We’ve all been there. The moment every reader dreads. The awful reading slump that hits us all at some time in our reading journey. So you may have asked yourself at some point, “How do I get out of this?” Well this blog post is for you then! These are simple tricks I use to try and pull myself out of it and I wanted to share it with you all!
Audiobooks
Audiobooks are such a great way to help yourself get out of a reading slump! I personally listen to audiobooks even when I’m not in a slump. These really help because you put an audiobook on while you do mindless chores around the house or even driving to and from work. You don’t have to physically force yourself to read, you can just turn it on and go. This also helps just get you to the point of the book that’s the juiciest and then you’re never going to want to shut it off!
There’s a few great apps for audiobooks that I’ve listed below. Some are subscription based and others you only need a library card to sign up and check out books!
- Audible (subscription)
- Everand-Formerly Scribd (subscription)
- Libby (free)
- Hoopla (free)
Re-read a favorite
Some people may think this is cheating but I think it’s a great way to pull yourself out of a slump. What better book to pick up then one you already know you love! Rereading a favorite of mine always helps me to remember why I love reading in the first place. I know it’s a guarantee that I’m going to love this book and that helps to lift my spirit. Plus it’s as simple as picking up an old favorite instead of trying to figure out what to read next. I know that always blocks me mentally sometimes, trying to decide what I should read next.
Read something short
Reading something short and sweet is guaranteed to get me out of a reading slump. This could be a comic book, graphic novel, or even a novella. When it’s short I feel so accomplished about finishing something that it boosts my self esteem and gives me the feeling that I did something. This great feeling helps to jumpstart me back into reading and before I know it I’ve read several comics and I forgot that I was even in a slump in the first place!
Phone a friend
Asking for a recommendation is such a fun thing to do! Whether you ask a friend, coworker, librarian, bookseller, almost everyone has a couple of good books they always recommend to others. This also helps to take the weight off of your shoulders on choosing your next read because sometimes that can be the biggest barrier to your reading slump. With a recommendation you don’t have to think about it, you just pick it up and read!
Be gentle with yourself
Reading slumps can be hard especially when you know you love to read. But always remember to be gentle with yourself. There’s a reason you’re in a reading slump in the first place. Whether it’s stress related to your job or personal life, or you haven’t been getting enough sleep or there’s too many things to get done around the house. There’s a reason you’re not picking up that book so try to identify what that is. Once you do, allow yourself some grace because we all go through these slumps and it’s normal and it’s ok. If you try to force it too much you’ll start to hate reading and no one wants that.
Take a deep breath and do something else for a minute like play a board game with your friends or family, put together a puzzle, pick up crocheting or baking. Taking time to explore other hobbies isn’t always a bad thing and just know you’ll always come back to reading!
I hope that you found these tips helpful and can add them to your arsenal of tricks to pull out when you want to read but feel like you can’t. If you have some tips of your own that I didn’t mention, feel free to let me know down in the comments below, I would love to hear them! I’m always looking for more ways to read 🙂 Also check out my BookTube video down below discussing this topic!
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