How to Read More

With summer right around the corner, I am always reminded that it is the season when I want to read the most. For many it is a time away from school with lots of vacation time, but how can you read more when you are working a full time job or just super busy? 

I thought I would compile some tips on how I like to maximize my reading time and still meet my summertime reading goals even when working full time. 

1.  Audiobooks!

The magic of audiobooks is that you can work on other projects and chores while still listening to a book. This is my top recommendation for reading more and one that even helps me get through a book a day if I’m really lucky. The best part is that so many audiobooks are available through library apps, so you don’t even have to pay for a service like Audible to get the books that you want!

2.  Make time for it. 

Another aspect that can help is just making sure you schedule time to read. After finishing up the work day or chores of the day, taking even 30 minutes for reading can be extremely beneficial. 

3.  Swap screen time for reading time 

              While we use our phones for many day to day tasks, there are times when we probably don’t need to be scrolling for as long as we do. Realizing this, I have seen many people on Youtube as well as other blogs track their screen time over a few weeks (many phones nowadays give you a weekly report on your screen time) and then swap any recreational screentime with reading time. Some people are able to parse out a few hours over the week dedicated solely to reading time. 

4. Read as a family 

Sometimes it can be easier and even more fun to read as a family or with other people. Not only are you able to spend time with family but you are also getting some reading done. While this may not work for every family dynamic it could be a fun way to get the family into a new hobby. 

5. Quality over quantity

Sometimes the way to read more is to just enjoy the books you are reading. Maybe you have a list of books you’ve been wanting to read and once you finally get to them, they are a slog to get through. It can really make reading more difficult if you aren’t enjoying what you are reading. In this case I would say that clearing off books you no longer want to read off of your list can be extremely helpful. That way when you go to pick up a book you are sure that it’s actually something you want to read. To start with this it can be fun to get a stack of whatever books you want to read, or find a few on audio and try the first chapter of each. Most people can get a feeling for whether or not they want to continue a book from the first chapter. If this style works for you, then you can easily clean up your list of “Want to read” books pretty quickly!