skills. Even as adults, when we read, we come across many new words and tidbits of information we never really heard of before, which help ensure that we are ahead of peers in the workforce. However, a common question is how to incorporate reading as a part of a heavily work-packed life.
Even in our busy schedules, we do get some leisure time, which more than half of us spend in languorous frolic. However, these few minutes of downtime can be easily devoted to the purpose of reading. This triggers the whole quality over quantity debate, which is indeed justifiable, but time and time again studies have shown that even these few spare minutes of reading and put you at an advantage intellectually. Even after a traditional 9 to 5 job and two to three hours of studying, extracurriculars, etc, we still have about a whole hour left at the end of the day to set aside to read! However, to let off some steam, the first instinct we have is to hover over to Netflix or some other streaming platform and binge-watch web series. While these series may be equally informative and exciting, they have a rather detrimental effect on the eyes. Hence, reading books is a better alternative. As the saying goes, “good readers are good leaders,” and this habit can help you in many ways you never even considered before.
In our hectic schedules, a good dose of fiction is the best stressbuster. It enhances our imagination and helps us evade all stress and anxiety in those times of momentary pleasure we derive from the book. While most concentrate on the diction, plot plays an important factor, and a less complex plot is expected to be far more popular among workaholics, for whom books can be a respite. The non-fiction categories, particularly biographies and autobiographies, are popular among adults who aspire to develop in the career of the person whose biography they are reading. Additionally, self-help books are good light-reads for adults with 9 to 5 jobs.
The first step to culminate the habit of reading is to browse through recommendation-based websites and to approach a bookstore employee or a voracious reader to guide you on what to read and how to get time. Buy the book which has an appealing plot, and then if you like the author’s writing style or if the genre has an appealing factor, buy similar books after some research and vow to spend a certain sum on books once you finish the book at hand. Then, try to achieve a faster reading speed and slowly gravitate towards volumes with more difficult language and complicated plots with deep morals. This way reading won’t be a burden, but can indeed be an indispensable part of your daily life.
