Reading slumps, do they really exist?
Actually for me, a reading slump and a reading break is not the same thing. A reading slump according to me is when you pick up a book, try to read it and you fail, then you pick up another book , try to read it and fail. And a reading break is something at least i take to avoid reading slumps. If i know I'm going to have it though in school and won't have time for reading, i won't pressure myself to do it, and that is usually when i take a reading break. Today I'm going to write a bit about how to avoid reading slumps and tips to those who already are in a reading slump, let's start with the "how to avoid" shall we?
1. Read when you feel like it.
Don't make reading something you have to do. Because if reading is something you have to do, like homework or cleaning your room or something like that, you might not want to do it, or you'll get tired of it. Read when you're really in the reading mood.
2. Make sure you have done all the things you have to do before reading.
Many people can just sit down and read knowing that they have other things to do. They can shut out those things and only focus on reading, and to them i say, great for you. But if you're like me then if you sit down and read, and know you have something else to do , that little something stays in the back of your mind and you can't focus 100 % on the book in your hands. If you have homework, then do that before you sit down and read. If you have a messy room, then clean it before you read. If you have something at work, then get that done before you read. I promise it will feel much better when you can 100 % focus on the book without stressing about things you have to do.
3. Make time for reading.
This is kind of the opposite of the first tips but not really. I said that you shouldn't make reading something you have to do, because that puts pressure on you and you might get tired of it. But if you are like me. If you have school or friends or family taking up almost all your spare-time then make time to read. You don't have to make a schedule for reading but decide some certain time of the day where you can read if you feel like it. Now when i have school , I for example have decided that reading time is either in the morning, while eating breakfast or at night before i go to bed. And i don't pressure myself into doing it if i wake up one morning and don't feel like it but i still know that these times i can read if i want to without feeling that i have to do anything else.
4. Focus on 1 book.
A lot of people have trouble reading more than 1 book at a time. I am one of them. I can maybe read two books if they are from the same genre. Right now for example I am reading Heir Of Fire. Heir Of Fire is a fantasy book which means it has a lot of new words, it's pretty big, and the world is sometimes complicated to understand. Most fantasy books are that way. You have to focus on only that book because it's so much to take in. Even if you're one of those people who can read several books at once i recommend tbat you don't. Finish one book before you start the other. And only read more than one if they are from the same genre.
5. Don't look at you "to be read" list/shelf.
Many people that read also collects books, and most book-collectors have that shelf with the books they haven't read. Or if you don't collect books you might have a list of books you want to read. Anyway , don't focus on your TBR. I have about 73 books in total on my shelf, 20-21 of them is books i haven't read. Many people i watch on youtube or meet on twitter or other social medias have a lot more. Some people have even up to 300 books on their TBR. My advice is not to think about it that much. It draws focus from the book you are reading, and it might cause you not to enjoy that book as much as you would have. Also don't feel like you have to read everything on your TBR right away. Read the books you feel like reading and when you have done that you can think about what to do with the other books that you feel like you're never going to read.
Okay, so i take that if you read this, you are already in a reading slump right? Let me help you.
1. Find out the source / the reason to your reading slump.
The source doesn't have to be a book. You don't have to be in a reading slump because of a book. It can be because of personal reasons that you didn't think of. You can of course get into a reading slump because of a book. If it was a book that was in a genre you weren't really in the mood for , or if it was a book that everyone loves and you didn't like that can lead to a reading slump. But sometimes it's not the book at all. Think about how you were feeling when you slowly got into the reading slump. Were you stressed because of school? work? family? And if it is the book that caused the reading slump try to remember why. Was it because you were not really in the mood for fantasy? Not in the mood for romance? Or was it just simply that you did not like the book?
2. Your well being comes first.
If it was in fact because of stress that you got into a reading slump my advice is: take a break. If you don't feel like reading for a week/month/ several months even a year, then don't- Don't feel pressured by your huge TBR or pressured by other readers. Because sometimes when we see that other readers read this and that many books / year / month we get stressed out. Even if we don't think about it. But your well being comes first. Your health comes first. If reading is stressing you at the moment then take a break and read again when you feel like it.
3. If it is because of the genre....
Let's say you were reading a fantasy book. A fantasy book takes up a lot of concentration to begin with. You have to really focus on that big and fantasy books are usually huge. If you don't feel like reading fantasy and then read fantasy because you really want to read that book , because you are excited for it and everyone is talking about it. Put the book down. It doesn't mean that you will never read it, it only means that maybe you are not in the mood for fantasy. Look at your shelf, and really think about what you are in the mood for.
4. Re-read.
I know many people doesn't want to reread books because they have so many books to read that they haven't read but my best advice to people who are in a reading slump is to reread your favorite book/books. I always do this. Find that book that you will never get tired of, and that book that you know you love. For me it's always divergent or harry potter.
5. Read shorter books.
My last advice is to read a shorter book if you are in a reading slump and want to get out. Reading a 800 page fantasy won't help you get out of the slump. Read a book that has maybe maximum 300 pages.