I can’t imagine my life without a book in my hands anymore. Sticking to a consistent reading habit has improved my mental health in so many ways. Whenever I pick up a new book, it’s like walking into your own personal happy place. I’m calm, excited, and comforted by the prospect of a new adventure. But what I realized is that reading for fun isn’t as common as you may think. Many people are struggling to find the right book for them and the time to read, once they do discover a potential book.
Taking a hiatus from reading is a normal part of life, and It’s nothing to feel bad about it. I just started reading again last year, which is why I’m excited to help you do the same! So if you’re looking to start a new reading habit but struggle with finding the time, then keep on reading to learn my tips on how to create a new reading habit.
Read a YA novel or thriller
Even if these aren’t your kind of books, I recommend starting out with a thriller or young adult book when if you’re first starting your reading journey. These books are typically written so that they pique your interest right away. The key to starting a reading habit is to keep up the momentum, and let’s be honest, a slow burn just doesn’t do it for beginners. Keep it light and keep it interesting.
Shop My Favorite Fantasy Books
Read the first three chapters of any book right away
Even the best books can take a few chapters to get into. When you’re ready to start your new reading habit, make sure you have plenty of uninterrupted time to read the first few chapters of the book. Turn off your phone, mute the notifications, light a candle, and get ready to full dive into a new story. Hopefully you picked a solid book that you’ll want to keep reading over the next few days or weeks.
Dapple in multiple genres
If it’s been a long time since you had the time to sit down and read, then you may not know what kind of books that you enjoy. This the perfect time to dipple and dapple in multiple genres to see what kind of books that you enjoy. From fantasy to mysteries, there’s so many options to choose from. To give you a head start on where to begin, ask yourself a few questions:
- What books did you love to read as a kid? Was there a specific one that stands out?
- What kind of movies and TV shows do you enjoy watching?
- What topics do you tend to gravitate towards? Romance? Fantasy? True crime?
Add reading to another habit or ritual
If you’ve read Atomic Habits by James Clear (which you definitely should!), then you know that it’s easier to start a new habit by adding it to something that you already do. Reading takes time that you may think that you don’t have, but you do. If you’re spending time watching TV or scrolling on TikTok, then you have the extra time to crack open a book. What I’ve found to work for me is to add it my existing routine. When I first started reading again, I used to read a few chapters before I went to bed to help me relax from a busy day. That simple change really helped me get into the habit of reading plus it helped me sleep better at night too.
Set an attainable reading goal
Goals are the ideas that help us push toward the future, and I’m very goal driven. They help give you focus and allow you to monitor your progress. If you’re a goal orientated like me, then setting an attainable reading goal may help you get into the habit of reading. The key though is to set a goal that is actually attainable, such as reading a book a month or maybe two a month. But at the end of the day, reading is meant to be a hobby so keep it fun and read as much as you can without pushing yourself overboard.
Keep a TBR list
Once you build up the momentum of reading your first few books, you’ll want to create a running list of the books that you may want to read in the future. This way as soon as you finish one book, you can quickly scan your TBR, or to be read, list for something new to snag. Jot down any book that sparks your interest. I like to use Goodreads to save my TBR list and document my progress towards my reading goal.
DNF books
“DNF” means “did not finish”, and trust me, there will be plenty of books that you simply don’t want to finish once you start reading regularly. Many people will continue reading a book even if they hate it because they don’t want to leave it unfinished. But starting a new hobby is supposed to be fun.
This is something that I’m also still working on as well. So, here’s a gentle reminder for you and me that it’s okay to put the book down and ditch it. Even if it’s for a book club. Even if your best friend loves it. Life is too short to read boring books that don’t spark your interest.
Talk about it!
Who doesn’t love talking about books with others? While I don’t tell Nci every single detail, it has become a running joke about how fast I can read a new book and how many pages I finished. I enjoy talking about my favorite books, and I like to slip it into casual conversations if I can. It feels good to talk about your hobbies and passions with others. If you don’t have a community that you can do that with, feel free to sign up for a book club or online community where people have the same interests as you.
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