How To Get Out Of A Reading Slump
1. Revisit a Childhood or Teenagehood Favourite
Sometimes the best way to get back into reading is to re-read something that got us into reading, or kept us going, before.
Childhood books can bring an endearing, almost magical sense of nostalgia, plus the simplistic joy of getting lost in a great story. The same goes for the stories we ate up during our teenage years, fully feeling every emotion they evoked as we grew.
Familiarity is comforting, reconnect with those familiar characters and beloved plots.
2. Let Your Ears Do the Reading
For some, just the act of sitting still and having to focus eyes or undivided attention on a book can be difficult at times.
Audiobooks give you the freedom to read while doing chores, exercising, commuting or lying somewhere more comfortable.
This change in book formats can eliminate any pressures or accommodations that feel tied to reading physical books, reigniting your love for stories. Plus, the narrations are likely to feel as engaging as when we were enthusiastically read to when we were younger.
Get your first three Audiobooks free here.
3. Read Short Stories or Anthologies
You don’t have to read lengthy books to be considered a reader.
Short stories can be convenient and just as engaging as their long-form counterparts, providing complete, concise narrative arcs and a sense of accomplishment with every finished tale.
Short stories can also be a wonderful way to sample new authors or genres you may not have reached for before.
4. Try a New Genre
Trying a new flavour of literature may have you going “why didn’t I try this sooner?”
If you typically read fantasy, try romance or dip your toes into the start of a thriller?
Non-fiction lover? Sample some historical fiction, or a book-to-screen read.
Stepping out of the usual, or your comfort zone, can be a quick, easy way to inject some excitement or feelings of the unexpected back into your reading routine.
5. Embrace Book Swapping and DNFs
Oftentimes, us readers aren’t actually in reading slumps even when we think we might be - we’re simply not enjoying or connecting the book we’re currently reading.
Yet, we keep talking ourselves out of just putting it down for good.
There’s too many wonderful stories out there to force ourselves to keep putting time and energy into one we’re simply not feeling. Normalize self-legalizing DNFs and get out of your non-slump slump.
A great platform for book finding and swapping is a Kobo E-Reader. With e-readers, you have the freedom and convenience of borrowing and returning books from your library on a whim without having to leave your cozy chair, bed or book nook.
Plus, services like Kobo Unlimited provide additional access to a vast range of books without holds/waitlists.
Most of All, Don’t Pressure Yourself
It's important to remember that reading should be enjoyable.
Don't feel pressured to read a certain number of books within a specific timeframe or to finish a book you're not liking.
Take the pressure off and allow yourself to read at your own pace and choose books that genuinely interest you.
Simply giving yourself permission to read for pleasure, without any expectations, is the best way to rediscover your love for it.