Best Ways to Overcome Reading Slump

Are you struggling to get into any book? Trust me, we have all been there.

Even the biggest of the bookworms land up in a reading slump. So, do not worry! It may take some time for you to overcome your reading slump but remember that beating a reading slump is not so challenging. You need to keep a couple of things in your mind in order to get out of your reading slump.

I know you must have tried picking up a book but no matter hard you try, nothing seems to be working. Right? Sometimes the reading slump may last for a couple of days and sometimes even for a couple of weeks (Even for months in the worst case scenarios)

Let me begin by saying that reading slump has various phrases. The first and foremost being a phrase where you DO NOT feel like reading any book at all. I would suggest you not to force yourself into reading if you are at the first stage.

The next stage is where you are ready to pick up a book and you will end up reading just a couple of pages. Do not feel bad or guilty about it. Feel good because you are at least able to read. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a couple of pages. Be happy because at least you are making some progress.

Here are some of the best ways through which you can overcome the reading slump.

1. Take a break and do not force yourself to read

The first and foremost thing you need to accept is that you are going through a reading slump. I would mention this time and again that IT IS OKAY TO BE IN A READING SLUMP but forcing yourself to read a book that you do not feel like reading would be the worst course of action.

Try to channelize your energy in some other hobby or simply watch series/movies on Netflix, do bullet journaling, learn some new skills. I assure you that within a week you would feel refreshed.

2. Set achievable goals

When you are in a reading slump, it becomes very important to set achievable goals because if you are setting high goals for yourself, trust me you will not be able to achieve them. Do not force yourself to read a 300-400 page novel. When I was in a reading slump. I used to read 10 pages every day and at the end of the day when I used to achieve this goal, it used to provide me with a sense of accomplishment.

3. Try to make reading fun for yourself

The first thing you need to keep in mind is to make reading fun for yourself. Do not read just for the sake of reading. If you are not in the mood to read, let it be. Do not stress yourself to read a particular book if you don’t feel like reading it.

Try not to leave home without a book even if you know you aren’t going to read it.

4. Create a reading atmosphere

I would love to share that a couple of weeks back, due to my tests and assignment I was struggling to go through a book. I was looking forward to DNF that book but a part of me still wanted to read it. Then I found some relaxing Videos on YouTube which had the sound of rain and some sort of relaxing music.

And you won’t believe that with the help of that video, I was able to read 125 pages that day!!!! If it helped me I am pretty sure that it would help you as well.

5. Read at least one chapter before bed

Even if you are not reading the day long, try to read at least one chapter before bed. It will not just help you overcome your reading slump but also is very beneficial for sleep as well.

6. Step out of your comfort zone

I completely understand that for some readers, this is how you ended up landing into the reading slump but still I would suggest you to try stepping out of your comfort zone.

I’ve always been a person who loves watching thrillers/horror but never thought of picking up any thriller book. Last year, when I was in a reading slump, I ended up picking “The Good Daughter” by Karin Slaughter and ever since then, I am recommending it to everyone. I think, stepping out of my comfort zone helped me a lot to overcome the reading slump.

7. Go for short story collections

I think short story collections have always helped me overcome the reading slump. It would help to get you back into the feeling of reading and the moment you’ll finish a story you will be motivated to finish the rest of the stories in that particular book. In the end, the accomplishment you’ll get by finishing the book would be so satisfying.

8. Re-read your favorite novel

This is the simplest way to overcome reading slump but sometimes you might not want to read the book since you have already read and know the ending.

Whenever I am in a reading slump I read any book by Jane Austen. Believe me, I have read Pride and Prejudice 7-9 times and every time I read it I have some different opinion about the various characters. I even came up with various ideas and decided to prepare a guide to Jane Austen wherein I have focused on various things like- Why every man needs to read Jane Austen, My take on the Jane Austen couple, Why I fell for Mr. Darcy at the first place etc.

9. Do not go for a thick fat book

It is better to pick a book that you feel would take just a couple of days to get through. If you are not able to read more than 20-25 pages in a reading slump then I would suggest you not to go for lengthy books. It is very important to understand that when you are at a stage where your reading is very slowed down and you do not feel like reading much finishing even a single book can be a great accomplishment.