How To Get Out Of A Reading Slump

Book Slumps or Reading Slumps are as natural of a commodity as the common cold in the book community. You can catch the disease, anytime and anywhere.

But there’s no need to fear! For there are…probably thousands of posts on how to battle them, including this one now.

However, since I battled a 9-month long book slump which I got over earlier this year then recently was in another book slump for a 2 week period (that’s basically two in one year so far gah), I think we can qualify me as experienced enough on knowing how to get out of them.

Both short and long book slumps are equally hard and annoying. First, let’s get a definition:

Reading Slump

Commonly known as a book slump in the book community. Includes a lack of motivation to read books, finish books, and read in general.

Can last for as little as a few days to an uncertain number of months and years.Can have a slow to immediate onset and can be contracted from bad books, amazing books, reading stress, reading guilt and life in general.

Remedies and consequent results vary according to each person and their reading experiences.

Dreadful, isn’t it?

So, here’s a condensed list of 3 strategies you can use to get out of your reading slump:

Take a break & RELAX

For me, I’ve found that I get into reading slumps when I get super stressed. Especially when it comes to that time when you’re absolutely cramming assignments and study in a short amount of time, or even just when I’ve been so busy working and having other social events that I’m tired and just can’t be bothered reading.

Life can easily get in the way of your reading career when it affects your schedule and your mood. And that’s normal.

Going back to my WTF Wednesday post yesterday, you don’t have to always be reading to be a reader. If I don’t feel like reading, I won’t.

Kicking away that heart-crushing guilt is honestly the first step to getting into the right mindset and feel motivated to read again.

Ways you can relax: Netflix, reorganising things like your shelves, watching YouTube,

Think Chipmunk: Small, Light & Moody

This is the second step to the strategy I recently used to get out of a slump and that’s by reading small, light books according to whatever mood I’m in.

If you’re feeling like a contemporary, pick up a contemporary. Don’t be afraid to just drop it if it’s seriously bad or boring either. I like to think of this stage as the getting to know your current interests in reading again.

I ended up rereading the first Harry Potter book because it was all the above and I felt in the mood to start rereading the whole series, then I also read a super trashy YA paranormal book that I felt like and BOOM, I’m on track with my reading. I think it’s as simple as giving your brain what it really needs to unwind a little, instead of chasing the next greatest book in your collection or stressing over that overbearing tbr. So what if you have a massive tbr, we all do and librarians can’t have read every book in the library 🙂

Hide Away In A Cave For A Few Hours

Sometimes just getting into it and shutting off everything else can work wonders. This last strategy was what got me out of that super long slump earlier this year and changed my life.

I had slowly started to get a little motivated again, but social media and Netflix and other things were tugging at me. I was actually in a pretty bad place, and that’s when my superhero dad stepped in. I was having a really hard time, I was stressed and because of it, I was struggling with everything. He was calling me one night and he just said:

Just PICK UP A BOOK. ANY BOOK. And turn EVERYTHING ELSE OFF. Just READ OK?

 

That night, I did that and I finished that book and picked up another one, and another one and read more books in that week than I did in the last 3 months. My life drastically changed, I wasn’t as irritable or stressed or tired and there are scientific facts to back up why (which I shall blog about very soon). It was amazing. So thanks Dad, maybe you do just need someone to yell at you to read for you to finally get off your arse and actually READ.

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And I think that’s about it for my advice. Getting out of a slump can be hard but it’s essentially getting you back some energy, some mojo, whatever you want to call it, to regain that motivation and yearning for reading again.

I hope that helped a little if you’re currently in a book slump. I wanted to try to make it super simple because I personally have disliked a few blog posts where the possible ways to get over a slump are up to 30, which is so many and so complex and…bleh. Short and simple you know?

Let’s hope none of us gets into a book slump anytime soon and if you’re in one right now, I know you can beat it! I believe in you!

Until next time,

xx Tracy