Sometimes my life feels like it constantly alternates between phases of intense reading and periods of complete reading lethargy. And this is coming from someone who loves books! During times when I can’t focus on reading, I find myself wishing I could motivate myself more or just magically get focussed. The desire to read is present, but I just can’t manifest that desire into actually opening a book! It drives me crazy.

Recently, I’ve realised that a lot of people I know feel like this sometimes. Most of my friends and family like reading or wish they read a little more, but they either can’t get motivated to read, or find themselves distracted whenever they try.

So, today I have a few key questions for you.

Have you ever felt like you can’t read?

Did you used to love reading, and spend entire days in the pages of a book, but now you can’t summon the motivation to read past page one?

Did you always read a little every day, and now it’s been weeks since you thought about opening the book on your bedside table?

If the answer to any one of these questions was “yes”, then keep reading. This blog post is for you!

If the answer was a “YES!!!!!” you might want to watch my YouTube video about this instead, because you sound like you need some video content rather than written content:

So, today, I’m going to answer two key questions. Firstly, why can’t I read? Secondly, how do I build good reading habits?

Before we talk about building reading habits, I think it’s really important to acknowledge the reasons those habits might have deteriorated, or why they aren’t present in our lives. Afterall, being aware of an issue is a step towards resolving it.

Why can’t I read?

I did some personal research on this topic, and I was shocked at how many universal answers there are to this question.

Overwhelmingly, research seemed to agree that phones play a big role in our inability to focus on a book. I know this might be hard to hear, but it’s the truth! This isn’t coming from a phone hater by the way, I love TikTok as much as the next person, and I’d be a little embarrassed if you asked me what my daily screen time is!

Despite being a phone lover, I still acknowledge that phones have reduced our attention spans by providing us condensed information in short bursts. For example, I just mentioned TikTok, a video platform where viewers watch 15 second videos one-after-another… usually for hours on end late at night. So, phones have reduced our attention spans, which means we’ve accidentally trained our minds to not be able to focus for an extended length of time: like while reading a book.

However, phones are not the only reason you might not have been reading lately!

I learnt that some people struggle to engage with a book when they feel unproductive. They have been conditioned to see reading as a self-indulgent and unproductive activity. This might not even be a conscious thought – although it could be! This kind of thinking is brought on by our society, which encourages constant busyness and ‘hustle’.

Busyness itself is another reason you might be unable to focus on reading a book. The more work you have to do, the less energy for your hobbies at the end of the day. Reading, a mentally stimulating task, is likely to then be left behind, as it simply feels like too much effort to focus on when your brain is tired.

The final, key reason you might be unmotivated to read is stress and anxiety.

This can sometimes be difficult to identify, because you might not have even realised that you’re stressed because you’re so used to feeling that way. According to my research, when a person is stressed, their attention span decreases, making tasks that require concentration (like reading!) more difficult. Stress can come from different places, like work, family life, or exam seasons. Stress can also come from big life changes, like moving country or house, going to university or being placed in isolation because of a global pandemic.

My point is, stress and anxiety can be caused by anything, and you might not even realise its affecting you.

The most important take-away from these answers to why you’re struggling to read, is that they are extremely common. Everyone experiences these feelings at some point in their life, and although everyone is affected slightly differently, it is normal to be affected in some way. You aren’t alone in your feelings! Even your reading-related ones.

How do I build my reading habits back up?

Before I get into some tips, I wanted to insert this important reminder:

Don’t overthink it. This is a phase of life where you might not be as focussed, but don’t beat yourself up for being unmotivated to read. It will be impossible to build or rebuild good reading habits if you’re spending all your time putting yourself down.

Now, onto some practical advice!

1. If you don’t like the book. Put it down and don’t worry about it. Pick a new book.
2. Try to read, in some format, every single day, just a little bit. Make it a habit. For example, the thing you do for 10 minutes after you eat lunch, or the thing you do while you brush your teeth in the morning.
3. Read an “easy” book – don’t keep slogging away at something highbrow just for the sake of it. Instead, switch back to the romance author you know you love, or a fantasy book you’ve been dying to read, but haven’t been able to because you’re slogging your way through War and Peace.
4. Make a conscious effort to read slower. Don’t speed-read because you feel there is pressure to finish the book as quickly as possible. Take some time to enjoy the story.
5. Re-read a book you know you love. Knowing the story already might help you pick up a good reading flow, and the positive reading experience will encourage long-term reading habits.
6. Read in a different format: listen to an audiobook. Reading is still reading, even if you’re listening to it. An audiobook might help you focus on the story, because you can do something else, something “productive”, while you read. Consider craft, driving, walking, exercising, or chores.
7. Read short stories or poetry for your shortened attention span. The climax of the story will arrive faster than in a novel, and there provide gratification more quickly (kind of like TikTok does!)

Remember, it’s normal to go through phases. These unmotivated or unfocussed feelings are common, and you will get past them! Don’t stress yourself out, just try different techniques to read more, and persevere!

I hope that this post has equipped you to build your reading habits up, so you can start reading every day. And is this post hasn’t helped at all, here’s a cute photo of my cat.

If you’d like to leave a comment, I’d love to talk to you more about this, or offer you a book recommendation to help you fall (back) in love with reading!