Hello~
Unfortunately, I – like many others, I’m sure – have experienced a terrible reading slump for the majority of the year.
Thankfully, I was able to escape it, but in a different means than my last slump. So, I’ve compiled the many reasons a slump may occur, and what I feel may help to overcome it – speaking primarily from personal experience.
I’ve broken down what I feel are the overall steps that need to be taken – in order – to address and, hopefully, solve the problem.
Firstly, the specific cause for the slump needs to be identified. If there is more than one cause, select the more troublesome of the bunch.
From there, apply the most appropriate solution – which shall be detailed below.
Though there could be several more causes for a reading slump out there. I feel these six reasons are the most common and reoccurring for avid readers.
This time around, I personally was unable to maintain interest, but my last slump was caused by burnout after having a good run of solid reads.
If your issue is that you’re coming down from a reader’s high. It may be best to try and not expect your next read to provide you with the same feelings. Otherwise, you’ll end up fairly disappointed early on and less likely to pick up a book for however long.
The solution to this I feel can come about by rereading a part of a past book that made you feel that way. A particular piece of dialogue or action sequence.
If you’re up for it, why not reread the whole book – you know what you’ll be getting so that eliminates the feeling of being let down.
If you’re someone who can read a book you’ve just finished again shortly afterwards, then you can try that instead of delving into a past read. I personally am not, but everyone’s different. The aim is to just have that itch you’re feeling scratched so that you can go into your next read without an immediate sense of disappointment when you don’t get the experience you’re craving.
Time constraints can be a huge hurdle when it comes to being unable to read. But it’s important to determine whether we actually don’t have time, or if we’re wasting time.
Perhaps there’s something else we’re putting off and that makes us feel like we don’t have time because we’re stalling and getting nothing done.
In these instances it’s important to take a moment and reset. Try and work through the things in the way one by one. And eventually your mind will clear and you’ll feel open to wanting to read.
If your task load is just too hefty and will take too long to get through, maybe those few moments before you go to bed, and are likely on your phone, are instances in which you can try to read. I found that having my book somewhere easily accessible – like on my nightstand – allowed me to get some reading done before bed when I’d otherwise be scrolling for an hour or more on social media.
Nothing feels worse than having a book in hand and then being unable to get into it. Perhaps you find yourself zoning out, or perhaps you’re able to start the story but feel compelled to abandon ship early on.
To reinvigorate your interest, try delving into something completely different to the norm. Genre-wise, medium-wise, or location-wise.
As someone who normally reads fantasy or fiction, I decided to dabble in some mystery and thrillers. Now I can’t put the book down because I’m invested in the story. I have to actively engage with the plot to figure out where the author is planning to take it. I’m right there alongside the characters trying to figure out what’s going on and that usually ends up in a reading binge and a fully immersive experience.
Another way of doing this is changing up the way you read or where you read. If you don’t have a e-book reader, reading on your phone or laptop can provide a different experience and engage you in a different way. Or listening to an audio book – preferably not when doing chores, so that you can stay focused.
Exploring a new place and trying to read there can also help to re-engage you since having a routine with the same places and a constant lack of reading may be hard to break out of. But going to a new location can help to introduce a new potential part to that routine.
Sometimes when you’re feeling a burnout, you just have to ride the wave.
Trying to force yourself out of it can result in simply plunging you even deeper into the depths.
Finding joy in other things, like crafting your own story or completing other hobbies, can help you rest and reset so that you’re ready to get back into the groove of reading.
Sometimes a book just doesn’t hit the way you would’ve liked it to.
Hey, it’s impossible to experience perfection every time.
In those instances, it’s important to not dwell on those feelings.
Feel them. Get them out: verbally or written. Then move on to the next read.
And to help that next read be a success, try to pick another novel from an author you’ve already enjoyed before. Or look to friends, book clerks or librarians for suggestions on something enjoyable to read.
Nothing says ‘an avid reader’ like a mountainous TBR that only gets larger by the day, and never seems to shrink no matter how you chip away at it.
Eventually that fun little list or stack of books can become daunting.
To help overcome that looming feeling of having so much to do but so little time to do it, try to downsize. Both physically and mentally.
Reduce your reading goals or limit how many books are on your list overall. Set a cap, whether that be 50, 100, or 200. If you have those books resting in your home – on shelves, drawers or end tables – then perhaps it’s time to give them to others. You can gift them to fellow reader friends or family who maybe aren’t into reading as much and may enjoy them as a change of pace. Or you can sell or donate them.
Now that you’ve taken the time to reflect and think about what particular reasons are causing your reading slump – it’s time to make little changes. Emphasis on the little.
Even if it’s a combination of a reasons, rank them from most to least problematic and apply one solution.
If you try to do X, Y, and Z, well, you might be setting yourself up for failure.
Despite all of that, and even if you apply one solution and still find yourself in the slump, that’s okay!
Everyone reads for different reasons, but most of those reasons stem from attaining some kind of fun.
You can’t force a feeling. You can only do what you can, when you can, to try and improve the chances of getting that feeling back.
I hope this was able to help in some way. Wishing everyone out there a pleasurable reading experience.
~ C.C.
aureate & aromatic 
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