Reading Slumps + How to Deal With Them
- Holly Lauren
- Jan 4, 2018
- 3 min read
I hope everyone is having a wonderful start of 2018! Did you make any resolutions for this year? Any of them book related?
2017 was a pretty good year for myself. Sure there were a few bumps and swerves in the road, but it was all good, I managed to push through them. Oh, and I also dived into this huge, deep hole called a reading slump! Yes, I suffered from the most brutal case of a reading slump, and no, it wasn't a fun time.
I read a total of 7 books throughout the entirety of 2017! No matter what I did, I just couldn't find my reading mojo. I even asked my fellow friends on bookstagram on how to overcome a book lover's nightmare and still I had little to no luck! But thankfully, towards the end of October, I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel and managed to finish 4 books in a little over two months. I know that's not a lot, but it's a whole lot better than having months pass and still not picking up a single book.
So with this experience, I give you my (hopefully) helpful guide to biting a reading slump in the butt!
First off, what is a reading slump?
A reading slump is when a reader has no motivation to pick up a book and read. Pretty self explainitory, if I do say so myself.
How to know if you're in or heading into a reading slump?
Signs of a reading slump consist of:
- Reading less
- Not wanting to pick up a book
- Lack of motivation
- Watching Netflix instead of reading
- Saying you'll read at this time, but never do
- Questioning if you'll ever read again!
1. Read a book that you WANT to read!
You hear that? Pick up a book that you have been wanting to read! Put down that book that you only bought because everyone in the book community owns it and yet, you have no interest in reading. This may be a huge factor in why you don't want to read!
2. Buy a new book!
Remember, buy a book that YOU want to read! Sometimes getting a new book gives you new motivation to start reading again.
3. Reread an old favorite!
I'm sure there's at least one book that gives you all warm and fuzzy feelings when you reread it. Reading a book that you once loved will surely give you those same feelings all over again and hopefully it'll rekindle that fire to jump into other books once you've finished!
4. Try a new genre!
I know this sort of contradicts no. 1, but hear me out first! Maybe trying a completely different genre than what you normally go for will give you a new found discovery of something you never knew you enjoyed! Try out an autobiography of one of your favorite people, a historical fiction set in your favorite era, or even a mystery novel!
5. Take a break!
And lastly, maybe you should give yourself a little time off from reading. Stressing over the fact that you haven't read a book in weeks or even months, isn't going to miraculously make you want to read. It'll most likely do the opposite! That little break may last only a week or maybe even a year, but you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. You're still a lover of books, you're motivation will come back before you know it!
If you're currently in a slump with your reading, I hope this short list of the things you can do helps you out in some way! Reading slumps are never easy, but just remember this time will pass eventually and tons of readers hit a stint in their reading every once in a while!
What do you do when you're in a reading slump? I'd love to hear new tips!
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