If there is one thing to know about me is that I was an avid reader as a child! And I mean avid!
I could spend the day reading, until my whole body was sore, unaware of time passing, riveted by the story that was unfolding.
I remember the first time I read a story by myself - I was six years old. When I finished, my mind was blown away by the trip it had just taken, while I was still sitting on the bed!
That first reading experience fueled my desire to read as many books as possible; I wanted to be transported to faraway places on command, time and time again. The most magical part was that I did not have to lift a finger; I simply had to open a book.
Throughout my childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood, I read whenever I had five minutes to myself, and I read anywhere and everywhere.
That is until I had children, and my life turned upside down.
After becoming a mother, I struggled to have some time off. And when I did, I usually spent it sleeping or recuperating. Needless to say, reading was not a priority of mine, and I eventually lost the habit.
After a couple of years, I longed to start reading again. But with a limited amount of free time, I knew I had to develop strategies to help myself.
So, I am sharing with you below seven tips on how to get back into the habit of reading that have helped me form and stick to a new reading routine:
Lower your expectations: At first, when I started reading again, I felt frustrated because of how little I was able to read compared to previous years. I was always weighing up my new situation with the old one and couldn’t help but feel a tinge of exasperation because I was nowhere near where I used to be. I would give up after a few attempts, whenever I picked up a book and saw how slow my progress was. When I realized what was happening, I decided to reassess my expectations and update my reading goals to reflect my new reality. I had to face the fact that I had less time to read than before, and a book of approximately 300 pages that used to take me three to four days to finish, was now taking me a month. Granted I was slower than before but, at least, I was reading again!
Read as much as you can: I started reading one page each night before bed, sometimes more, but never less. I created this way a calming routine that allowed me to disconnect before going to sleep. It made me feel, even if it was during the span of a few minutes, like I existed solely for myself. For my first book, I chose one that was a bit slow with interesting characters’ development from an author I love - Philippa Gregory. The story was calming yet interesting; it was perfect before bedtime. At first, reading only a few pages didn’t seem like much, but after a while, I slowly started seeing progress. And before I even knew it, I was in the flow again: I was enjoying the story, excited to know what would happen next.
Be proud of your progress, no matter how small: Once I finished the book, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment that made me want to read more and more. I felt like I had opened my connection with books again because I eventually stuck with the book that I had chosen, for the first time in a long time.
Find pockets of time where you can read: You will be surprised at how many small windows of time you can find! For starters, I began going to bed earlier for the sole purpose of reading more. I also started carrying my book with me everywhere (just like the old times) and reading whenever I had a few minutes. I realized a few minutes here and there would eventually add up, and before I knew it, I would finish chapter after chapter.
Keep it fun: There is no need to beat yourself up if, for one reason or the other, you were not able to achieve the goals you have set for yourself that day! After all, you want to get back into the habit of reading because it is an activity you enjoy and you have to keep that in mind! If you force yourself or start feeling guilty about being unable to commit, you might quit altogether after a while, and we don’t want that, do we?
Start with books you enjoy This is key! If you want to start and stick to your decision, you need to do so by reading a genre of books you absolutely love! This will remind you why you want to re-integrate this activity back into your daily routine and will make it easier for you to stick to it.
You just need to start: After all, you are forming a new habit, and even though it was part of your life before, that hasn’t been the case for a while, and that takes time, patience, and dedication. Getting back into the flow of reading felt just like riding a bicycle after stopping for a long time. You know how to do it, you just need to remind yourself.
To conclude:
Today, my kids are a bit older and a bit less demanding (a bit), and I have more time to dedicate to reading, which remains, after all, one of my favorite pastimes.
Because I stopped for so long, I had to re-learn how to integrate reading as part of my daily routine. Similar to trying to integrate any new habit, it takes time and dedication, as well as being mindful and intentional about it, especially when you are short on free time.
Today, I can safely say that I am close to the new reading goal, and let me tell you, it feels good because my love for books is still as strong as ever!
Do you love reading? If not, how do you spend your time? Share with me in the comments below!
Well said... 👌👌