Tips for reading more

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4 Nov 2010
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I know... 'Just do it' springs to mind...

But I find I struggle to fit reading in, and I really wish I would more...

Drive to work, busy on an evening, usually check my phone before falling asleep. Aside from a few hours on a weekend and on the toilet, I really seem to struggle! Any tips?
 
I've got back into reading recently after becoming mind-numbingly bored sitting reading the same old forums or watching television that I'm not interested in during an evening. If you have you book/nearby then just pick it up and read a few pages, even just a bit before bed, I'm enjoying this otherwise wasted time a lot more now.
 
Sliver said:
If you really want to do something then you'll make time for it. :rolleyes:
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This.

Assign an evening a week, i.e. don't make plans on a Monday anymore and spend it reading.

Or, try to do 20 minutes every date before bed, and just miss a little sleep.

Or, just schedule some regular time every weekend...
 
Listen to audiobooks on your commute. I started about 10 years ago and don't even bother with the radio anymore. No more DJ's talking nonsense, no more repeated music loops with the same tracks over-and-over-and ...

As an added incentive, I listen to a far broader selection of books that I would actually read so it's be great for that. It also makes my 40 min commute fly by. :)
 
I became a bit bored with gaming recently and started using my kindle.

Finished two books and read 300 pages of my current book in about 3 days, sorry if that's laughable to anyone but to me it's great.

I find I can't listen to music because the lyrics and the book text gets scrambled and I end up not remembering anything I read.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
just tell yourself your going to read one chapter before bed (should only take 5-10 mins), before you know it you will have read 3 or 4.

repeat above every night
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I think this is one of the best ways. Everyday at a set time just open the book and commit 5 minutes to reading a few pages. You'll usually find that you'll end up reading for longer but even if you do 5 minutes that's the start of a reading habit!
 
Psycho Sonny said:
just tell yourself your going to read one chapter before bed (should only take 5-10 mins), before you know it you will have read 3 or 4.

repeat above every night
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I was lured into a false sense of security with a similar old wives' tale "read some of a book at bed time to put you to sleep."

Trust me when I say that reading the Warhammer Horus Heresy books before bed does NOT make you sleepy or tired, but fires you up with excitement (if it is a good story that you can get into - the Dark Angels stories are pretty poor and good sleep material).

I once laid down in bed at around 22:00pm for a deliberate early night, and couldn't put the book down until 3:00am. :mad:

Motivationally though, I find that everything becomes more thrilling to do than reading - iPhone checking in bed, TV for a film before bed etc. Yet when I finally do get into a book, I cannot under any circumstances put it down until i've finished it, and even then, when it is finished (if it was a good book) you feel hungry for more.
 
RedvGreen said:
Motivationally though, I find that everything becomes more thrilling to do than reading - iPhone checking in bed, TV for a film before bed etc. Yet when I finally do get into a book, I cannot under any circumstances put it down until i've finished it, and even then, when it is finished (if it was a good book) you feel hungry for more.
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I absolutely find this. Mostly the lure of those +1 notification icons that must be replied to or else they'll go unanswered for eight hours!!!!. But as soon as I'm actually reading, it's fine.

I'll try to get into the habit of reading before bed... Maybe charge the phone on the other side of the room.
 
RedvGreen said:
I was lured into a false sense of security with a similar old wives' tale "read some of a book at bed time to put you to sleep."

Trust me when I say that reading the Warhammer Horus Heresy books before bed does NOT make you sleepy or tired, but fires you up with excitement (if it is a good story that you can get into - the Dark Angels stories are pretty poor and good sleep material).

I once laid down in bed at around 22:00pm for a deliberate early night, and couldn't put the book down until 3:00am. :mad:

Motivationally though, I find that everything becomes more thrilling to do than reading - iPhone checking in bed, TV for a film before bed etc. Yet when I finally do get into a book, I cannot under any circumstances put it down until i've finished it, and even then, when it is finished (if it was a good book) you feel hungry for more.
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It doesn't put me to sleep, I find it lets my mind focus on something that isn't work or life before I go to sleep, which means that when I do decide to drift off I sleep better.

Also, phone --> airplane mode and no TV in the bedroom!
 
I've always tended to read a fair bit, but found after getting an ereader I was reading even more - partly because it meant I could carry what would often be fairly big books (if printed on paper) with me very easily, and it's much more comfortable to read a light book in bed etc (something like a Peter F Hamilton tome* is hard to read in long stretches unless you're a weight lifter;)).
Something like the Kindle's or Nooks with built in lights would be ideal for reading in bed without disturbing your partner.**

As has been suggested try and find some time when you can fit it in every day, or do it whilst dinner is cooking etc.


*I think he commented once that apparently he was reaching the point at which the binding methods were struggling ;) (one of his trilogies weighs in at about 3200 pages).

**The only real reason I haven't upgraded is because my trusty Sony 505 is still working fine (at nearly 5 years old).
 
Hah, I'm also still rocking with my Sony 505 (non-touchscreen AND in red)

Back on topic, try a book of short stories. That'll satisfy you if you've got limited time, and as a bonus you might find authors that give you the impetus to read more.
 
Andelusion said:
I've got back into reading recently after becoming mind-numbingly bored sitting reading the same old forums or watching television that I'm not interested in during an evening. If you have you book/nearby then just pick it up and read a few pages, even just a bit before bed, I'm enjoying this otherwise wasted time a lot more now.
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This :)
 
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