A reading slump is an unavoidable situation that can happen to even the most avid readers.
It is, basically, a difficult conundrum that may be hard to get out of. You love reading, but you find yourself dreading to do it. You want to read but cannot motivate yourself to do it. Submerging yourself in a new story used to feel refreshing and fun, but lately, it’s been nothing but exhausting.
Simply put, it’s a phase where you feel you’ve lost your love for reading and cannot focus or immerse yourself in stories as you used to.
It can come from overexerting yourself, a batch of bad books, genre saturation, or even regular life changes that might make you feel reading is something you should give up on.
Luckily, your love for books is not gone forever and can always come back—with a little bit of help. The following tips can help you recover from a reading slump and rediscover your passion for reading.
Reread a Book you Love
If you lack the motivation to continue reading, it may be time to give yourself a treat and return to what you already know and love.
Revisiting old favorites can give you a motivational boost and take you out of your reading slump by reminding you of what made you initially fall in love with books—not to mention you can get insight you might have missed during your first read.
Join a Book Club
Book clubs can be an excellent chance to add a social layer to a solitary activity. They take away the pressure of choosing which books to read, and the added responsibility can push you to complete them.
If book clubs are unavailable—or might be too much for you—consider calling a fellow bookworm and asking them if they might be interested in reading the same book and discussing your opinions afterward. You could also explore some of the book club apps as an alternative if meeting face-to-face is difficult.
Don’t Make Reading A Job
While the responsibility of a book club can motivate some people to read, others might need an entirely different approach—a reminder that reading should be done at one’s own pace.
If you read for leisure and start to feel like it is a chore you must complete rather than something you do for fun, you will begin to dread each book and be filled with guilt when you inevitably become reluctant to read.
Book clubs, challenges, and other personal goals should motivate you, not shackle you. Reading is free and can be done at any pace you need.
Don’t Force Yourself to Finish a Book
If you start a book and find yourself uninterested, you can stop reading it. Not finishing a book does not make you a quitter, and pushing yourself to read something you hate will make you the winner of an imaginary award that does not exist and has no reward.
Every hour you spend agonizing about whether or not you should continue reading a book you don’t like is an hour that drains your love for reading—and an hour away from finding something worth your time.
Change The Formatting Style
If you find yourself in a reading slump because you get sleepy, your eyes hurt, or you cannot find the time to sit down and read, consider alternative reading formats.
Nowadays, accessibility is at an all-time high, and you can read a book in many ways, some of which don’t even involve reading. Audiobooks can help you enjoy books while doing other chores, while eBooks allow you to customize font, size, and light to make it perfect for you. Explore our list of recommended audio books for college students.
Try Graphic Novels
No matter what some old-fashioned folks might say, graphic novels are books—and they might be the key to recovering from your reading slump.
These visual narratives include pictures and images that can further the storyline and help you visualize, much like comic books. The visual spectacle can provide a different type of reading experience, which can, in turn, engage your interest and potentially rekindle your love for books. Explore the Top 10 Best Comic Books of All Time and discover the list of Rare Comic Books for more inspiration.
Read Simpler Books
Complex, thought-provoking, or emotionally draining books can be fascinating reads, but they can also be exhausting. As such, you might need some time to recover—which could sometimes evolve into a reading slump.
In those cases, don’t be afraid to shift to simpler or happier books. Children’s books, fairytales, middle-grade books, and YA novels can be comforting reads that help you disconnect and submerge yourself in adventures, bright colors, and escapist journeys. There is no shame in it—they can inspire happiness and reinvigorate your desire to read.
Read The First Chapter of Multiple Books
If you lack motivation to read, then consider starting with the first chapter of multiple books you’ve had your eye on. After all, variety is the spice of life.
Think of it as the speed dating approach to reading. While those first pages won’t be enough to give you a complete understanding of a book, you’ve got multiple chances to see if any of them grab your attention enough to continue reading them. If not, you can set the book aside without any obligation to commit and move on to the next one.
Change Your Usual Genres
One of the reasons behind your reading slump could be the oversaturation of one specific genre.
For example, if you only read contemporary romance novels, you could slowly get tired of certain tropes and writing conventions, leading to boredom and a lack of interest in reading further.
If this is your case, consider jumping onto a different book genre—maybe even something you’ve never read. Giving science fiction or biographies a chance could help you find a new love and rediscover the joy of books.
Take a Break
If you’re a bookworm, a reading slump may be scary, so you may try to force yourself to read with the hopes of going back to normal. This can be a terrible mistake, as you could saturate yourself, induce a sensory overload, and make your reading slump even worse.
Taking a break from reading is okay if that is what you need. Consider other hobbies, like watching movies (see our list of the 99 amazing books turned into movies) or listening to music, and give yourself the chance to miss reading—maybe that’s all you need to return to normal.
The Key to Get Out of a Reading Slump
The previous tips are excellent methods to rouse yourself from your reading slump. However, not all of them will work on you—certainly not all simultaneously.
The first step to figuring out which of these tricks will work best for you lies in knowing yourself and the reason behind your reading slump. Once you figure it out, picking the most suitable method will be a breeze, and your love for books will return aplenty.
