How Do You Make Time for Reading?
Ever been in one of those awkward situations where a friend has got a problem, and you’ve got the solution, but it’s just a little too embarrassing to say out loud? Yeah, I’ve been there, too. And the crazy part is, it was all about how to make time for reading.
Reading’s not embarrassing.
Really, it’s not. It wasn’t the reading itself that was embarrassing. It was actually the where and how.
Life is Just Full!
That’s how the conversation started. It was a group conversation. One of those multi-window Zoom conversations we were all trying to like a couple of years back.
And the gist of the conversation was this: you love books. You’d love to read. BUT YOU JUST CAN’T IMAGINE FINDING THE TIME!
Life is full. Whether we like it or not, whether we fight it or not, whether we thrive on it or barely endure it. Life. Is. Full.
And It Always Will Be!
Back when we last read the first chapter of a chemistry book, (whether as a student or a teacher!) we were reminded that gases have a unique property that separates them from liquids and solids. Probably more than one property, actually. But the one I’m thinking of is this:
“Gases expand to fill an available space.”
That’s the way life is, too.
No matter how much you do—no matter how little you attempt—life will always stay full. Which creates a bit of a problem when you start trying to make time for something new.
Brutally Honest: How Do I Make Time for Reading?
My friend asked the question with a certain level of admiration in her voice.
She definitely thought it was a really good thing that I made time to read.
The truth of the matter is, I am just a tad addicted to reading. I’m not sure whether it’s a merit or a weakness.
Still, that wasn’t the part that made answering awkward. The part that made it awkward is that I am a Canadian. Canadians have the reputation of being very, very polite. Too polite, sometimes.
I was probably being too polite, if I couldn’t come up with a way to say this without being rude.
Scrap Reading in the Bath: Read in the Sink!
Yep, that is, actually, my answer.
Read in the bathroom. Even when you haven’t got time to take a bath.
(Do NOT read in the shower. Even if you’ve got a water-resistant Kindle, that one’s going to end badly!)
But DO read during all the rest of the time you spend in your soap-scented, toothbrush-scattered room.
Because “read in the washroom” is really just another way of saying “multitask.” We all have some minutes when our minds are empty, even though our time is filled. I, personally, read while I’m brushing my hair. I read while I’m brushing my teeth. I even read—occasionally—while I’m walking up and down stairs. An e-reader is definitely a blessing here, but I’m not by any means saying you couldn’t do it with a paperback, too.
Does it mean I read more than a paragraph or two unbroken? No. But it does mean I get to jam in some precious minutes I wouldn’t have otherwise had with books.
Make Them Listen: Read Out Loud
My second answer to the make time for reading question has to do with reading out loud.
I say that, realizing it’s a bit of a sensitive one, because I do know that not everyone can necessarily find regular access to a group of reading partners.
But if you are finding yourself torn between reading time and family time, then do take a moment to consider whether the two could be combined.
Most children absolutely love to listen to reading. Especially if they’re allowed to do something with their hands at the same time. And there are actually a surprising number of books that will feed both their minds and yours!
Somebody Else’s Advice: Go for Audio Books
Okay, I say this is somebody else’s advice, because, while I love listening to family members read aloud, for some reason I am less passionate about listening to recordings do it.
This could be because I’m hearing impaired, and recorded voices are just that little bit more of a strain.
Or it could be because I am not really an auditory learner.
However, my own preferences aside, I know from a ton of other people that audio books work fantastically for a huge sector of the population. And they’ve got this advantage over print books: you 100% CAN listen to them in the shower!
You Can Do It!
It doesn’t take a big time commitment to reap the benefits of books. (We talked about that in a little more detail in a previous post.) In fact, the secret of how to make time to read isn’t about clearing space in your schedule. It’s about re-discovering the potential of the time you already have.
Even when that time is nothing but the washroom!
And believe it or not, I am still confident that my washroom trick is NOT the weirdest how-to-read advice you can find out there. Share your own wackiest tip for making time to read in the comment’s section below. I’d love to hear from all of you!
Eager to read, but not sure which book to start? Take a look at our previous post:
I like to read for 15-30 minutes before bed. And I read here and there, and try to read at least 30 min in the afternoon as that helps my writing.
We make time for what we really want to do. If you don’t really want to read, you won’t make time for it.
Oh, that’s fun to hear how you fit reading into your day, Rebekah!