Reading can educate you, motivate you, or transport you into another world. Most people like to read, but just can’t seem to find the time. Here are seven ways to find more time to get books in your everyday life.
1. Carry a Book With You Wherever You Go
If you always have a book with you, you can fill the time that you discover. When you go to a doctor’s office and find yourself waiting for longer than expected, you can pull out your book and read. It’s better than picking up a magazine and reading half an article and then having to leave the magazine there.
2. Consider Audiobooks When Working Out
When you’re working out at a fitness center, you can still enjoy a good book. Audiobooks bring hands-free reading to you, so you can feed your mind as well as your body. A good story can also make your workout go faster as your mind escapes into an enchanting story.
3. Get Library Books
When you take out a library book, you have to return it by a set time, usually two weeks. Start reading right away and you’ll have an incentive to find the time to finish the book before you have to return it. If you buy a book, you don’t have as much incentive to finish it right away.
4. Turn Off Your Phone
When you decide to pick up a good book, shut your phone off. You don’t want any notification bells tempting you to look at social media.
5. Find a Quiet Place to Read
Finding a quiet place to read isn’t easy for some people. Reading at night before going to sleep was common, but now many people have to contend with a partner watching TV. It’s easy to get distracted. For some, taking a book to the park, or even the library, is the only way to get away from the distractions.
6. Find Books That Interest You
Don’t feel like you have to read great literary masterpieces unless you want to. If you want to read a historical romance or the latest horror novel, go for it. The important thing is that you enjoy yourself. There are book snobs that scoff at what they believe are trashy novels. Ignore people like this. Read what you like and you’ll read more often.
7. Listen to Audiobooks During Your Commute
If you take a train or bus to work, a good audiobook can make your commute a lot more interesting. You can also take a regular book with you instead, but this won’t work if you are driving.
If you need motivation, remember reading can reduce your stress as you escape your life and put yourself in the main character instead. Reading helps you build a richer vocabulary. When you read words contextually, you are more likely to learn them and incorporate them in your everyday speech. Reading also helps improve your memory. Unlike TV shows, there is no recap from last week, you must remember the plot.