Read This if You're in the Dreaded Reading Slump

A strange thing happened to me in 2020 (you know, aside from The Obvious and aside from giving birth to my daughter). I stopped reading. Almost entirely.

Try as I might, I could not focus and finish a book. I floundered through a few novels; but my reading output was nothing like previous years in which I devoured thirty, fifty, sometimes even one hundred books.

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My profound reading slump began prior to the grand entrance of our wailing red-faced little bundle of joy. I told myself “you better read while you can, once That Baby’s here, you won’t have any time to yourself. You’ll be too tired! Come on, pick up a book!” But I couldn’t do it. Oh, I’d pick up a book, only to find my thoughts wandering and soon I’d be aimlessly scrolling Instagram or Twitter instead of reading.

Now, I realize that my inability to focus was likely a combination of pregnancy brain-chemistry and a trauma response to the pandemic. I couldn’t focus to read, arguably my favorite past-time, because I was utterly and completely overwhelmed. I couldn’t dive into a fictional world because the real world felt too unsafe to turn my back on. For me, that feeling persisted through most of 2021 as well.

It wasn’t until the END of 2022 that I began to feel excited about reading once again. I started to feel that familiar tingle in my bones when I picked up a book and cracked it’s spine to that first soul-hooking line.

If you find yourself in the dismal trenches of a reading slump, here are four things I found to be helpful.

Don’t force yourself to read. Unless you’re a slush-pile reader or an editor, reading is typically a hobby meant to be enjoyed. During those years, my brain couldn’t focus in the quiet solitude of reading. So I turned to other past-times like excerise, hiking, and painting furniture. Excessive stress was a large part of why I couldn’t bring myself to relax and read as I once had. Instead, physical hobbies allowed me to burn off steam and recharge my soul.

Do talk to someone if you suspect your slump is a result of an underlying problem. As I mentioned, anxiety and stress were huge factors contributing to my reading slump. It wasn’t “just” a slump. I had given birth to a beautiful baby girl, but unfortunately experienced extreme postpartum depression. I reached out to my doctor who recommended daily walks outside, talk therapy, and a temporary prescription of an SSRI. Eventually I was able to taper off the medication, with my doctor’s approval, but continued daily exercise and talk therapy to great benefit. I’m so glad I reached out for professional guidance in that time. So, if you’ve suddenly experienced a big change in your habits and enjoyments, it is totally valid to reach out to a healthcare professional.

Try re-reading an old favorite. Somewhere along the way, I noticed that new publications weren’t making me feel excited. So I turned to the tattered copies of my old favorites. Jane Eyre, Tender is the Night, the Winternight trilogy, Circe, Lord of the Rings, even Crescent City. These comfort reads rooted me in good memories and helped me rediscover the enjoyment of reading.

Try audiobooks instead. As the mother of a busy toddler, I don’t always have time or solitude to read physical books. I much prefer reading a physical book, but audiobooks allow me to enjoy stories while still getting stuff done and playing with our little girl. An unexpected plus: I’ve noticed my daughter’s language comprehension exploding. Full transparency, I have undertaken exactly zero reserach on this topic, but I think that listening to books has helped her pick up on so many words.

Have you ever experienced a bad reading slump? What helped you break out of it?

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