TOP FIVE READING SLUMP RECOVERY HACKS

My top tips for fixing that reading routine when you hit a slump

Hands up – who thought that self-isolation and a completely clear social calendar might help them to tackle their tottering TBR pile and catch-up on all the reading they have to do? Who was hoping to use the time to read some of the classics they’ve managed to miss so far? Or to finally read that 7-book series you’ve always been scared to commit to?

I was all of the above, and I went into ‘lockdown’ with a hope of reading at least 3 books a week and reducing my backlog to double figures instead of triple.

As you can probably guess by now, that’s not what happened at all. A week into ‘lockdown’ and I hadn’t picked up a book at all. I had all of this free time, but somehow couldn’t motivate myself to read. I spent endless hours sitting and watching YouTube videos or scrolling through social media, but every time I decided to give a reading a go, I’d fail within a few pages.

At first I was worried I might be the only one struggling, but when I put out a tweet about my conundrum, I quickly discovered I was far from the only one struggling.

Knowing how widespread a problem the reading slump is at the moment, I thought it might be useful to share some of my top tips for battling your way out of a slump and getting back into the reading routine.

TIP 1 - Don’t force it – take a few days off if you need them

If you’re anything like me, your gut reaction to a reading slump is to frantically bounce from book to book, desperately trying to cram reading time into my day whenever I can to try and revitalise my excitement. Does it work? No, of course it doesn’t. The best first step, when you know a slump is upon you, is always to take a few days off. Whether you’re halfway through a book, just a few pages from the end of hunting for your next read, you’ll find it much easier if you take a few days off to recharge your reading batteries.

TIP 2 – Re-organise your bookshelves

As a proud Ravenclaw, nothing brings me more joy than organisation, particularly when it comes to my bookshelves, and this is especially true during a reading slump. It’s a brilliant way to spend time around books without having to read (I also advise reading reviews and watching Booktube videos for the same reason), and, most importantly, every time I reorganise my shelves I find a new book to get excited about. Try it – have a forensic organisation of your shelves and you may be surprised by a gem you’d left gathering dust for the past six years.

TIP 3 – Try and build some reading time into your daily routine

So you’ve got a book you’re keen to read – whether it’s one your halfway through or something new. Now you just need to actually sit down (or lie down) and do it, but finding the time for this can often be the most difficult, particularly in times of upheaval like this.

For me, my commute was always a key reading time for me. I’d have 45 minutes or so a day where I didn’t have much choice other than to read. Over a week that’s nearly 4 hours, which is a huge chunk of most books (particularly as I’m quite a quick reader). All of a sudden, now I’m working from home, that commuting time is gone.

But then I realised that it wasn’t gone at all – it just looked different. Ever since that moment, I’ve tried to set aside 20 minutes before and after work each day to have a cuppa and a read, but this time I get to do it in the comfort of my bed rather than cramming onto a tube carriage. It takes some getting used to, but not only is it a great switch off from a day of work, but I’ve got quickly into the routine and before I knew it, I was reading daily again.

Not everyone has a commute (and for drivers, I definitely don’t advise reading while you’re travelling…) but most people have a time in their day that might work. Whether it’s your morning coffee break, the second half of your lunch hour, half an hour before bed or just ten minutes while you’re waiting for food to cook, try and build some time in and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

TIP 4 – Read something you know you’ll enjoy

I’ve seen so many people saying that the lockdown is the perfect time to catch up on some of the classics they’ve missed, or to finally read that ‘bucket list’ novel you’ve been putting off for years as too daunting. I confess, I’ve fallen victim to this myself, ordering Jane Eyre and The Turn of the Screw online (from fab indie Brooks Pinner!) just this week.

But ask yourself – why haven’t you read these already? Why have you opted for other books in favour of the classics or those tomes you’re daunted to read?

In my case, it’s because I’ve been prioritising books that I think I’ll enjoy, rather than books that I think I ‘should’ read.

Another question – why should the current situation be any different to normal? If anything, these are harder and bleaker times that normal life, so why would you try and make your reading any harder than you need to?

Read what you want. Don’t read what you think you should. Don’t read what everyone else is telling you is perfect for now. Read what is perfect for you and enjoy it!

TIP 5 – Don’t be afraid to re-read something you love

For most of my life, I’ve been that reader who is worried they’ll never have enough time to read all the books they want to. I think we’re all in the same situation – ceiling-high TBR piles, books constantly shared on social media that we want to dive in to. As a result, I spent years only reading books I’d never read before. Generally, I still prefer this – there’s so many to explore and I love discovering new writers and worlds – but sometimes, if you’re struggling with reading, there’s nothing like a beloved favourite to kick you back into gear.

I first discovered this in a reading slump a few years ago, when I started re-reading Harry Potter, and in my own recent slump, it was another classic that dragged me out of it, this time The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. It’s a book I’d read as a teenager and devoured (along with about seven other back-to-back Christie novels), but I’d never thought about revisiting. I’d read it once, I knew what was coming, surely there was no benefit to reading it again?

Boy, was I wrong. After over a week of not reading, I blitzed through the book in just over 24 hours, and I haven’t looked back since.

After years of being scared to re-read in case I missed out on the chance to read something new, re-reading is what saved my entire reading routine after all.

So there we have it – my top five tips that have always helped me out of reading slumps. I’m not expecting these will all work for everyone, but with so many people out there struggling to read, and desperate for an escape, I hope at least some of you will find these useful.

Let me know your own tips to get back into reading, below!