How To Make Time For Reading
It’s no secret I love to read, but I didn’t always love it. It took some time after college for me to learn to love to read and to see it as a hobby and not homework. In 2020 I read 1 book and it took me several months to get through. The next year I read 50 books and each year as the number of books I read increased, more importantly, my love for reading increased more and more.
When discussing the hobby of reading with others I often hear the same thing, “I don’t have enough time to read.” I understand this. I definitely find that the months when I have more free time (being on vacation, a holiday break, being sick, etc.) and the times that life is busy I don’t read as much. However, when life gets busy I didn’t want my love of reading to diminish and I didn’t want to give up this hobby. So I found a few different ways to continue reading even in the chaotic, busy times. Here are a few things that have worked for me.
Always keep a book with you: I think of Rory in Gilmore Girls bringing a book to a party. While you don’t have to be that committed, keep a book in your bag or your car so you can read while you wait in the dr. office or are on your lunch break at work. I often keep a book in my bag or car or have the digital version on my phone so I can read in the 15-20 minutes of waiting instead of scrolling on my phone.
Have different platforms for one book: While I am reading a book I love to have it available on a few different platforms. For example, I’ll have the physical copy from the library, but also the digital version downloaded on my phone, and the audiobook. This was I can continue “reading” my book no matter what I am doing throughout my day. It may look a bit like this: read a chapter of my book in the morning before work, listen to another chapter on my drive into work, read a few more chapters on my phone during my lunch break, listen to a few chapters on audiobook while I go for a run and then a few more while I cook dinner, and then read a little more of the physical copy before I go to bed. I particularly like this option when I am reading an intriguing book that it hard to put down and I don’t want to wait to see what happens next.
Listen to an audiobook: As I mentioned previously I love switching between a physical copy of a book and an audiobook. I personally love to listen to audiobooks while I workout, run, clean, or drive. It helps to focus on a storyline while I’m sweating through the last mile, scrubbing floors, or driving long hours in the car.
Multitask: This is not for everyone but I love doing multiple things at once and for the more mundane tasks throughout the day like curling my hair or stretching before a run it’s nice to read a book while I do it instead of scrolling on social media.
Go on a reading date: Take your book to the local coffee or the park. I have a friend who spends each Saturday morning at a coffee shop to make an intentional time for her to read. I love going to the park with a blanket, sparkling water, and a book. I get time to read, be outside, and enjoy nature.
Be intentional: Something that I sometimes struggle with is not only finding the time to read, but the space to read. Life can be chaotic, loud, and busy and when I sit down to read I can get distracted easily by my text messages, the TV, and others around me having conversations. Be intentional about your space to read; put your phone in another room, put on headphones with white noise, whatever you need to have the space to enjoy your book and not be interrupted or distracted.
Find what works for you. Reading is supposed to be enjoyable and bring joy to your life. Everyone is different and will need something different. These are a few things that have worked for me to find time to read in the busyness of life.