"How do I make Time to Read?", she asked? 17 Ideas to Get you Reading.

I have been devouring books as of late. The screens with the plethora of choices as you scroll Netflix or HBO, it is not doing it for me. And of course, I recently read in a book titled ‘Why Sleep Matters’ all about the blue light and LED light before bed and the brain and now I am on a rampage to read and dim the lights.

I often am asked how I make time to read when I share a new book review or a recent book stack from my library. So! I polled my book club for some ideas on how to support your reading goals this year, in no particular order, here you go:

1) Turn off the screens and commit to reading before bed. Can even choose specific nights in your calendar!

2) Read over your lunch break (bonus if you can get outside for fresh air reading).

3) Start your morning with a book, can you read for 10 minutes with your mug of hot coffee or tea?

4) Take your book to the bath with you. Soak in the water and the words.

5) Choose one night a week to be ‘silent night’ where you and can add in people you live with, family, kiddos in the mix for a full on reading night.

6) Be like Marie Kondo and declutter your reading style - go one book at a time!

7) Or be a poly-reader and have a couple books to toggle back and forth between depending on your mood that day.

8) Join a book club for accountability (here is a link to join mine!).

9) Grab the book on audio / audible. Listen in the car, on a walk, while cooking or again, in the bath with the headphones!

10) Set a reading timer. Before you watch a show at night, you can read fro 15mins.

11) As one reader shared with us, book end your day. Before you start your work day, read a chapter and when work is done, read another chapter.

11) Add ambience. One of our book clubbers has her fav mug and the fire lit and ready for her reading time.

12) Set a goal, read 10 pages a day. Love a good TO DO list item to mark off!

13) The ol’ book in a bag trick. Keep your book in your bag you carry with you here, there, everywhere. Can you read in line, waiting for kids in pick up line, on hold with customer service for phone call….?

14) As author James Clear would say, stack a habit, or for us here, you can stack a ritual. This is where you have something you already enjoy and you add another something you want to do to that already existing ritual in place. Example, do you love your morning coffee, add a book to it? Do you love a mid-day weekend nap, add a couple pages to it.

15) One of our readers said she stopped using social media completely and her book reading hours went through the roof. A swap of how we are choosing to spend our time with removing something to make space for something else. Brilliant.

16) Going a little cross-eyed from emails, can you take a reading break in your work day? You can.

17) Go out on a reading date. Can you go out with a friend or loved one and read side by side?

18) ….

A great start to explore your reading journey this year and reigniting your love affair with books.

Any tips to add to this list?