Last week, Lara asked for advice on stopping herself from reading to do adult things like chores (yuck) when all she wants to do is read for hours on end.
I knew while we were discussing it that many people would think, “Wow, that’s not my problem. I have the opposite issue: I struggle with finding time to start and keep reading!” And I promised we’d discuss that conundrum today.
So, let’s get to it: What do you do to make sure you have time to read?
Sarah: If I am reading a book that it’s easy to resist returning to and I’m not dying to find out what happens next, that’s a sign that it’s not necessarily a great fit for me at the moment, and that I should try something else. I’m not a completionist so I don’t feel compelled to finish a book I start.
But sometimes I’m too distracted or overwhelmed or anxious to calm my brain long enough to read, while at the same time, I KNOW for SURE that reading would help me and my brain a LOT.
That’s when I have to get my Kindle (not my phone) or a physical book, and set a timer. “I am going to read for 10 minutes.” Usually that’s enough to keep me reading for much longer than 10 minutes.
Shana: I use the timer trick for other tasks but I never thought to use it for reading. Smart!
I’ve been struggling with prioritizing reading ever since I started grad school. I used the same strategies I’ve gotten from the Bitchery: first, audiobooks while doing errands or domestic tasks, which seemed to hook my brain back into narratives.
And reading ebooks on the exercise bike.
This semester my new strategies are
switching genres for awhile: I read thrillers and mysteries for a month which totally sucked me in!
I put reading on my Google calendar as part of my bedtime routine because I am a dork.
Sarah: If it needs to get done, it goes on the calendar. If it’s on the calendar, it gets done. I completely get it. And a hearty Hell Yeah! to queuing up an audiobook when I am doing errands or cooking something I’ve made so often I don’t need to closely read the recipe. My brain can only read/intake one set of words at a time!
I also play a lot of Stardew Valley while listening to audiobooks. Ghostly Grandpa just judged me and I only got three out of four candles, so I have started listening to the Veronica Speedwell series while I try for that fourth candle.
Elyse: I’ve noticed it’s harder for me to get into books than it used to be but once I’m there, it’s hard to put the book down.
For me, reading is strongly correlated to self care. This is my time for brain rest and I’m not doing anything for anyone except me. Even when I knit, I tend to make things for others.
I had a really, really hard time with self care and self kindness (and to an extent still do) so in therapy I’ve established reading as my recharge “me” time. As far as adult tasks go, it’s taken years to get there, but if I just want to read and nothing is literally on fire and the cats are fed, that’s fine. My house can be messy. I can eat a frozen pizza. I have to step away from the idea that I should be doing something else.
Lara: When I’m at my baseline, I have built in reading time just before bed.
“This book is pretty good. Let’s keep reading.”
Since I was old enough to switch my own light off, I’ve read before bed. Getting in bed and trying to just fall asleep stresses me out.
On normal days I struggle to relax into reading outside of that bedtime routine. I have to consciously say ‘today is a book day’ and give myself permission to immerse myself in a book and suspend real life for a bit.
Of course, sometimes I give too much time to books or too much time to screens or ‘being productive’ – neither extreme is a happy place to be. Protecting that bedtime routine helps me maintain the balance. Oh, and audiobooks have been a revelation!
Sneezy: The timer trick sounds great! I’m going to try that!
I struggle with self care and self kindness too. All the tricks I’ve been trying to learn have all been about trying to become as productive as I think I should be. Even when I try to apply them to things like good sleep hygiene, exercise, going on walks, etc, it’s ultimately all in the hopes of being more productive.
Reading this question and everyone’s strategies for getting back into and keeping up reading is making me re-examine how I define self-care, joy, and how I can relate to them. I’ve only started working on accepting I’m allowed things that make me happy. Now you’ve all made me realize a larger goal I want to achieve is internalizing that pleasure is important and it’s a good thing for me to actively seek it.
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What about you? What are your strategies for finding or restoring your reading time?
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