7 WAYS TO MAKE TIME TO READ

7 WAYS TO MAKE TIME TO READ

Be honest, do you make time to read? Reading is an amazing way to escape into new worlds, and I honestly think it is one of the greatest pleasures in life. But let’s be honest, life gets busy and days fill up, and finding time to read seems impossible, so I’ve shared a few ways that have helped me make time to read each day…

This post is guest written by the brilliant Helen Baker. Hels is an avid reader, copywriter and mama of two. You’ll find her chatting all things books on her blog or Instagram.

Always carry a book with you

It sounds obvious, but I never used to think about it because I had my phone so would just mindlessly scroll to pass the time. Now I make sure I always have a book in my bag with me, whether a physical book, or my Kindle.

Read before bed

Rather than letting Instagram be the last thing you think of before you go to sleep, why not escape into a book before you close your eyes? Whether you choose to fall down the rabbit hole with Alice, defeat Voldemort with Harry, figure out how to survive on Mars with Mark or solve a crime with Sherlock, a few minutes of reading before bed can make such a difference to your sleep. Since I’ve started switching off my phone and choosing to read a couple of chapters before bed, I’ve found it so much easier to switch off and fall asleep.

Read what you love

Read books you actually WANT to read. If you aren’t enjoying a book, leave it, otherwise you won’t care about finding time to read it. I went through a phase of only reading crime books, and so when I started a book that was a contemporary romance, I struggled to get into it because I was just waiting for someone to go missing or be murdered! (Think: “Ahhh this woman has a child…he’s going to get kidnapped or they’ll be separ…oh wait, no, she’s a loving mum and is just going on a nice date with a perfectly lovely guy…”) If I struggle to get into a book, I’m much more likely to put it down and forget about it for a while, and once I stop, I find it harder to start reading again.

Create a To Be Read list

I also find having a TBR list has been amazing. I used to find a book, read it, and then that would be it for reading until I stumbled across something else I wanted to read. Now I have a ridiculously long TBR list, including recommendations from some of my favourite book bloggers, books I’ve seen advertised, books recommended on Goodreads or Amazon etc. This also means that once I’ve finished a book, I can dive straight into the next!

Reading together

Reading doesn’t always seem like the most sociable activity, but reading with friends can be such a good way to help you find time for reading. Choosing to read the same book as a friend is always fun – you can discuss how you’re getting on and challenge each other to read a certain amount each day, and if you enjoy talking about books, joining a book club is a great way to encourage reading. The motivation of a timeframe and a chat is a great incentive to pick up your book. If you have kids, sitting and reading with them is always a lovely way to make time – especially when they want to read their own books and you can grab yours (and maybe even enjoy a hot cup of tea!)Join Beth’s Book Club here!

Use your commute

If you commute via public transport then it’s easy to make time to read twice a day! Ditch scrolling on your phone in favour of a good book. If you drive to work you could consider an audiobook.

Scroll less, read more

Whether you’re on your commute, waiting for a bus or train, your friend is running late or you’ve finally finished that to-do list, grab your book and use the time to read. Swap it for the times you’d usually grab your phone and mindlessly scroll. Run a bath and leave your phone in the bedroom!

I’ve figured out how to balance a book on top of a buggy, so I can even read while I’m walking  around the park. I’m also guilty of being one of those annoying people who reads while I walk, but I do make sure it’s a fairly empty street before getting my book out!

At Beth’s Book Club we read one book a month from a diverse range of authors and genres! The book club is free to join and entirely online. Avid and reluctant readers alike all welcome…JOIN HERE.

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