How to get back into the habit of reading
I was an avid reader as a child.
I could spend the whole day reading, unaware of time passing, riveted by the story unfolding before my eyes.
I remember the first time I read a story by myself at six years old. My mind was blown away by the trip it had just taken while I was still sitting on the bed.
That first reading experience fueled my desire to read as many books as possible; I wanted to be transported to faraway places on command, time and time again. The most magical part was that I did not have to lift a finger; I simply had to open a book.
Throughout my childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood, I read whenever I had five minutes to myself, and I read anywhere and everywhere.
That is until I had children, and my life turned upside down.
After becoming a mother, I struggled to have some time off. And when I did, I usually spent it sleeping or recuperating. Needless to say that reading was not a priority of mine at that time, and I eventually lost the habit.
After a couple of years, I longed to start reading again. But with a limited amount of free time, I knew I had to develop strategies to help myself.
I am sharing with you below five tips that have helped me form a new reading routine:
1. Lower your expectations:
At first, when I started, I felt frustrated because of how little I was reading compared to before. I was always unconsciously comparing my new situation to my older self and couldn’t help but feel a tinge of exasperation because I was nowhere near where I used to be.
Whenever I picked up a book and saw how slow my progress was, I would give up after a few attempts.
When I realized what was happening, I decided to reassess my expectations and update my reading goals to reflect my new reality.
I had to face the fact that I had less time to read than before, and a book of approximately 300 pages that used to take me three to four days to finish, was now taking me a month.
I stopped beating myself up for it and accepted that it was unfair to compare my new self to my older one. I was slower than before but at least I was reading again.
2. Read as much as you can:
I started reading one page each night before bed, sometimes more, but never less.
This way, I created a calming routine that allowed me to disconnect before bed. It made me feel, even if it was during the span of a few minutes like I existed only for myself. For my first book, I chose one that was a bit slow with interesting characters’ development from an author I love — Philippa Gregory. The story was calming yet interesting; it was perfect before bedtime. At first, reading only a few pages at a time didn’t seem like much, but after a while, I slowly started seeing progress. And before I even knew it, I was in the flow again: I was enjoying the story, excited to know what happens next.
3. I felt a deep sense of accomplishment:
Once I finished the book, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment that made me want to read more and more. Because I eventually stuck with the book that I had chosen for the first time in a long time, I felt like I had opened my connection with books again.
4. Find pockets of time where you can read :
You will be surprised at how many small windows of time you can find. For starters, I began going to bed earlier to read more. I also started carrying my book with me everywhere, just like in the old times, and reading whenever I had a few minutes. I realized that a few minutes here and there will eventually add up, and before I knew it, I would finish a chapter.
5. Starting again is hard, but it is worth it:
After all, you are forming a habit that hasn’t been part of your life for quite a while, and that takes time, patience, and dedication. Getting back into the flow of reading felt just like riding a bicycle after stopping for a long time.
Parting Words:
Today, my kids are older, and I have more time to dedicate to reading.
I had to re-learn how to integrate reading as part of my daily routine, but similar to learning any new habit, time and dedication are key.
Today, I can safely say that I am close to the reading goal I was hitting before having kids, and let me tell you, it feels good!
