6 Aspects Keeping You From Reading More & How To Fight Them

This past month I noticed that I did barely any reading (especially compared to January) and I decided to take a closer look at the things that were keeping me away from one of my biggest loves: reading. Which is exactly how this post came about.

Funnily enough, I had turned off my laptop and decided to pick up a book and start reading but somehow I ended up writing this post instead. I’m not even kidding you guys. In the end, I didn’t feel too bad though because at least I did something productive, right? I didn’t just waste my time on any of the things I am about to list that will typically keep me from reading.

But now, in an attempt to not make this post too long, let’s jump right into the things that might keep you from reading more and what you can do to make sure you actually get some reading done!

The Internet

There are just too many things that will distract you. Be it YouTube, Twitter, Instagram – before you know it the day is over and you haven’t read a single page. And trust me, you guys. This is something that happens to me all.the.freaking.time. Especially YouTube and Twitter! I constantly find myself refreshing the page to see if anything new has been uploaded. It’s ridiculous and so time-consuming.

Your Phone/Laptop

Both devices have the internet available on them which we already identified as something that will keep you from reading. But most phones probably also have apps on them to pass time in other ways. Photo editing programs, games, puzzles and whatever else might interest you!

People

While I will often stay home and just read, sometimes I do want to spend time with the people I care about which is going to cut into my reading time and if you add cute nephews: bye reading time!

Netflix

I know I already talked about the internet but Netflix deserves its own spot. The amount of time I will spend binge watching something definitely gets out of hand more often than I care to admit. Last year, I read barely anything during the month of September because I ended up binge watching most of the Marvel Netflix shows.

Audiobooks

I know! This might be more specific to me but recently I have found that I am unable to binge read books the way I usually do. And while I thought that I had just lost my motivation for binge reading I think the real problem is that I have gotten lazy as far as reading a book myself goes. I want people to read to me instead.

You

Shocking, I know! But there is a running theme with all of the things I mentioned and that is you. You control how you spend your free time! Do you find yourself turning to Netflix or social media rather than reaching for that book you want to read? Do you watch three more episodes of a show rather than maybe read a chapter in your book?

Now, what kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t offer you guys some suggestions on how to get more reading time in after talking about all of the ways that your reading time is being influenced – a bad one, probably. So, here’s a list of things to keep in mind when you want to get more reading done!

Turn Off Your Wi-Fi

This is definitely something I’ve done a couple of times now, especially when I am trying to make sure that I stay focused on reading. Since I do all of my eARC reading on my laptop this might become more of a habit too!

Set A Timer

You can easily combine this with the previous point to give yourself a motivation boost! And you obviously don’t have to stop reading once your time is up! You might have just gotten into the rhythm of reading so just continue on! Sometimes all you need to do is to get started doing the thing you keep pushing back to get it done (I say as I ignore the dishes I should wash).

Make Time For Reading

With work and/or school you probably already have a lot on your plate so making sure to find time for your hobbies can be a great way to relax and wind down from your day. And you don’t have to set aside hours of reading time each day – 30 minutes before bed is great too! If you do it each day, that is a total of 15 hours of reading time per month. And that doesn’t even include any extra reading you might still do! Any reading is better than no reading, right?

Take Advantage Of Waiting Times/Commutes

If you take the bus to work or school that might be a great time to get some reading done! And if you can’t read in a moving vehicle – try an audiobook (PS: If you need some convincing as to why you should give audiobooks a chance click here!)! They are a great way to get some reading done when you can’t physically read a book. And I don’t know about you guys, but whenever I go to see my doctor, there is usually a waiting time of at least 30-45 minutes and while you can totally read one of the magazines there – you can also continue reading your book instead!

Join Readathons

While I have had not so good experiences with readathons before – mostly due to the fact that they had challenges and a set TBR because of it, I have really enjoyed participating in the 24-hour readathons that Zoe from readbyzoe hosts pretty regularly. There are no challenges and you can read whatever you want during a 24-hour timespan and usually, that is actually going to motivate me to read more that entire weekend which is a big plus in my opinion!

If you find yourself not getting as much reading done as you usually would try taking a look at the 6 things I mentioned above to make sure they aren’t hindering you from getting some reading done! And if you’re still having trouble getting reading done, try some of the tips I gave you – I feel like turning off your wi-fi might be the biggest tip I can give for people like me who constantly find themselves checking social media!

Are there any further aspects that you guys have discovered that keep you from getting any reading done? What is something that you would say takes away the most time for you (apart from school and work-related things)? Let me know in the comments below!

And what are your go-to methods to make sure you do get some reading done? Do you follow any of the tips I shared? Let’s share in the comments down below and make sure we help our fellow bookworms out even more with our combined experience!

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