How I Find time to Read Every Day.

One of the questions I have often been asked since blogging about my latest reads, and posting lots of bookish pictures on Instagram is: ‘How do you find time to read as much?’, usually closely followed by ‘How many books do you actually read?’

My immediate response to this question about reading time might be  “Its easy to find time to do the things you love”  To some extent, I’m sure you’ll agree.  Those things which are important to us or bring us joy are the ones which often (rightly) get given the priority in our lives.  And although I do believe that,  I don’t believe its the full or even the most truthful answer.  In a world where many of us work long hours, or have big commutes, or have caring responsibilities or  busy family lives, or just get caught up in the craziness of life, finding time to do something as supposedly simple as sitting down with a book can be tricky.

Bearing all that in mind, I thought it might be useful suggest a few of the tips which work for me and ensure I have time to read every day. For those of you who want to read more, or even read at all, but struggle to find the time to do so, I hope you will find what follows useful.

Always have a book with you.

I often jokingly say I never leave the house without a book.  In fact its true. Were I to be without a book I would start to panic – truly!  Waiting time whether it be at a bus stop or in the dentists waiting room or in a car, if you are collecting someone from somewhere is perfect reading opportunity time.  You will be amazed how much reading time you can gain in a week just from snatching 5-10 minutes here and there throughout your day.

Hide the phone!

Although I absolutely love my i-phone and would not be without it.  It is a hugely distracting thing to own.  I’m sure everyone reading this, like me will often find themselves mindlessly scrolling though Facebook or Instagram, and suddenly half an hour has passed.  Thats half an hour which could have been spent being lost in a good book rather than in the life of someone you will may never meet. (And I say that as a huge lover of Instagram).  A good practice when at home and, is to leave your phone in your bag, or in a different room or even up on a high shelf.  Just somewhere you can’t see it or won’t be tempted to pick it up everytime you see a notification come in. This makes it much easier to give yourself over to some lovely reading time.

Read Before Going to Sleep

This is the perfect reading time.  Hopefully by this time of day, you are relaxed enough to become absorbed in what you are reading.  Going to sleep is the one thing we all do every day. I cannot go to sleep without reading, and can’t remember a time when I didn’t read before going to sleep.  If you find you fall asleep as soon as you start reading the first page, then maybe think about turning the TV off a little earlier or stoping what you are doing and reading for 10 minutes before you actually get into bed.

Read When You Wake Up or When Eating Breakfast.

If you really aren’t someone who can read at night, then think about how you can fit reading into your morning schedule.  Think about setting your alarm half an hour earlier.  Maybe before the rest of the household are up, or before you have to think about getting ready for the day ahead.  That quiet time to you self with a cup of tea and a good book is a lovely gentle way to start the day.  I will do this if I’m desperately trying to finish a book or just want a calm start to the day.  Even reading during the 10 minutes it might take you to have your breakfast is a great way of building some reading time into your day.

Don’t persist with a book you are really not enjoying or not looking forward to picking up.

If you are already struggling to find time to read don’t waste the precious reading time you do have on something you are not enjoying.  I believe the more you read the better you get at finding the books you like.  I don’t often give up on a book but I do have  an unwritten rule.  If I’m not enjoying or getting anything from a book by page 100 then I give it up.  I actually think often you will know its time to stop way before page 100. There are too many books out there which I know I will enjoy reading, to spend time on a book I’m not.

Choose books which are not too daunting.

By this I mean if you know you will only ever read for a maximum of 15 minutes every couple of days, perhaps don’t choose enormous tomes which will take you months to get through.  The likelihood is, unless it is really gripping, you will lose eventually lose the will to continue.

Make the most of Holiday Reading.

I usually do some of my best reading on holiday.  Often because it involves a journey, whether plane or train or both.  But often because I am just generally more relaxed, less distracted and have uninterrupted time to sit and read.  I also find when I’m on holiday I’m much less likely to be interested in social media and emails so am generally less inclined to get involved in the mindless scrolling!  I always take a stack of books on holidays and usually come back with the majority of them read.

The most important thing is to enjoy your reading.   Looking forward to the next time you will be able to pick up your book, thinking about the book you are reading even when you are not reading it, or simply being lost in a book is the most wonderful thing.

I hope these thoughts have helped.  Do let me know if you have any other tips which help you find time to read each day.