Now that we’ve almost made it through January, how are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? One resolution I know many of my friends and family made in 2019 is to trade in their phone time for time spent curled up with a good book. For some, reading brings them back to their childhood days when cell phones didn’t yet exist and they had ample free time, while others simply want to learn new things and be better informed. Whatever your reason, here are some tips that will help you in the pursuit to making reading part of your daily routine!
Read books you enjoy. I don’t know where the idea came from that we have to read what everyone else is reading on order for it to truly count, but the only way you’re going to make it through an entire book is if you enjoy what you’ve chosen to read. If you’re not into classics, you don’t have to read them, and if you’re not into mystery novels, don’t pick one up. There’s always something to be said for trying new things, but if you know you won’t make time to read when you’re not enjoying the story, stick with reading only what you love!
Carry a book or Kindle with you at all times. We don’t all have the luxury of setting aside an hour or two every day to get our reading in, but we most likely have random portions of the day when we aren’t doing anything (and usually during those times, we end up pulling out our phones). Next time you’re in a waiting room or find yourself in between meetings, pull out your book instead! You might only get five minutes here and there, but the minutes stack up. Before you know it, you’ll realize you’ve finished another book!
Go to the library, used book stores, or trade books with friends and family. Don’t let a financial block keep you from developing a reading habit—there are plenty of ways to find cheap or free books. I know, the price tags in your local Barnes and Noble seem steep, so save those buys for when you’re dying to read something you can’t find anywhere else!
Schedule reading time into your morning or night routine. So many of us stare at our phones or tablets as soon as we wake up or before we fall asleep at night, but studies have proven how this can add stress or interrupt regular sleep patterns. Instead, make reading in the morning or before bed part of your routine, and see your stress levels and your sleep improve tenfold while you achieve you resolution to read more!
How do you incorporate reading time into your day? Let me know in the comments below!