5 Top Tips to Improve Your Reading Habits
Do you regularly find yourself wishing you could just find the time to read more? Here we give you a breakdown of our favourite ways to improve your relationship with the wonderful habit of reading.
1. Regularity
A crucial part of habit-building is regularity: building the action or behaviour that you want to spend more time on into your daily or weekly routine.
If you’re one of those people who complains of not having enough time to read more, then I’m here to tell you that you most definitely do. Every day the average person spends around 2.5 hours a day scrolling through social media or other apps; it’s become total normal to stare at our phones while we’re waiting in a queue or on public transport. A lot of us also spend hours mindlessly watching TV when we get home after school or work – sometimes while scrolling on our phones, or even when we’re eating dinner with family.
I’m not suggesting you give up all your free time and devote it to reading. But I am suggesting that you consider where you might replace a current habit with a new one: where could you spend 10 minutes scanning the pages of an exciting book instead of scrolling through hundreds of forgettable Instagram reels? I promise you, your body and mind will feel better for it.
With years of practice, I’ve managed to fit the practice of reading comfortably into my daily routine: 30 minutes before starting work, with breakfast and a cup of tea; and 30 minutes before bed as part of my pre-sleep routine. If you’re just starting out, then I suggest starting small and building it up whenever works for you. You might prefer to spend your morning walking your dog or having breakfast with family, but there will certainly be other small increments of time in your day where you can read something that allows you to escape into your imagination for a little while.
2. Accountability
As with any habit, it’s important to make yourself accountable when you’re trying to increase the time you spend reading. This simply means giving yourself an incentive to achieve your goals, whether that’s sharing your reading journey with others or simply giving yourself a pat on the back for every book you read.
My favourite thing about reading is discussing my thoughts and feelings about the book with my friends. I’m a big fan of Goodreads, a platform where you can create your very own reading lists, keep track of your reading progress and annual reading goals, and leave ratings and reviews that can be read by friends.
However, you must be at least 13 years old to have your own Goodreads account, so it isn’t suitable for everyone. Fortunately, some fantastic alternatives have been set up in recent years which target young readers specifically:
Biblionasium, a ‘safe community for young readers’, is a child-friendly website where young people can add to their virtual bookshelves (‘to read’, ‘currently reading’, ‘have read’), leave reviews, and get recommendations based on their preferences.
DOGObooks is another website that accommodates the National Geographic Kids Book Club, where a new book is chosen each month for young people around the world to read and review.
Spaghetti Book Club is a platform devoted to helping young people improve their literary critical thinking skills by encouraging them to write and illustrate book reviews to be shared online with their peers.
If you aren’t a fan of reporting your reading updates publicly, then there are more private ways to make yourself accountable. You could start a reading challenge with a sibling or a friend, ask a parent/carer to help you keep a reading chart, or even just keep your own private reading list that gives you a sense of pride each time you tick off a new book.
3. Accessibility
If you don’t have a book around, then it’s going to be pretty difficult for you to spend time reading. A lot of people have Kindles and other e-readers these days, which makes it possible to have a selection of books available to you at once. Books tend to be a little cheaper through e-readers, too; Kindle 99p sales are a fantastic incentive to buy more books and not have to worry about the cost.
If you’re reluctant to own an e-reader (I was at first, so I understand your desire to stick to good, old-fashioned, physical books), then why not join your school or local library so that you can borrow books rather than having to purchase them? Or, if you want to own the books you read (I have lots of friends like this so I understand it, too) you can buy them second hand! I recommend World of Books if you’re in the UK, and independent bookstores if you’re in Hong Kong. It’s also always a good idea to put books on your birthday wish list; a family member or friend will love the chance to buy you something you want to read and will treasure for a long time.
My top tip for making reading more accessible: always carry a book with you. Going to catch the bus? Carry a book – you can finish that chapter you started. Going to meet a friend? Carry a book – they might be late! Going for an aimless walk? Carry a book – you might find a nice spot to stop and enjoy your own company for a little while.
4. Effectuality
This is a fancy way of saying ‘make your reading time effective’. It’s no good if you’re distracted by a phone or a sibling or a classmate while you’re trying to get through the next chapter of a good book; you’ll not be paying proper attention to what’s happening. I know of a few people who like to read when they’re walking, but whenever I’ve tried this I get distracted by the challenge of walking in a straight line and staying alert for any dangers. I do not recommend!
What I do recommend is making sure that you have a calm, safe, peaceful space that allows you to pay full attention to your book. It’s the same as watching a film: if you’re scrolling on your phone at the same time as ‘watching’ it, then you won’t enjoy it or think it’s interesting because you’re not actually focused on what’s happening, and therefore can’t make any emotional connections with it.
So when you’ve decided which 10 or 20 minute slot of your day works best for your consistent reading time, make sure you’re sitting down or lying somewhere comfortable; put your phone somewhere you can’t be tempted to check it; and maybe get some snacks or a nice warm drink to accompany you on your moments of escapism. Reading isn’t a chore, so put in the effort to make it a pleasant part of your day.
5. Enjoyment
Obviously, making regular reading a habit will have a positive impact on your reading, comprehension and writing skills, but the benefits go beyond academic progress. The more you read, the easier it will become, and the more you will enjoy it – it’s a benevolent cycle.
Reading is one of the best forms of escapism, which can have a profound impact on your mental health. This doesn’t mean simply running away from life’s problems; it means dedicating time to spend by yourself, away from the stresses of the outside world, in a comfortable environment.
As technology progresses and we have more impressive movies, video games and virtual reality simulations, it pleases me that there are still so many people out there who’s favourite method of de-stressing is getting comfortable on the sofa with a good book. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy other methods of winding down at the end of a busy day, but reading seems to give my mind a level of calm unreachable by watching TV or doing some yoga stretches.
So ultimately, the crux of this final point is that you should make sure to dedicate your reading time to books and authors you actually enjoy. You may have a preference for fantasy, or dystopian fiction, or romance, and while it’s useful to explore other genres and new authors from time to time, you shouldn’t be forcing yourself to read tons of non-fiction books if that’s not what you enjoy. Of course there are times in life when we need to read things that might not otherwise appeal to us (for example, I put a lot of effort into finishing a non-fiction book about the science of sleep, in order to improve my sleep routine; for you, it might be that you really don’t enjoy the books that form part of your school curriculum), but when you’re reading in your own time it’s critical that you feel calm, comfortable and content.
By Charlie Steer-Stephenson 2024