Written by contributor Cielo B
Ever been in a reading slump? It’s a terrible feeling. It leads to frustration, anxiety, and lack of desire for reading. Readers are always looking for ways to overcome it, but what they should really be trying to do is find the reason as to why they go into these slumps and avoid the things that might cause it. I believe the source of everything resides in unhealthy reading habits that are so easy to get read of and replace for healthier ones that can lead to a better, faster reading process. Keep reading to find out what are my five tips to a healthy reading life!
1. Read Only What Makes You Happy
Don’t feel obliged to read a book just because it’s “what’s hot” at the moment, because you bought it but then changed your mind, or because of the pressure that sometimes social media puts on the shoulders of the readers to read a certain book. If you’re a reviewer and like to request Advance Reader Copies, please just request those you’re really sure you want to read. Reading should be a fulfilling activity and a source of happiness for those who practice it, don’t settle for less.
2. DNF A Book If You’re Struggling To Keep Reading
Life is too short to waste time reading books that don’t speak to you, that don’t make you learn anything, and don’t bring a smile to your face or just a positive feeling to brighten up your day. If you can’t be bothered by the events of the book, by its characters, and you’re struggling to get to the end, just leave it. It’s okay. Go pick something you’re excited to read instead.
3. Don’t Make Reading The Only Thing You Do All Day, Every Day
Yes, reading is a wonderful hobby and I spend plenty of time doing it. Spending a whole day reading is something you can do every now and then, and it’d still be healthy because it wouldn’t interfere with other things in your life. But spending all your days reading (and reading only) and not taking time to practice other fulfilling activities can cause you to have migraine, disconnect from real life to an unhealthy point, and lose quality time with your loved ones. Know how to balance things and know when you could use some fresh air, cooking time, or having a good conversation with friends and family.
4. Track Your Reading
You’re probably wondering: “What does tracking your reading have to do with keeping a healthy reading life?” Well, let’s say you’re a fan of book series but don’t always remember every single one you’ve read, those you haven’t finished reading, and those you want to read in the future. Let’s say you like to keep yourself updated with the new releases but, when the time comes, you don’t remember which books were supposed to come out on a certain day.
Having spreadsheets or using Goodreads to track the books you read, your TBR, book series you’re reading, and more topics alike can save you lots of time and stress. It can also help you discover things like what genre you read the most, which author has been a constant on your bookshelves, and what kind of books you tend to DNF. Overall, it will help you analyse all kinds of stuff regarding your reading life.
5. Don’t Pressure Yourself To Review Every Book You Read
Some people feel better writing down their thoughts on every single book, but for some it can become a source of anxiety and stress. Sure, having a big number of reviews on your blog/Goodreads page can leave a good impression. The publishers and authors sure love it. But if you don’t feel like you have something to say about the book you just read, if it left you with a “meh” kind of feeling or you’re just not in the mood to sit down and write your thoughts, then don’t.
Definitely there’s plenty more that I’ve yet to discover, but the main purpose of this post is to encourage you to get rid of everything that brings feelings of anxiety, stress and pressure, and to never stop in the pursuit of the best reading routine to suit your needs.
