I was the same! What worked for me was changing how I saw books in my life. If you see it as a chore then itās bound to be dropped. So I changed the way i approach it, now for me itās more of a me-time, quality escapism. so it doesnāt matter the format ( audio books, fanfics, graphic novel, ebooks, before I was more judgmental), and if doesnt hooks me from the beginning I dropped it with no guilt. once youāre honest about what you want in a book (like for me itās young women writers who overthink the day to day and how to live life) and share with your friends they begin to give great recommendations catered to you itās a enthusiasm vicious cicle!
I guess I would recommend thinking what was that hooked you before and being really honest with what floats your boat nowā¦
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not an avid reader (~3-4 books / year, trying to get that number up) but the things that have really invigorated my reading when it feels like a chore to get started:
- reading books that arenāt challenging to start off. all about love and the will to change by bell hooks were the first books i was able to successfully finish in like, years bc her writing style is very colloquial despite the subject matter being very dense. similarly, finding a fun fantasy book (or other genre fiction) to get back in the practice of turning pages and āwanting to find out what comes nextā is gonna be paramount to being able to do that for books that are gonna require a little more give from you down the line (havenāt read a physical book in over six months so personally going to start legends and lattes soon to try and trick my brain into not thinking books are time-consuming and scary)
- audiobooks; for me at least reading requires too much visual processing + āsitting stillā time that i canāt multi-task and read, so i have to schedule when iām gonna try and do it (unlike tv where you can have it on in the background as you do dishes or working from home or something and can look up periodically) - taking a chunk of podcast + music time and replacing it with audiobooks has been a game changer bc i now read at the gym, at the office, and in transit <30 min long bc i have to track what station iām at or see where iām going
Mar 28, 2024
Itās so beautiful as a previous book worm to rediscover your love for books. School can make it tiresome to read sometimes but a quick point of view change is needed.
Reading leisurely can be so relaxing. Changing my perspective to relaxation instead of it being a āchoreā or reminding me of school helped me massively.
Got an urge to scroll? Pick up that book!
Jan 30, 2025
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- Start with the books that interest you the most (maybe you should actually start with something that is not a recommendation from someone else because that's a lot of pressure! You could go to a bookstore and find a book that makes you excited to read to get you into the habit of reading again.)
- Take it one book at a time. The pile is daunting, so just find the next book that you are excited to read and read that one. We will never be able to read all of the books we want to, but that shouldn't stop us from reading some of them.
- If you hate the book, stop reading it. Again, we will never be able to read all of the books we want to, so don't waste time on books you don't like.
- While you're reading, have a pen or a notebook and look for things that make you feel or think something new, or things you want to share or talk about with your friend. Take notes or underline them. This sounds like it would be more work, but I find that it actually gets my brain into a more active state which makes it easier to focus and makes me feel excited and curious about what I'm reading.
- You can also try making it into a ritual. Light a candle when you read, or play some soothing music in the background or make yourself a little pillow fort or a specific cozy beverage to drink while you read. Or you could read in a bubble bath or something else that makes you happy. Then you will be reading with intention. And it's fun and cute! If possible, put your phone in a drawer or on do not disturb, for obvious reasons.
Oct 18, 2024
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I like to remember that time is on your side, it will get easier as time goes by just for nature of it. So focusing on going through the day-to-day the best you can while being kind to yourself and letting the days past is what helped me.
Itās not easy, you have to go through the grief to come up on the other side.
But stick with the things that make your present more bearable and you WILL come up on the other side.
For me it was doing things for myself: listening to music, visiting close friends, cooking for myself, going on walks on nature, spending time alone and bored and finding new things I liked and enjoying my own company was life changing.
The loneliness is rough but it can be a great teacher (at least I like to think something had to come out of all that pain).
I guess it really depends on the break up the narratives you are telling yourself right now, but if you can be mindful about them, observe them, and let go of trying to understand and control everything they get less cruel. Right now you just need to survive and receive some kindness, later on you can build the story around it (Without the fog of the pain around it).
And for the love of god cut contact with them, their family and friends, at least for a while. rebuild yourself outside their zone of influence. Show vulnerability if you can, it can bring great support and lending ears, BE KIND TO YOURSELF (although have in mind sometimes over indulgence is not kind).
You will get through it, time is on your side.
Apr 18, 2024
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Hahahha maybe it is a cult! I loved what I read, I think I got through half of it, the exercises are fun and can give you great insights, but I guess the greatest tool it gives is the morning pages, still do it and itās great for those who canāt meditate. But I heard there is a curse if donāt finish it and when I dropped some bad things happened so be warned I guess
Apr 24, 2024
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I donāt know the name exactly but itās easy and really fun, all you need is cardboard glue and scissors. you can cut up silhouettes and decorate the theater (glued curtains are very cute), then just put a light behind it and play with, improvising or rehearsing and then showing to others, kid of 5 loved it (and so did I)
May 21, 2024