How to Make a Habit of Reading

Developing a Habit

Set aside time to read every day. It may be just 5-10 minutes that you have to spare, but crack a book open at least once a day. Try to anchor your reading habit to something else you do every day. For instance, read while you eat or have a cup of tea. Reading before bed is also a great way to develop your reading habit. If you can, read at the same time every day so your brain starts to associate that time as “reading time”. If you sit down for just 10 minutes 4 times a day, that’s 40 minutes of reading every day! If you travel a lot, read on the plane, bus, or train instead of watching a movie or scrolling through social media. There's no right or wrong when you're choosing what time you should read each day. If you enjoy reading before bed, for instance, you might sit down with a book for the last 30 minutes of your day. However, if you prefer reading during the daytime, you might set aside a few minutes on your lunch break or after work.

Read interesting books. If you're not engaged by the book that you're reading, it can make reading feel like a chore. But, if you’re really into what you’re reading, you won’t be able to put the book down and reading will be fun. Choose books that seem interesting to you. Ask your friends, family, or librarian for recommendations on books in a genre you like or about a subject that you enjoy. If the book really doesn’t grab your attention, it’s okay to walk away from it. Read the first chapter or so and if you’re not interested, move on!

Carry a book with you everywhere. This is an easy task in today’s world when you can carry a book on your phone or on a small e-reader. The size and weight of books are no longer a hindrance to reading on the go. Keep a book with you at all times so you can read during any free time you have throughout the day. If the bus is running late or if you're standing in line or waiting to meet up with a friend, open your book and read.

Join a book club. Being part of a reading group gives you some accountability for your reading. Joining a book club could be just the thing to spark your reading habit. You could also start a club of your own with your friends. Make sure the club is committed to finishing and discussing the books each month. Join a group that reads books that you know will be interesting. If you really like fantasy books, join a fantasy book group. If you can’t or don’t want to meet in person, you could join an online book forum or social media group that focuses on reading, instead.

Make a cozy reading space. Setting the scene for reading will make it even more fun for you. Make a space that you will love lounging in while you're reading. It could be a comfy chair or a bunch of pillows on the floor; just make sure it is comfortable and inviting. It is also essential that the space has good lighting so you don’t strain your eyes. Curling up with a soft blanket and squashy pillow can make reading a delightful way to rest and recharge. Have a plate of snacks and tea or coffee nearby to enjoy while you read.

Maintaining the Reading Habit

Make a list of books you want to read. It will be easier to maintain your reading habit if you have plenty of interesting books to read. Sometimes the only reason you stop reading is because you don’t have another book in the queue waiting for you. Having a list you can refer to will help you with this so you’ll always know what to read next. Reading a series that you enjoy makes it easy to move on to the next book as soon as you finish one. Look at reading lists for best-sellers or lists specific to genres you enjoy for ideas.

Find recommendations based on books you enjoyed. If you really liked a certain book, you may also enjoy books by the same author or books in the same genre. There are websites, like Goodreads, that can help you find similar books to your personal favorites. Ask friends and family if they have suggestions on what to read. You could even create a social media post like, “My favorite book is All the Light We Cannot See. Does anyone have a recommendation for a similar book?”

Keep a reading log. Writing down the titles of books as you read them is a fun way to track how much you have read and the different types of books you’ve gone through. Using the website Goodreads is an easy way to track your reading and find suggestions for new books to read. You can also share what you have read with friends and family and see what they’re reading. Write down when you started and finished the book along with a few thoughts about the book when you finish it. Some libraries allow you to opt-in to a program that tracks the books you check out so you can view the list online whenever you want.

Browse bookstores and the library. Another great way to find new books to read is to browse through lots of books. Used bookstores are a great and inexpensive way to find some new and interesting books. The library is a free way to get new books, which is even better! If you don’t want to buy a bunch of new books, browse the bookstore and write down the titles that you want to read in the future. You can also see if your library has these titles on hand.

Set reading goals. The best way to maintain a new habit is to make it fun and set some goals. Set a goal to read a certain number of books each year and do your best to stick to it. You can start small with 5-10 or go all out and try to read 100! You could also set a goal to read all the books from a certain book list. Setting a goal gets you in the mindset to accomplish it and will help remind you to read every day. Achieving a reading goal is extremely satisfying and will make reading even more fun.