How to make time to read a book

Reading is good for you. For lots of reasons – escapism, personal development, stress reduction (in just 6 minutes), improve critical thinking skills, creativity, knowledge.

But with our increasingly busy digital lives, how do you make time to read a book? Here are ten favourite ideas that I share with my book club members.

1 –First thing in the morning

It seems that it helps if you set aside a specific time to read every day. Maybe this is just about getting up ten minutes earlier. Or taking ten minutes after breakfast to sit and read.

2 –On the commute

This is an easy one if you take public transport to and from work. And if you work from home, take a 15 minute commute from the kitchen to your desk, via your book.

3 – Lunchtime

Take time at your lunch break to sit and read. If it’s a beautiful day, why not take your book to the park. Or on a cold winter morning, take your book to the local café and read over coffee or hot chocolate. It’s healthy to take a proper break from work in the middle of the day. Don’t waste time feeling guilty about taking a break. Just do it.

4 – Before you go to bed

I keep a stack of books by my bed. Even if I only plan to read ‘just one page’, if it’s a good book, I do sometimes get engrossed and end up reading more.

5 – Just a few pages

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have time to read a whole chapter. Pick up your book whenever you have a spare 5 minutes and read just a page or two (or three or four …).

6 – Instead of TV

Instead of watching TV in the evenings or browsing the sanitised lives we live on Facebook, pick up your book and commit to reading one chapter.

7 – Join a book club

This is a brilliant way to get the motivation to read a book. What’s more, a book club will tell you which book to read so that it takes away the time-consuming indecision. (By the way, when you join The Confident Mother book club, I’ll share other activities to inspire you to think, act and grow.)

8 – Visit your local library

The library is a great place to sit and read a book. Browse the shelves to see what takes your fancy. I tend to read the back blurb, the first page and a random couple of pages in the book to see if I think I’ll enjoy it.

9 – Book in your bag

Always have a reading book in your bag for those times when you’re sat in a waiting room, or waiting in a client’s reception area.

10 – What you enjoy

Don’t waste time struggling to get through a book you’re not enjoying. You don’t have to stick to the books that everybody else is reading or raving about. If you don’t enjoy Brene Brown’s books, so be it. Focus on reading books you enjoy and you’ll realise you’re making more time to read.

These are my favourite ways to make time to read a book. Remember we all have 24 hours in our day. It’s your choice as to HOW you use those 24 hours. It’s not about finding time to read, it’s about choosing to take time to read.