How to Get Out of a Reading Slump

Now and then, we all fall victim to a reading slump. It may be for days, a few weeks, months, or years. In this article, I will speak on how we can come out of this and prevent it for a while. Before I begin, I want to establish two things: what a reading slump is and why it may be happening to you right now.

A reading slump is generally understood as a temporary feeling, a loss of motivation or interest towards reading. Now, here I want to stress the word ‘temporary’. You can always come out of this mental blockage; however, it may take a bit of effort from you.

Why do you think you are feeling this way? It could be for many reasons; maybe because you have been continuously reading a book or books for a long period, maybe your current read is not satisfying, or it could be, like our parents say, ’cause of the phone.’ If it really is due to constant doom scrolling, your attention span might have shrunk a lot, and you may be self-diagnosing yourself with adhd (unless you actually were diagnosed…).

My Current Reads

All that said, this can definitely be fixed, and here’s how;

1. Breaking into chunks -

One of my best and favorite tips is breaking the book into chunks. Let me explain, I understand that books can be so overwhelming at times. So many pages and so many words. What I find helpful is sectioning my book 50 pages at a time. I won’t force myself to read 50 pages at once, but I have a small goal to finish the 50 pages first, and once I’m done with them, I’ll mark the next fifty pages and so on. This honestly has been a game-changer for me. I get through the pages quickly since I have a goal, and it helps me not think about the remaining 200 or 300 pages. Hence, I take my time to actually enjoy the book.

Now you can do the same, decide which number of pages would be comfortable to you, and place a bookmark or fold the corner of the 50th page (Like I do).

2. A smaller book -

Humans love crossing off their checklists. In my opinion, the same goes for finishing a book. If, after a slump, you decide to read a hefty 500 or 600 page book, the possibility of you returning to your slump is very high. I would suggest starting with a smaller book; even a short story would be fine. Our main goal is to finish a book after a hiatus; it doesn’t matter how small the book is.

3. The Genre -

Another tip, which goes hand in hand with reading a smaller book, is choosing a genre you love and a book that you may have on your TBR list, which you have always wanted to read. This will create the motivation for you to actually pick up the book and read it. I usually prefer a good thriller fiction book. Some authors you may find interesting and might be able to get out of your slump are Freida McFadden, R.L Stine (Yes, the author of Goosebumps), and James Caine. Their plotlines are great and are quick reads.

4. No scrolling -

At first, it might be difficult to keep reading. I sometimes have felt as if I couldn’t get past the first two or three sentences. I would want to reach my phone or do something else. But don’t let these feelings sway you. It is always hard in the beginning; maybe at first, you can keep the goal of finishing the first two chapters. If it is a catchy book, you might end up finishing even the first five chapters. Keep continuing and don’t reach for your phone. Train yourself.

5. Physical copies over soft copies -

This one really comes down to personal preference. If you prefer digital books, you can start with them, but I always prefer a good old physical book to come out of my hiatus. The feeling of turning the physical pages can be especially satisfying. You can place a bookmark between the pages and really romanticize it. I know that reading a digital book is much more convenient, but a physical one has this way of making you slow down and enjoy the present moment in a different, old-school way. Again, this is to each their own.

These are the tips that I keep in mind every time I fall into a slump, but I would like to preface this by saying that falling into a slump or taking a break is always fine and is actually healthy. What matters is picking up the book again or any hobby or activity you have been keeping in the backseat again. Like many things in life, sometimes a break actually helps to enjoy the things we love again, reconnect, and view them more clearly.