How to Spend More Time Reading

Reading has always been a big part of my life, which is mostly thanks to my Mum for always encouraging me and buying new books to add to my shelf. I can't imagine life without having piles of books around me.

I hear a lot of people say that it's hard to find time to read in their busy schedules, and I can completely understand that. It makes me sad though, because it's something that makes me so happy. 

The thing I hated most about university life was doing readings for class instead of picking up a book I actually wanted to read. Now I have set times in my day where I can spend just 30 minutes reading to give myself a break from whatever I have been working on, and it has made such a difference to my productivity and mood. 

I am here to try and help you guys set some time each day just for curling up with a book and get through that TBR list you've been avoiding.

Here are my tips for spending more time reading:

Take a book everywhere with you 
You know that extra 20 minutes you may not have been expecting to have to wait? So you scroll through Twitter or Instagram to keep yourself occupied. Whether it's waiting for an appointment, the bus, or for a friend to show up, have a book ready to whip out and get a little but of reading done instead of staring at social media. If you have a Kindle, it would take up even less room in your bag too. Or download some e-books on to your phone so you can read anywhere!


Make time! 
This is true for so many things in life and it's all about priorities. If something really matters to you, you'll find time for it. Watch one less episode of that show you've been watching on Netflix and spend an hour reading instead. There have actually been a lot of nights after work where I didn't feel like watching TV, so I just spent a couple hours reading instead! Reading makes you happy and is great for stimulating your brain. Seek out times during your day/evening where you can squeeze in half an hour of reading time.

Swap social media for reading before bed  
This is actually key to my success of reading a book per week. One of my favorite bloggers ever, Kirstie from ayellowbrickblog, wrote a really inspiring post about doing the same thing and putting down your phone in favor of reading (make sure you go have a read!) And it's honestly one of the best/most healthy things I ever done.
I always make myself be in bed around 10pm and then I read for about 45 minutes. You can be surprised how far you can get through a book by doing this every night. It also helps me relax and switch off my brain before I sleep, which is something I struggle with if I spend my evening on Twitter. Even 30 minutes before bed is enough to send you off to sleep in a happy mood.

Buy books you're excited about reading 
There's nothing that stops me reading like a boring bookshelf. Then there are times where I have books just waiting to be picked up that I have been dying to read for some time. It always makes me prioritize time in my day to really dig into a new book. It's an exciting feeling! 
Get some inspiration of books you might want to read and let that be your motivation to pick up a book everyday. I'm constantly on the lookout for something new to dive into and it keeps my reading life fun. Go follow some great bookstagrammers and see what books they have loved, or shout yourself some new books on a shopping trip. One of my favorite booktubers is the lovely Sasha from abookutopia and she has some great recommendation videos if you want to check it out.

I hope that was helpful to some of you who struggle to find time to pick up a book. It really is about prioritizing a small part of your day and you'll be able to get through more books than you think! 

Make reading part of your everyday routine and let your brain escape the horrors of adulting for a little while : )

How do you find time to read? 

Steph x.