How to Develop a Consistent Reading Habit
If you’re anything like me, you might have a never-ending ‘tbr’ (to be read) list waiting, well, to be read. It’s not like you haven’t tried reading them; it’s just that life often gets in the way, be it in the form of school, friends, family, errands, exercise, sleep, and the list goes on and on. With the millions of to-do’s, you want to check off by the end of the day, it’s not a surprise that you find yourself burned out and opt for scrolling through social media for a quick dopamine fix instead of reading books!
Hey, I’m not here to criticize your lack of time management skills. Rather, I want to help you achieve what is unimaginable in this golden age of endless entertainment: developing a reading habit. Fear not, here are four realistic tips that can help you to become a voracious reader in an easy and fun way at your own pace.
Tip no 1: Identify Your ‘Why’
Do you read to relax and escape from the present reality? Or perhaps to gain new knowledge? To improve your reading comprehension? Whatever your ‘why’ may be, identifying it can help you become more motivated to start as well as continue your reading journey. It can also help in building a personalized habit (more on that in the next tip). If you tend to become demotivated easily, I recommend writing your ‘why’ down and keeping it where you would see it frequently as a physical reminder and mode of encouragement.
Tip no 2: Make Time for Reading
Now that you have identified the ‘why’, it will be easy to identify the ‘when’. Reading books for fun and relaxation might have a less strict approach compared to reading books for learning. For fun, you might find that you have some time left before bedtime. In fact, make reading a part of your wind-down routine! If you want to learn, you might set aside an hour or two during the weekend so that you can focus a lot more compared to when you’re done with school, and you don’t have enough drive to sit down and read a difficult paragraph.
Tip no 3: Make the Choice of Reading Easy and Fun
This tip is useful, especially if you want to cut down your screen time. When you want to read, set aside your phone or keep it on silent to minimize distractions. If you use your phone or tablet to read, make sure to either remove distracting apps from your home screen or delete it just to minimize the risk of clicking on them. Keep a book or an e-book reader with you if you decide to go out; you may never know when you might find time to read!
Find a reading nook that is appropriate to your ‘why’. For example, if you want to relax, you might prefer reading on your bed or a comfy seat. On the other hand, if you’re reading to learn, you might prefer reading at your desk or library to focus and jot down notes. Whatever it may be, remember to minimize distractions and make your surrounding environment conducive to your purpose of reading as much as possible
Tip no 4: Aim for progress, not perfection
This is important, not just for reading but for your life, your goals, and habits in general. Did you miss your reading time today despite keeping a book with you and lost time scrolling? That’s okay, you’re human. Stuff happens. Instead of accepting that since you wasted 15 minutes of your designated reading time, might as well lose the other 15 minutes, read a page or two! It’s still something. Don’t be so hard on yourself! There will be times you might fail or be too tired to read. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day or two, and be realistic and caring towards yourself.
I hope these tips inspire you to pick up reading again or develop a regular practice of reading. Reading, as we all know, comes with so many benefits, and it would be tragic if we were to miss out on them.
References:
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Habit-of-Reading
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2020/01/23/5-ways-to-make-reading-a-habit/?sh=29fa0cc837da