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13 Ways Book Lovers Make More Time for Reading
So many books, so little time? Every reader's been there. We asked on Facebook and Twitter: How do you make more time for reading? From savvy tips ("Listen to audiobooks while you drive!") to cheeky suggestions ("Just don't sleep!"), these are the ways your fellow book lovers fit reading into their busy lives.
1. "Throughout the day I play a little game. I read a chapter (just one) and then I get up and clean something. Example: Go and sweep the kitchen floor. Then read a chapter. Then fold a load of clothes and put them away. Then go read another chapter. I can do this all day. It works great for me!" -Shannon
2. "I always carry a book with me, so if I have to wait—like at a doctor's office—I can get some reading in." -Brigitta
3. "Get called for jury duty! Ha! Waiting can take hours. Get prepared to catch up on your reading." -Elizabeth
4. "I take the bus to work instead of my car, which saves me money and gives me lots of time to relax and read!" -Michelle
5. "Well, I stay up late reading, which has lead to a mild sleeping disorder…but, guys, books are worth it!" -Kyushu
6. "I wake up a little earlier each day and enjoy a book with breakfast." -Kaitlynn
7. "I am a huge fan of audiobooks. I listen to audiobooks while driving, taking a walk, cooking, and traveling…. Audiobooks offer huge opportunities to make the most of your time while you are doing something else." -Emile
8. "Instead of watching TV before bed, I read! You sleep better that way, too. -Raquel
9. "I actually 'plan' my reading time each day and night. Even if I have a hectic day, I schedule at least 30 minutes for myself." -Susan
10. "It's not the safest way to make time, but I read while walking to work." -Eliza
11. "I've actually called in sick when I've been reading something particularly good!" -Angela
12. "I watch TV a LOT. However, it finally dawned on me that the commercial breaks these days are much longer than they used to be. So I keep my book with me when I'm watching TV, and I can get several pages read during commercial breaks. I average about 30-40 pages per night this way!" -Sara
13. "Get old. Retire from your job. Presto! More reading time!" -Linda
1. "Throughout the day I play a little game. I read a chapter (just one) and then I get up and clean something. Example: Go and sweep the kitchen floor. Then read a chapter. Then fold a load of clothes and put them away. Then go read another chapter. I can do this all day. It works great for me!" -Shannon
2. "I always carry a book with me, so if I have to wait—like at a doctor's office—I can get some reading in." -Brigitta
3. "Get called for jury duty! Ha! Waiting can take hours. Get prepared to catch up on your reading." -Elizabeth
4. "I take the bus to work instead of my car, which saves me money and gives me lots of time to relax and read!" -Michelle
5. "Well, I stay up late reading, which has lead to a mild sleeping disorder…but, guys, books are worth it!" -Kyushu
6. "I wake up a little earlier each day and enjoy a book with breakfast." -Kaitlynn
7. "I am a huge fan of audiobooks. I listen to audiobooks while driving, taking a walk, cooking, and traveling…. Audiobooks offer huge opportunities to make the most of your time while you are doing something else." -Emile
8. "Instead of watching TV before bed, I read! You sleep better that way, too. -Raquel
9. "I actually 'plan' my reading time each day and night. Even if I have a hectic day, I schedule at least 30 minutes for myself." -Susan
10. "It's not the safest way to make time, but I read while walking to work." -Eliza
11. "I've actually called in sick when I've been reading something particularly good!" -Angela
12. "I watch TV a LOT. However, it finally dawned on me that the commercial breaks these days are much longer than they used to be. So I keep my book with me when I'm watching TV, and I can get several pages read during commercial breaks. I average about 30-40 pages per night this way!" -Sara
13. "Get old. Retire from your job. Presto! More reading time!" -Linda
How do you make more time for reading? Share your tips in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
Finding the 1,000 Books to Read in a Lifetime
Paulo Coelho's 'Hippie' Travel Tips
The Most Beloved WWII Novels of the Last Decade
(Top image credit: Beauty and the Beast)
Check out more recent blogs:
Finding the 1,000 Books to Read in a Lifetime
Paulo Coelho's 'Hippie' Travel Tips
The Most Beloved WWII Novels of the Last Decade
(Top image credit: Beauty and the Beast)
Comments Showing 51-100 of 195 (195 new)
message 51:
by
Mariah
(new)
Sep 27, 2018 01:20PM
I read at the Coffee shop and also on a trip up North
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I wake early to read for two hours and use my lunch hour at work to do some extra reading.
I bring my Kindle or a book in my purse with me everywhere. You never know where your going to get stuck or be bored. Its been a saving grace multiple times
With Kindle ebooks I can read a lot more than hard copies. I still prefer the real book in my hand but with kindle i can resume reading anywhere if i get even 5 min of spare time. i use kindle on my mobile and tablet and the sync across devices works wonders as well.
This is super nerdy but I set page goals in my mind and shortterm page goals (if I'm on page 130 I'll try to get to page 140; and if I'm on page 150 I try to get to at least page 200 by the end of the day) and it really motivates me when a book is slower-paced and it's also just really rewarding for some reason.
On my hour lunch break I walk and read for at least 45 minutes! (Just back and fourth on the sidewalk of my building) But I want to start giving myself an hour before bed to read as well!
Easy & universal:2. "I always carry a book with me, so if I have to wait...
#7 That's how I accomplish reading. As a bldg designer listening to audio books while drafting/designing is amazing instead of listening to the office annoying radio that plays the same music on repeat.
I always take a book with me when I'm going out with my dog.
When I was at school I used to read while riding the bus. Now the most important app on my iphone is kindle. You can always sneak a couple of minutes worth of reading.
I've lately started reading when I walk home from school, which contributes a lot to my reading time. I also just ignore everything else that needs to be done!
I used to read while walking when I was attending a university. But, I always make an effort to read before I begin my night shift.
A door closed when I lost my sight , then I found Audiobooks and found the light. Now I listen before sleep, doing chores, in the treadmill, during breaks in my job, going for a walk... and whenever my attention is not fully engaged.
If I have the digital book I'll bring it with me to the bathroom. Whether I have to wait to use it or just want to take my time I can read some pages. So yeah, bathroom breaks! Because I take coffee and tea and a lot of water.
Also, I could bring out the digital copy at the gym. Do some squats and in the rest time, read a paragraph if I'm not trying to catch my breath
Just took a day off to finish a really good book.. oh, and don't waste your weekend on some uncertaintyof going out or not, cause books are always there, waiting to be read :)
I juggle 3 books at a time - one on my Kindle and 2 physical books. I read for about 30 minutes in the morning on one physical book and a couple of hours before turning off the lights at night the 2nd one. The Kindle is nearly always with me for when I'm waiting at the doctor's, drive-thru, some appointment or other. It always seems that my waits are shorter - especially since I've only made about 75 pages into a 628 page book. Eventually, I'll just have to focus and finish it up. *grin*
I carry both my cell (with library and religious books downloaded) and at least one physical book with me where ever I go. I love a well-narrated audio book (again, library collections to the rescue) and I love listening to a family member reading a book that is moving them or engaging them.
I always have a book with me or within reach. I'll read during my lunch break at work, get to work early in the summer so I can sit outside and read while waiting for everyone else to show up, and often, if the weather is nice, try to go and sit outside on Sunday mornings and read under a tree for a bit just to recharge before the day gets too hot. I also do way too much of #1 on my day's off - read something, clean something, read something. :DExcept when I travel by air. I read so much that books [I need the physical books, dangit] are too bulky. So I bring a bunch of magazines that are on the reading slush pile and chew through those on layovers. That way I get to read something interesting constantly and I can recycle the magazines right at the airport if necessary so my load actually lightens the longer I'm stuck there and my mess at home gets smaller too. :D
While walking on the treadmill! You don’t have to look where you’re going or worry about cracks or bumps or traffic.
I use the pomodoro technique for studying, but instead of taking the timed 5 minute break, I read a chapter.
I always have a book with me and if there's down time, there's reading time such as waiting at a red light or a train passing, or even heavy traffic where the traffic doesn't move.
The first couple were good, but then they just got dumb. I have a system. If I want to read a certain book, I have to read all the books before that on my shelf. That way, I read my books faster!
I read when I sit with my daughter for bedtime. I’m in the dark with my current book and a nightlight. Sometimes she will actually let me read to her, which is nice.
I usually don't get a lot of reading time in, but when I finally don't have much homework or many responsibilities, I take advantage and read for hours at a time!
I take a book with me to read while I wait for my classes to start and while I am in the car or taking the bus. During the summer I love to read a lot.
Everyone always asks me how I find time to read, and I always say I fill in all the little spaces and cracks of my day with books!
Okay can really relate to this mini blog . Usually for me it it reading for a bit before work, on lunch break and 1 hour before I go to bed. Most defiantly on days off. It is not usual for me to have a book with me everywhere I go. I get teased at work about my anti social skills on a lunch break. Most of my coworkers respect me enough to leave me alone when I am reading. Reading for me is whenever I can fit the time in. Average 2 to 3 books a week depending on schedule at work. It is flex hours so make due with what time I have.
I always carry my kindle reader everywhere. I always read at lunchtime, and every other chance I even took it to the baseball stadium and read between innings.
Elizabeth wrote: "Everyone always asks me how I find time to read, and I always say I fill in all the little spaces and cracks of my day with books!"That's an excellent way to put it! 😁
Teach your kids to love reading at a young age (toddler or baby,) and always make sure to let them see you read. Nothing better than reading on the couch cuddled up with your little ones each reading their own books. Plus, scheduled quiet time daily where the kids have a selection of quiet activities to do, and you have your books. Else, I do a library day each week to explore many books, read before bed, or when waiting for events.
I try to always bring a book with me when I go out, so that if I ever have to wait for a bus, an appointment, etc, I can read. I like to read on my commute and before bed. I wish I could read while at the gym on a machine (treadmill, stair master), but I can't. Maybe I should try audio books for that.
I take a book with me whenever I go to the toilet. It's possibly the least glamourous way to read, but it helps me to keep up with my busy reading schedule.
I bought a kindle (which, apart from convenience, has been really helpful because I can make the print large enough to read without discomfort) and now I can read any time, anywhere that I'm able, without having to choose one book and bring it around (I'm a several-books-at-once kind of girl). I read on my lunch break at work and when it's very quiet and I have no tasks to complete. To and from work on the bus and train.
I use IPhone’s Voiceover to read the e-books while I do housekeeping. Like this https://youtu.be/2f8xT5JinPE
Yo uso mi IPhone con auriculares para que me lea con VoiceOver los e-books https://youtu.be/2f8xT5JinPE
I find that the best way for me to read more books is to have a book downloaded on my phone. That way whenever I'm tempted to pull out my phone to go on social media I make myself read a page of my book first. Sometimes I only read the one page and then do what I want on my phone, but most of the time I end up reading more than one and spend less time on social media. I think it is a win win because not only do I finish more books, I don't rely on my social media as much.
The secret is just realizing that social media is way less interesting than a book loaded on your phone. If you have one good enough, it won’t even occur to you to look at Instagram or whatever.
I'm always carry a bag with me to work and/or getting out cause I walk about everywhere. To work I'm two or three hours early so that close to 100 pages there plus 10 to 12 pages when I'm on break. And then after I eat I read about a chapter or more to make sure my stomach has settled down. And there using the bathroom. While sitting there awhile I read about a chapter there.
audiobooks, I'm basically always listening to them, actually listening to one right now.
Continuous reading session make a reading little dull so I took a tiny breaks whenever I read a book.Read a chapter take a break ,read another chapter take another break.
thats how i make my reading interesting.
I read all the time while cooking , cleaning , washing dishes and have even walked into walls because I was so engrossed in the book (lol) . After a few times of that I learned where the walls were at home but if I go somewhere and I’m reading I’m still bound to walk into the wall or door lol. My husband finds it extremely entertaining , but I have passed on my love of books to my 6 year old. She is building quite the book collection just like mom. On top of reading my own books I also read to her every single night and if it is an easier book she reads it out loud and I help her with words she doesn’t know. She is so proud that she is reading almost 100 words a minute and the more she reads the more she loves it.Reading has always been a big part of my life and I’m happy my daughter at least loves it as much as me. My son will read every once in a while but prefers tv or games. He will read books that hold interest to him though. My son asked me why I like to read so much and the answer is ‘ That to me a book can take you anywhere you want to go. They can transport you to another time and place or even across the galaxy. They bring the fantasy world alive and to me when I’m reading it’s just like a movie playing in my mind, I can see it just as if I was watching it on tv.i have even mixed up what I have read and a movie because I play it in my mind just like a movie.’ To me it’s important to show our kids how important books and reading are to our children and instill in them a love of the written word and the places it can take us even in our own minds. So to all the authors out there your work is greatly appreciated, you enrich our lives and even send us to a whole new world.
Rebecca wrote: "I find that the best way for me to read more books is to have a book downloaded on my phone. That way whenever I'm tempted to pull out my phone to go on social media I make myself read a page of my..."Nice way to cut down Social Media time!!
My "reading hacks": https://medium.com/@dimist/reading-ha...* Read it when you need it
* Read it when you want it
* Read actively
* Make time
* It is OK to quit or stop
* Prefer paperbacks
* Alternate between “fact” and “fiction” titles
* (and/or) Read more than one book concurently
* Buy now to read later
* Utilise a different approach for non-fiction material
* Choose proper learning material
* Sometimes read it again
* Admit it and accept it
* Notes on e-readers
I always carry a book with me in my bag. That way I can read on the metro or at the doctor's office, or at lunch break. Just works perfect for me. Also, I read every day before I go to sleep. I sleep better that way. :) Love reading and always will. I ditched my social networks (except GoodReads, of course, and my tracking shows program) and I have more time for reading! :D
#1 is a great idea!#2-I do quite a bit too
#5- had issues with fighting sleep already but when I became a consistent reader, that didn't help either! Or, wait, did it? (more time to read!)
#12- I do too. Maybe more regular TV? I watch a lot of Hulu and when I have to do the limited commercial plan (when I have to downgrade from commercial free some months), they're commercials are quite a bit shorter than TV commercials
I loved reading all of the things people do to get reading in. :o)
I do this weird thing, I read one physical book (paperback) on the tramway to work, which is more or less 55 minutes, then, I read another ebook from my tablet or computer at work, when work isn't too much. If the physical book is soo good and 55 mins isnr't enough, i get the ebook version of the book and read it through the day
I read two books at a time- one physical book at home (I don't really like to carry books I particularly like, because I don't want to damage them in my bag... also I work in a bookstore and I'd have to present them to my supervisor each morning as something I brought with me and am not stealing), and one ebook on my phone. During my breaks at work, I prop my phone up against the salt shaker, and read while I eat- the other one I read at home. Granted, sometimes I progress much slower with that one...
I have joined a great book club and we meet once a month to discuss the books read. This helps me ( and all of us regulars ) to stay motivated .
I also just ignore everything else that needs to be done!"
I loved that! :D
I work in the mornings and study in the afternoon, so I stop my study every hour or so to read four or five pages. I also bring a book with me if I'm going to the doctor or if I'm travelling and eat at a restaurant alone. I usually travel by train (I'm scared of flying), and if I can, I choose the "Quiet zone car" so I can read without hearing people talking loud or children screaming. I also read in the bathroom and in commercial breaks. Saturday and Sunday mornings are also devoted to reading.
I loved that! :D
I work in the mornings and study in the afternoon, so I stop my study every hour or so to read four or five pages. I also bring a book with me if I'm going to the doctor or if I'm travelling and eat at a restaurant alone. I usually travel by train (I'm scared of flying), and if I can, I choose the "Quiet zone car" so I can read without hearing people talking loud or children screaming. I also read in the bathroom and in commercial breaks. Saturday and Sunday mornings are also devoted to reading.
