Now that we’re midway through January, your New Year’s resolutions should be in full swing! Behind getting fit and healthy eating, a New Year’s resolution I often hear friends and family make is to put down their phones and turn off Netflix more often in order to get back into reading. For some, it brings them back to their childhood days when they had ample time to read and smartphones didn’t exist yet, while others simply want to learn new things and be better informed. Whatever your reason, here are some tips I’ve found help me 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 serious literature, or read whatever is on the bestselling lists, 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 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 pull out our phones. Next time you’re in a waiting room or you are 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 nightly routine. So many of us stare at our phones or tablets before falling asleep at night, but studies have proven how this interrupts regular sleep patterns. Instead, make reading before bed part of your routine, and see 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!