To Read or Not To Read: What to do (and not do) when you're in a reading slump.

Reading Slumps

       Reading slumps are awful. Every reader can vouch for that, because we've all encountered the monsters that eat up our will to read, live, and breath. So, if you are currently in a reading slump, or want to prepare for the inevitable future, here are a few things to do and not do when a reading slump attacks you at your most vulnerable moment.

       1. Pick up a new book.
If you aren't interested in the book you are currently reading, you aren't going to want to read. Try picking up something you have been wanting to read for a while.​ If you can't get into that book, pick up something else. Don't force yourself to read something you aren't enjoying.
       2. Book-to-movie adaptations.
Movie adaptations of books are a great motivation to read. Find a movie you want to go see, and read the book first. This works especially well for movies that are in theaters, because you can only go see them for a certain amount of time. That way, you want to read the book, and you have to push through it quickly.
       3. Pick up a short story or a collection of short stories.
I love shorter reads, because they make me feel good about how much I've read. They are also great for keeping your attention, because you are constantly being presented with new stories, especially in anthologies. You are also more likely to set aside time to read one story, because you know it won't take you very long.
       4. Set aside a specific time to read.
Everyone has that time in the evening that they set aside to watch their favorite show, or do something for themselves. It's just as easy to set aside reading time! My favorite way to do this is to start my nighttime routine 15-30 minutes earlier. (My nighttime routine consists of showering and brushing my teeth. Not too extensive...) That way, when you would normally put on your pajamas and crawl into bed, you can curl up with a book and get in some more reading time.
       5. Grab an audio book.
If you just can't find time to read, audio books are a great alternative to traditional reading. You don't know when to listen to it? The easiest way to integrate it into everyday life is to listen to it whenever you would normally listen to music. Car rides? Done. Exercising? Easy. Cleaning? How fun. In the shower? Um.........I like to sing. But if you don't sing, that's a great place to listen to a story.
       6. Take your book everywhere with you.
When you take your book with you when you go out of the house, you will realize just how much time you have to read. A couple minutes on the bus here, a few minutes during lunch there. All of a sudden, you've read fifty pages throughout the day, but you didn't do anything different from normal.
       7. Make it a group event.
If you are finding that you can't stick with a book, try reading one with others. Start or join a book club, or pair up with a buddy to read. This way, you have a goal, a deadline, a friend with whom to chat, and it will be spoiler free. It's a quadruple win.

To Do

Not To Do

       1. Netflix and Youtube
If you turn on a internet video of any kind, you're doomed. You'll say, "One more episode," to Stranger Things one too many times, and look up at four in the morning and realize you've wasted your entire life doing nothing. (Sorry. That got a little dark.) Anyways, stay away from Netflix. It's a trap set by the reading slump monster.
       2. Push through a book.
When you force yourself to read something you aren't enjoying, you won't want to read. It seems so common sense as you read it right now, but I don't know how many people do it.

      What do you do when you need to get out of a reading slump? Let me know in the comments below!

While she struggles with her own slump monster,
Ashton

A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading." 
— William Styron, Conversations with William Styron