How To: Combat Reading Slumps
Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!
So, reading slumps. We've all fallen prey to them, and we've all had our own special way to break them. For those who aren't versed in booktube/booktwitter/bookstagram lingo, a reading slump is...exactly what it sounds like. It's when you're not reading as much as you typically do, or you're not feeling up to reading, etc. etc.
I feel like a lot of things can influence reading slumps. Mental health, the seasons (especially if you're a seasonal or mood reader), a particularly disappointing or bad read, even something as simple as the weather. As I mentioned in my last reading update, I have Reversed Seasonal Affective Disorder--or RSAD--and so my mood drops drastically in the summertime. Because of this, I tend to go through reading slumps in these months, even though I don't do much in the summer except read. I also tend to have a reading slump during the month of November. I won't get into details, but November has historically always been my slowest reading month.
So how exactly do you get through a reading slump? I have a few tips and tricks to nip them in the bud, but of course these are just things that work for me personally and not everyone will have the same success rates that I do.
1. Re-read an old favorite. For me nothing kills a reading slump like diving back into a book I love. It also helps if said book is an easy-to-read, middle-grade or YA book, like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Those tend to be my go-tos for reading slumps, since I know the story so well that I can pick which of the books I want to read. My typical choices are Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. But really, any book that is quick to get through can sometimes lift you out of a slump. Recently I re-read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller because I knew I could get through it in a day, and I needed to get back into the swing of reading.
2. Switch up your format. Reading by a different medium can help change your perspective on the book or just reading in general. This especially helps if you're in the middle of a book that you don't want to DNF, but you're struggling to get through it. By changing how you consume the story, you can pick up on things that you might not have before. So if you're reading physically, try listening to the audiobook, or if you have the audiobook, try reading the e-book on your phone or tablet. I find that I get through e-books so much faster than physical books, so I tend to read books I find slow or difficult to understand electronically.
3. Use a readathon or a buddy system. Having someone or multiple someones keep you responsible for your progress is actually a great way to stay motivated to read, despite your horrible memories of high school reading systems. By implementing a buddy-read or participating in a readathon, you're given prompts that you have to complete by a certain date. Of course this won't help those who don't work well under pressure, but if you're like me and appreciate a small fire burning under you to help you stay motivated, this is a great resource to use.
Okay, that's all I have for today. Kind of short, I know, but I really wanted to get this out here and I didn't want to wait until I came up with more ideas.
Do you have any tips on how to combat reading slumps? Comment down below, or tweet me @AllyEmReads
Until next time!
So, reading slumps. We've all fallen prey to them, and we've all had our own special way to break them. For those who aren't versed in booktube/booktwitter/bookstagram lingo, a reading slump is...exactly what it sounds like. It's when you're not reading as much as you typically do, or you're not feeling up to reading, etc. etc.
I feel like a lot of things can influence reading slumps. Mental health, the seasons (especially if you're a seasonal or mood reader), a particularly disappointing or bad read, even something as simple as the weather. As I mentioned in my last reading update, I have Reversed Seasonal Affective Disorder--or RSAD--and so my mood drops drastically in the summertime. Because of this, I tend to go through reading slumps in these months, even though I don't do much in the summer except read. I also tend to have a reading slump during the month of November. I won't get into details, but November has historically always been my slowest reading month.
So how exactly do you get through a reading slump? I have a few tips and tricks to nip them in the bud, but of course these are just things that work for me personally and not everyone will have the same success rates that I do.
1. Re-read an old favorite. For me nothing kills a reading slump like diving back into a book I love. It also helps if said book is an easy-to-read, middle-grade or YA book, like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Those tend to be my go-tos for reading slumps, since I know the story so well that I can pick which of the books I want to read. My typical choices are Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. But really, any book that is quick to get through can sometimes lift you out of a slump. Recently I re-read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller because I knew I could get through it in a day, and I needed to get back into the swing of reading.
2. Switch up your format. Reading by a different medium can help change your perspective on the book or just reading in general. This especially helps if you're in the middle of a book that you don't want to DNF, but you're struggling to get through it. By changing how you consume the story, you can pick up on things that you might not have before. So if you're reading physically, try listening to the audiobook, or if you have the audiobook, try reading the e-book on your phone or tablet. I find that I get through e-books so much faster than physical books, so I tend to read books I find slow or difficult to understand electronically.
3. Use a readathon or a buddy system. Having someone or multiple someones keep you responsible for your progress is actually a great way to stay motivated to read, despite your horrible memories of high school reading systems. By implementing a buddy-read or participating in a readathon, you're given prompts that you have to complete by a certain date. Of course this won't help those who don't work well under pressure, but if you're like me and appreciate a small fire burning under you to help you stay motivated, this is a great resource to use.
Okay, that's all I have for today. Kind of short, I know, but I really wanted to get this out here and I didn't want to wait until I came up with more ideas.
Do you have any tips on how to combat reading slumps? Comment down below, or tweet me @AllyEmReads
Until next time!
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