How to Fit Reading into Busy (Life) Routines

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image source: here. edited by me.

I already have plans for this post since last year when someone suggested it in a giveaway. And I'm finally writing this now, because these days I realized how difficult it is to fit reading into my routines since I started working. So in this post, I will share some tips on how to fit reading into our busy (life) routines—to help you if you're struggling and also as a reminder for myself. There are of course tons of different ways to do so, and there are a lot of articles on the internet about this topic, but in this post I will just mention the tips that I would do. So here are some of the things that I did to fit reading into my daily routines :)

Schedule a certain amount of time to read / have a reading routine.
There are times when I have absolutely no time to read during the day. So these days, I always made a promise to myself to pick up a book about an-hour or two before my bedtime—and I will read a book. By having a schedule or habit like this, I will at least have an-hour of reading everyday (which is better than not reading at all).

Read during idle time.
Idle time is non-productive time, or times when you're doing nothing. For example when you're waiting at the doctor, waiting for a friend, or even when you're going to the bathroom ! At least your hands are idle xD For me personally, I've been taking advantage of the time I have on my way to work. The trip usually took about 45-minutes to one-hour, and it's enough to get me about several chapters. Not a lot, but it's the progress that counts.

Make sacrifices.
What I mean here is, sort your priorities. These days, I've sacrificed reading LINE Webtoon because I felt like reading a book is more enjoyable. I also spent less amount of time scrolling through Instagram, and watch less variety shows or Youtube videos lately. I sacrificed those things because they're less important to me than reading. But I will not sacrifice my sleeping time, and I also won't sacrifice the time I spent to go hang out with my friends or family—because those things matter to me. So it all depends on your priorities; and see if you can sacrifice some things to make time for reading.

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"You understand the importance of reading. You understand how to make it a priority above stuff like television and video games—but hopefully not prioritizing above relationships, family, and the other most important stuff in life." (☆)

Read shorter books / books that you (will) love.
Get motivated by reading books that you want or books that you know you'll love! It can be a comic book or a short story collection that won't take you too long to read. The point is, be motivated to read! These days, I'm reading books that I'm excited about; so I'm always waiting for a time when I can finally pick it up and continue reading.

Record your reading progress.
This one is from my own experience. Because I'm very active on Goodreads, every morning I always update my reading progress on the book I'm currently reading. Sometimes it annoys me how slow my progress is (obviously because I have no time to read), but seeing the progress encouraged me to make time to read so I can quickly finish the book and feel accomplished. If you have a similar habit as I am, you can also start keeping track of your reading progress :)

Life is hectic around our house. But I’ve somehow managed to make time to read in the middle of all that. And I say that not to pat myself on the back but to show that, even with a busy life, it is possible (and important) to make time for hobbies you’re passionate about. (☆)

There are of course many other ways that I came across on the internet, like: learn speed reading, set a reading goal, join a challenge, etc. But I'm not planning to do those things because I don't want to put pressure on myself. For me, reading is entertainment; it's a hobby of mine that I do for fun. I don't want reading to become something that I must do like an assignment, because that will take away the joy of reading. If reading is something important to you or at least something that you're passionate about, you can make time for it. Sometimes we need to get away from all our crazy routines, pick up a book for a little while and enjoy reading.

The last thing I'd like to say is, if you REALLY don't have the time to read (maybe you're taking care of a child, have lots of deadline, etc.), don't force it. Because I have also gone through days when at the end of the day I was too tired to pick up a book and all I wanted to do is close my eyes and sleep. So I go to sleep. I didn't read that whole day—which rarely happens to me. But there's always tomorrow when I can read again. So if you're also trying to read in the middle of your busy life, I suggest to analyze your routines and priorities first—and see when you can actually read. Maybe if you look hard enough and take away the less important stuffs, you'll see that reading can actually fit in your busy life routines :)

Some people read for entertainment. Some people read to acquire knowledge. Some for both.

To me, reading is more than a raw input. I read to increase knowledge. I read to find meaning. I read for better understanding of others and myself. I read to discover. I read to make my life better. I read to make fewer mistakes. (☆)

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So those are my thoughts and a little bit of personal tips as to how we can fit reading into our busy life routines. Are you struggling through the same thing as I am? Or do you have any suggestions you can add to the list? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below! Okay, that's it for this post. Keep reading! Bye!

 

  by.stefaniesugia♥ .