FINDING THE TIME AND MOTIVATION TO READ– HOW TO READ MORE.

At the moment— the one constant, the one thing I can turn to take my mind off of things and the thing that is always there to bring comfort on bad days— is reading. This has really been true all of my life but last year I felt like I relied on reading to get me through more than I have in a long time. But it’s not always easy to find the motivation needed to dedicate to reading and even spending at lot more time at home than maybe we usually would doesn’t always guarantee that we can make enough time to focus on reading. ‘How do you read so much?’ is something I get asked quite a lot so I thought I’d put together a little post with some of the tips I’ve found that have helped me over the years to read more.

Finding Time–

Have a book on you or to hand all the time. 

If you have the motivation to read but can’t find the time the main thing I’d definitely recommend— something I’ve found almost essential— is having a book to hand all of the time. This means having an ebook on my phone to read when I’m on the go or taking a physical book out with me when I leave the house. If I have even just five minutes to spare, instead of checking emails or scrolling through Instagram then I’ll pick up my book instead and read a chapter or two. Even when I’m at home, having a book to hand on my bedside table means that when I wake up in the morning I’m more likely to pick up my book even if it’s just to read a few pages. 

Schedule out time in your day to read. 

If you need to–look for times throughout the day when you can schedule in time to dedicate to reading– this might be an hour in the morning, before bed or if it’s more manageable, in smaller windows of time during the day, maybe during your lunch break. At the moment, I’m finding that I can get more reading done if I schedule in a few hours in the morning– so finding the time that works for you is really important to getting more reading done and it’s definitely worth it.

Try an audiobook. 

I never used to be a real audiobook fan but more recently I’ve been turning to them a lot more at times when I’m especially busy. I borrow them free from my local library through the Libby app (which is an amazing resource of free books, I’m obsessed with it) and I’ll listen to them while I’m shooting photos, cleaning the house or when i’m out for a walk. I mainly listen to non-fiction as I find I can still keep my concentration on what I’m doing while listening (it often feels just like listening to a podcast) and it means that I can be listening to my current read while also getting other things ticked off of my list. If you haven’t tried it yet, I’d really recommend it!

Finding Motivation–

This is definitely not always easy and at times when I really don’t feel like picking up my book, I try not to force it but if I know that I do really want to be reading maybe instead of spending more time in front of a screen then these are the things that often help me find the motivation–

Setting a reading goal. 

This might be a goal to read a certain number of pages, a number of books during the year, or maybe goal to read more from a certain genre– but setting a goal can really help. I’m a very goal oriented person so setting a challenge or goal is something I enjoy and I’ve found over the years, has helped me make reading a priority– not only just something I do for fun but also something that gives a sense of accomplishment. If you also loving setting yourself a goal then try The Storygraph– you can set a yearly reading goal and join in with lots of other reading challenges too!

Only pick books that you really want to read. 

This one may sound a little bit obvious but I’ve found that sometimes I’ve been picking up books that are really popular or hyped and if it’s something I’m only vaguely interested in reading it often means that I find myself lacking the motivation to actually pick it up and read it. If you find yourself often feeling the same way then I’d really recommend making a TBR stack or list of just the books that you are personally really excited about reading— I also find this helps with deciding what to read next. If you have a good few books that you’re excited to read then once you’ve finished one you’re more likely to pick another up straight away and keep that momentum going. 

Join in with a book club and find like minded people that love reading. 

Finding the motivation to read can be a lot easier when you surround yourself with people that also love to read. I’ve been able to read hundreds of books over the last six or seven years and I know for sure that it wouldn’t be the case if I hadn’t been involved with the book community online and especially on Instagram. Following like minded book loves online not only means plenty of great recommendations but also plenty of motivation for times that you need it. Joining a book club, whether in real life or online, also really helps— there’s usually a timeframe or schedule involved which boosts your motivation and there’s a great sense of community too. If you’re looking for an online bookclub to join– I’m currently running the Polly Florence Book Club on Instagram where we usually read one book a month together and I know it helps a lot with my motivation to read more!

I really hope that you can find something helpful amongst these tips and I’d love to know if there are any you would add? Feel free to share them below!