I don’t know about you guys, but ever since high school it has been hard for me to find time to read just for fun. 😢 (Single tear!) In college I focused a lot on what I had to read for class only because I would run from class to my job(s) in the afternoon. 🤷🏻♀️ I would definitely say though that having been a Writing major, a lot of what I read about Greek philosophy or modern novelists really helped me find my voice.
Anyways in this post I am going to share a few ways I have been finding more time to read. 📚If this is something you struggle with, trust me — you are not alone. 💖 As always feel free to grab your trusty cup of tea or coffee ☕️ and check out these three ways I find more time to read for fun.
#1: Wake. Up. Earlier.
I know what you all might be thinking… Duh! Everyone says to start the day early. 🌅 But it really works. By night time I am usually too exhausted to read for fun. So this morning I woke up just one hour before my alarm. Not only did it ease my stress knowing I wouldn’t be late to my fiance’s competition this morning but I was able to set a really positive tone for my morning that echoed throughout the ENTIRE day. I also (finally) started Harry Potter 7! Yeah, really.
#2: Read Before Starting Homework or the Work Day
This is a habit I’ve been building ever since grad school and it has really helped me a lot. If I haven’t read in the morning already and I’m sitting at my desk ready to start work, I will spend 10-20 minutes traversing an uplifting and more light-hearted book 💛 to get myself into the reading I have to do for classes. 😻 I find that it helps me stay more motivated once I start schoolwork.
#3: Listen to Audiobooks!
Simple enough, right? If your budget is tight you can find audiobooks for free on YouTube. I try to make sure that if I read a book for free on YouTube that it was either approved by the author or narrated by the author. For example, sometimes I’ll read Harry Potter audiobooks on YouTube because I don’t have all the copies anymore. Right now I am reading Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder because it was a recommended audiobook for my criminal law class.
Once you have found the perfect audiobook, preferably something posted or approved by the author, hit play while you’re sweeping, doing your makeup, driving to work, going to sleep, or something of the sort. It’s the perfect way to get in a little reading when you simply can’t dive straight into a story for hours on end (le tiny sigh).
These are just a few ideas that have worked for me and helped me get some reading time in. I hope they have helped you out! How do you find extra time to read your favorite books? Please comment below — I would love to hear from other readers!
Lauren Savoie 