5 Tried and Proven Ways to Read More Books
How many books have you read this year? Ten? Twenty-five? None at all? No matter how many, you can always read more.
There is no denying the benefits of reading books, from teaching you the ability to read people’s emotions, learning to become a more empathetic person, all the way to broadening your mind.
But before you jump in and start devouring books, you should stop and think about why you’d like to read more. It is a crucial preliminary step that needs sufficient motivation. Otherwise, you’re likely to give up quickly.
You have to make sure that you are reading for the right reasons, e.g. improving your well-being and broadening your mind.
Once your goals are clear and your aim is set, you’re ready to dive into the vast and expanding literary world.
So, without further ado, here are the tried and proven ways to reading more books:
1. Share Your Reading Commitment
Setting the goal of reading more books can increase the chances of you getting there, but it is not a guarantee you’ll be able to stick with it.
A better alternative is to share your commitment with someone whose opinion you value.
In a paper published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, a group of researchers found that making your commitments known to someone you look up to significantly increases the odds of going through with it.
“Contrary to what you may have heard, in most cases, you get more benefit from sharing your goal than if you don’t — as long as you share it with someone whose opinion you value.”
Klein Howard — Lead Author of the study.
2. Remove Distractions
In this day and age, and more than ever before, everything seems to demand your attention, from the notifications on your phone to the news aired on TV, to the uncomfortably meddling neighbor next door.
In his famous book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes a particular state of consciousness he dubbed as “Flow”. Once they enter this condition, people experience enjoyment and deep investment in the tasks they are doing. That’s why you hear about people getting absorbed into a good book.
But such a state can be effortlessly interrupted when your attention is scattered elsewhere.
To remove such distractions, you ought to:
- Turn off your phone or notifications. If you stop getting messages, emails, and news articles, then you will not be tempted to check them.
- Get on top of your duties first before you commit to reading a book. If you have a pile of dirty dishes or a full cat litter, clean them first. That way, your mind would be free to focus on your chosen literature.
- Have a friends list clean-up. Seriously, you should get rid of toxic people in your life. They will drain your will to achieve anything, let alone read a book.
- Move the TV to a place where it is harder to access. If you are trying to read and your roommate is watching a sitcom, then you are not going to get into a state of Flow.
“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”
Winston S. Churchill
3. Take Care Of Your Health
In a study published in the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine, researchers collected data from examining over 1.3 million people and found that health status plays a significant role in productivity.
Basically, if you do not take care of your overall health, you are going to have a hard time attaining your goals.
There are three main areas to focus on for a healthier lifestyle:
- Exercise. The benefits of exercise are well documented, especially on brain activity. The good news is that you do not have to join a gym or run 20 kilometers. You can be more active around the house, cycle, or just go for 30-min walks.
- Sleep. It is undeniable that getting enough sleep is crucial for your health. Some of the benefits include a lower risk of catching diseases, a mood boost, and increased productivity.
- Diet. Your food intake is closely linked to health status. By having a balanced diet and making wiser food choices, you can improve your brain activity, prevent or treat some conditions, and lose weight.
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”
Herophilus
4. Give Up On Books You Don’t Enjoy
If you are struggling while reading a book, then you should give up on it. It has been revealed in a study published in The Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research that comprehension, vocabulary, and general knowledge improve when people read the literature they enjoy.
If you power through a book you hate, not only are you wasting your time, but you will also be more likely to procrastinate. And eventually hate reading altogether.
The time you spend on a book you struggle with is time better spent on reading one that absorbs you.
“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.”
Oscar Wilde
5. Always Carry A Book With You
Many opportunities present themselves for reading. While commuting, while waiting for your appointments, when you’re having your morning coffee, etc. They don’t present a lot of time for reading, but they can add up over time.
If you can’t carry a book with you, like when you’re driving, working out, or doing monotonous chores, an audiobook can be a great alternative. It helps when you want to squeeze some more reading in your busy schedule.
However, you should avoid these bite-size reading sessions when you read non-fiction. These types of books need your concentration and dedicated time. The opportunities you get while you’re out and about are usually brief and better suited for a light read, like fiction or poetry.
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
Stephen King
Conclusion
Reading more books isn’t a hard goal to achieve. If you consider the tips discussed in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to reading a lot more books and growing your knowledge and enjoyment.
If you’re looking for recommendations, check these 10 best non-fiction books to read and enrich your knowledge of the world.
Or check this article about why you shouldn’t read non-fiction books.
