Want to Make Reading a Daily Habit?
Here Are 5 Tips to Help You Cultivate and Sustain Your Reading Practice
Books have become the latest trend that everyone wants to talk about. Whether you love reading or not, sharing your favourite books has become a popular ice-breaker, much like discussing your taste in music and web series. Everyone enjoys showcasing their awareness and knowledge of the latest books, regardless of whether they have read them. However, many people who genuinely want to read struggle to build a consistent reading habit.
In this article, I am sharing a few tips that I follow to read an average of 5–6 books every month.
Fix a time
Habits form when they are repeated consistently. And if a task is not part of your daily routine, it cannot become a habit. Depending on your schedule, find and fix a time in your calendar for daily reading.
I am a night reader, so I read usually between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm. This time works for me as I am done with all my chores and feel mentally free. Reading feels unwinding, relaxing and enjoyable at this time. However, if you are not a night owl, get up slightly early to read first thing in the morning.
Limit distractions
One thing that I do before getting into the reading mode is to put my phone on the flight mode and set an alarm for 1 hour. This eliminates the need to use my phone to check time as I get notified by alarm. Keeping the phone on flight mode means no push notification, the sound of which would distract me and reduce my concentration even if I decide not to check the phone.
Keep a reading goal (and track it too)
Keeping a reading goal is not a very strict rule, but considering that you know your reading speed and the fact that you will read daily, you would have a rough idea of how many books you can read in a month. Based on that number, you should strive to meet that reading goal. If you are falling behind, you can catch up because you know your reading target for the month. Even if you miss a day or two of reading, your effective reading remains the same if you meet your target.
Also, utilise the help of book-reading apps to keep track of your reading in a month. I use Goodreads and StoryGraph to keep track of my monthly reading.
Audiobooks are also books
Don’t hesitate to listen to audiobooks when you don’t have time to sit and read. This usually happens when your routine gets disrupted. Make use of the time when doing some chores around the house, walking, or light exercise to listen to audiobooks. They are great alternatives to reading and, with adjustable narration speed, you can complete them fast.
Make use of the weekend
Weekends are a boon for the readers. However your week has been, weekends are a great time to reset and catch up on your pending tasks, including reading. Sit with your book leisurely, read slowly, and enjoy reading.
Following any or all of these tips will help you become a consistent and effective reader.
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