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I have this daydream where I go to the park and read under a tree. The sun is shining. It is not very hot. The ground beneath me is comfortable. I have snacks, I’m hydrated, and I’m enthralled by the book in front of me.
The problem is that it doesn’t usually turn out that way. Within two minutes, I’m sweating, my butt is aching from sitting on the tree roots, I realize I’ve forgotten breakfast and I can’t concentrate. So I close the book, go home and turn on the TV.
Perhaps you too have had a similar experience. We believe reading should feel as romantic as this historic event of our day.
“But if you wait for all those moments, you’ll never finish the book,” says Kevin Nguyen. He is the author of my documents And new waves, And is a reading preacher. In 2017, he wrote a popular article gq Magazine title “How to read an entire book every week”
the point here? Give yourself permission to read anytime, anywhere.
There are many other things you can do to start or restart a reading habit. A neuroscientist, organizer of a children’s book festival, and host of a book podcast shares his best advice.
Look for small opportunities to read throughout the day
Standing on the train platform? Have a few minutes to read. In a long line for lunch? You can get some pages! Read when you’re in a hurry to get to school or while you’re waiting for your clothes to be ready at the laundromat.
Don’t forget your commute, says Nguyen. “You’re driving to work? It’s audiobook time. You get on the subway? This is the time to open a book, not play video games on your phone or listen to a podcast.”
Keep your books within reach
Put books everywhere and always have one with you, and “pretty soon you’ll pick one up and start reading,” says Juanita Giles, executive director of the Virginia Children’s Book Festival.
“I have an upstairs book and a downstairs book, a car book and a bathroom book and a bathtub book,” she says.
Opt for paper version to reduce distractions
this is a tip marianne wolfA cognitive neuroscientist and author at the University of California, Los Angeles Readers, come home: The reading brain in a digital world..
When you read on your phone, you’re just a moment away from a text, email or news alert. Even if you turn them off, you may be forced by habit to look for other entertainment on your browser or social media.
You may also default to your usual screen behavior — like skimming for information, which Wolf says is “one of the biggest barriers to deep reading.” (For more in-depth reading tips from Wolf, Listen to his Life Kit interview Here.) So if you’re trying to get back into reading and you have a choice, choose paper.
Match the book you want to read with the time you have
Because books vary in format and demand different types of attention, it’s wise to read something light when you’re at the DMV, for example.
“Some books can be read very quickly. Siddharth can be read much faster than Narcissus and Goldmund Or poetry,” says Wolf.
If you don’t like a book, it’s okay to stop reading it
“If you’re falling asleep, checking your phone or rolling your eyes while reading a sentence, that could be a good sign that you don’t like what you’re reading,” says. traci thomasCreator and host of the book podcast heap.
“So put the book down. Save yourself. There are so many books to read in the world. It’s called ‘developing a taste,'” she says. (Thomas shares more tips about finding the perfect book with The Life Kit. Listen to the episode here.)
This episode was produced by Sylvie Douglas. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. We’d love to hear from you. Email us at LifeKit@npr.org. turn on life kit and listen apple podcasts Or spotifyAnd sign up for us Newsletter.
