Reading slumps are readers’ nightmares, but what causes them and how can you best break out of them?
Let’s get into it!
What Exactly Is A Reading Slump?
Experiencing a reading slump can be quite challenging for those who have a deep passion for reading.
You might be feeling a lack of motivation to read, to the point where even picking up a book feels difficult.
Despite your love of reading, the idea of picking up a book feels tedious or draining.
It’s also possible that you’re having trouble keeping up with the story you’re trying to read.
You find it difficult to picture the story, and you start to lose concentration – thinking more about what you’re going to eat for dinner than the words on the page.
How To Recognise If You Are Experiencing A Reading Slump?
Some of these indicators will help you determine whether you are experiencing a reading slump or whether you simply need to get a little more rest and a five star read.
Disinterest
Typically, novels that formerly made you happy now make you feel absolutely nothing.
They might even make you feel guilty because you haven’t touched them yet or because you tried reading them and put them down after a few pages.
No concentration & easily distracted
You have a terrible time maintaining focus, become easily distracted, and only skim the words rather than fully understanding them.
Your books slowly disappear
You are gradually beginning to put your books away because you no longer want to look at them and they make you feel guilty about not reading.
They are disappearing from your night shelf one after another.
Constantly DNF’ing
You simply don’t feel motivated to read a book through.
You pick them up and try your hardest, but nothing seems to stick until you sigh, give up and put it aside.
What Can You Do To Prevent A Reading Slump In The First Place?
It is possible to recognise the early warning signs of impending reading slumps.
Pick Shorter Books
Finishing books faster than usual makes it easier to get back into the swing of things.
Select novels that will take you no more than two or three hours to finish instead of going for the big books that will take you days or weeks on end to get through.
Your enthusiasm for reading will gradually return thanks to the satisfaction of finishing a book and the focus-enhancing muscle exercise.
Go For Different Genres
Even if you think that you are exclusively drawn to a certain genre, it might be thrilling to try something new and mix things up occasionally.
You can always learn something new, and it keeps things interesting.
Weekly, Monthly & Yearly Goals
Setting yearly reading goals is something I really enjoy doing.
It’s so fun to see how many books I’ve read so far this year on Goodreads.
You can try to inspire yourself by setting reading challenges and goals. But don’t forget to give yourself achievable goals.
Instead of aiming for a 100 book reading challenge each year if you know you have a hectic schedule, try reading 30 or 40 novels.
Don’t go overboard or you risk being overwhelmed and experiencing reading burnout, which will without a doubt put you in a reading slump.
Audiobooks Counts As Reading
I hold this in high regard because I find that a lot of people can be very judgemental about audiobooks as an alternative to books or kindles.
Audiobooks are a great method to achieve your reading goals, especially if you’re a parent or just really busy in general.
The fact that you are absorbing information with your ears rather than your eyes does not alter the result.
It still enters your brain!
If you prefer to change things up with a good audiobook, don’t allow anyone make fun of you for it.
Discover more from FOUR PILLARS OF GROWTH
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
