My 5 Favorite Tips to Get Out of a Reading Slump
How do you get out of a reading slump? Do you try and push through only to make it worse?
As readers, we can all fall into the dreaded reading slump on occasion. In today’s episode of the podcast, I’m sharing my 5 favorite tips for getting out of a reading slump faster, because don’t we all want those slumps to be over faster?!?!
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Full Show Notes (Transcript)…
Hi there, I'm Stephanie Leopold and I am excited to welcome you to the Readerly Collective Podcast, where bookworms unite and geeking out is highly encouraged. Join me as we explore the world of books in the reading life, celebrating all types of readers and all types of genres. Grab your favorite beverage, cozy up in your reading nook, and let's dive in.
Hey there, fellow readers. You are here because you love books! Well, I have a special gift for you. I have a free audio that guides you through the five questions for your reading life to help you get the most out of your reading life. Head on over to www.thereaderlycollective.com/5questions. to grab your free audio.
Hey there, readers. Welcome to another episode of the Readerly Collective. I hope you're all doing well and reading some really great books. Today I'm going to talk to you about my five favorite tips to help you get out of a reading slump. So remember, as readers, we all go through ruts, not only in reading, but other areas of our lives. And then there's a reading slump that that we as readers fall into hopefully not very often. Last week I talked about the difference between a rut and a slump. So if you haven't listened to that episode you might go back and listen. It's like a short 10 minutes or so. But today we're going to talk about the reading slump and stick with me because I'm going to share five tips to help you get out of a reading slump. Hopefully, fairly fast.
Imagine, as readers we've been there, we can just think back to our last reading slump: we’re picking books that do not hit, , reading may feel like a chore. Maybe you can't focus; your brain keeps wanting you to do other things, or thinking about other things. I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like when I'm in a slump, the books that don't hit, I just sometimes want to throw them across the room for whatever reason, and it seems like the more I try to slog through a slump, the worse it gets. We're like, I tried everything. I keep trying different books. I keep DNFing and picking up something new and I just can't finish a book. So after this episode and , after I tell you the five tips, hopefully you'll be able to recognize when you're in a slump earlier, and then be able to implement some of these tips so that we can move through it faster. We're not trying to fight against it. We're just trying to do something different while we're in it.
So here we go. Five tips. Number one, read something completely different than what you normally read. And, it's kind of a two parter, maybe read it in a different format. So I myself usually am reading mystery and suspense more often than not. And when I find myself starting to feel like I'm in a slump, I reach for something completely different. I listen to an autobiography or a memoir on audio. . Maybe I read a rom com. Maybe that's reading a book of short stories or essays, right? Something completely different. Now if you are an eclectic reader, right, obviously this tip may not apply to you. However, I always like to think about what I have been reading lately. Have I been leaning towards a certain genre or a certain format? Paperback, hardcover, audio. And how can I maybe change that up to see if that helps me get out of a slump?
Okay, so completely different. Number two tip to help you get out of a reading slump, read a tried and true favorite, right? Even if that is a kid's book. Listen. it was a few years ago, I went back and re read Ramona Quimby, Age 8. My very favorite book I remember reading as a child. A lot of people, you know, re read Harry Potter. It doesn't have to be your favorite kid's book, but I think sometimes that helps because I'm not normally reading children's fiction. And so that also changes it up a little bit and it's a favorite. So some book that you remember reading for the first time, maybe it has a lot of memories around it, or you just love the story and it feels like sitting in front of a warm fire with a, with a blanket. You're all cozied up. It's just comforting. So if you find yourself in a reading slump, go back and reread a favorite.
Okay, number three. I love this one - take yourself out. Take yourself out on a book date. This can be browsing the library, a bookstore or maybe you take your book that you're reading or trying to read and you go grab a coffee and you just take some time for yourself. It's one of my favorites. I just love a trip to the bookstore. It is just one of those simple pleasures in life - a trip to the bookstore to browse. Maybe a new book will jump out at you and that's also what you need to get out of your slump. But, just take a little time for yourself. Take yourself out on a book date. I love it.
Tip number four. This one is difficult for me, and that is to take a break from reading. I think as readers this is a hobby and a passion that we love so much and brings us so much joy and even when we are in a slump we want to keep reading. It's our identity. It is who we are and so sometimes taking a break from reading can be difficult. And it might just be what your brain needs, especially if you're feeling like you can't focus or reading has been feeling like a chore, right? we do not want that in our reading lives. Here's my motto, we already have so many things that we have to do that are not fun, reading should not be one of those. So whether that is a couple of days or a week or a month or whatever you need, take a break. There's no rule that says, okay, I'm going to take a break and I'm not going to be able to read anything for six months. There have been times where I've had really busy times at work and I come home and my brain just cannot focus and so, a couple of days, a few days, of resting, of doing something else, may be exactly what you need to get out of a slump.
All right and the fifth tip to get you out of a slump, the biggest, most important one, I think, is be kind to yourself. I think this is where the slump can start to feel worse. We're trying to slog through it and it's like, I love reading. Why can't I just find a book that works right now? What is wrong with me? I shouldn't be feeling this way. I love to read, why is this so hard? Right? None of those thoughts are really helping. Knowing that, ugh, gosh, I'm in this slump. This sucks. I hate it. But it is what it is. Like, this is where I'm at right now as a reader. I will experience A slump, I'm sad to say. If you have never experienced a reading slump, I want to talk to you because I think you're a unicorn. But being kind to yourself and just recognizing that this, this is where I'm at right now. Maybe, I'm dealing with a lot of stress outside of my norm. Maybe work is really busy. Maybe kids are going through something. Maybe there's a big change going on that is not the normal kind of routine that I'm in. And what is it that my reading life needs right now? Do I need a completely different book or a different format? If you don't normally listen to audio, or you can’t focus. I love to put in an audiobook when I'm doing the dishes and just kind of doing little pickup around the house. Try something different. Maybe your reading life needs to revisit. a favorite, a comfort read that has a lot of memories attached to it. Maybe that's what it needs. Maybe you need to take some time for yourself and take yourself out on a book date to a bookstore or a library or just a little time for you and books. Maybe you need to take a break. Last but not least, to help your reading life and to get out of a slump you have to be kind to yourself. That's one that's kind of non negotiable. That will always help is being kind to yourself.
I always hope that gives you something new to think about for your reading life. Ways in which you can think about reading slumps maybe in a different way. Like, oh, I never really knew there was other tips and tricks to get out of it. I just always try to just push through it. That's why I love to share this stuff. I want us to all get the most out of our reading lives and help each other out in having more fun and more enjoyment out of this hobby that we love. Again, hope you enjoyed it. I hope it gave you something to think about and I will chat with you next week.
Well that closes another chapter on this week's episode of the Readerly Collective podcast. Remember the conversation doesn't have to end here. Connect with me on Instagram at the Readerly Collective or over in our Facebook group. All you have to do is search the Readerly Collective.
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