{"id":6036,"date":"2021-12-09T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/?p=6036"},"modified":"2024-10-18T11:59:39","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T11:59:39","slug":"how-to-start-reading-for-pleasure-again-6-tips-for-getting-your-flow-back-cloned-5986","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/2021\/12\/09\/how-to-start-reading-for-pleasure-again-6-tips-for-getting-your-flow-back-cloned-5986\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start Reading for Pleasure (Again)\u20146 Tips for Getting Your Flow Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Many of us wish we were better readers, and this might\u00a0<\/span>help you get there.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Image by: Georgina Laskari<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

How to Start Reading for Pleasure (Again)\u20146 Tips for Getting Your Flow Back<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

By: Wiktoria Grzybowska<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

December 9th 2021<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

<\/p>\n

When I was in my early teens, I didn\u2019t read books\u2014I swallowed them. There were stacks of them all over my room and I held the record for the most borrowed-and-returned books within a single week in the local library. And then, something stopped clicking, and for years I could no longer read books for the pleasure of it. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is a common story\u2014I\u2019ve talked to many people who used to love reading as kids, but once they stopped, they had a hard time taking it up again. Suddenly reading is no longer a pleasure, only a struggle. But! Recently I have successfully re-trained my brain not only to be able to read, but to enjoy it too. I figure, if I can do it, anyone can! So, if you want to get back to loving books, or if you\u2019ve never been a big reader but feel motivated to become one, here are some tips for you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Ease into it\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Meaning: lay off the classics! The biggest mistake I made when trying to take up reading again many times over the years was reaching for books I thought I \u201cshould\u201d read. Classic literature is fantastic, yes, but it can also be a chore. Language is gorgeous\u2014but complicated; narratives meaningful\u2014but not necessarily entertaining. Many people pick up a Hemingway or a Dostoyevsky after not having read for years and have a hard time digesting it. Don\u2019t do that! It will make you feel like you can\u2019t read at all and give up again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Remember:<\/strong> the goal is to read for pleasure, so there are no books that you \u201cshould\u201d or \u201cshould not\u201d read. To give yourself a fighting chance, after a long break from reading, reach for something light, easy, and short. Young adult fiction is a good bet, as is any book you had already read and enjoyed before. Read a <\/span>Harry Potter<\/span><\/i>, or a <\/span>Princess\u2019 Diaries. Anna Karenina <\/span><\/i>will still be there once you\u2019re ready for her, and the pay-off will be much greater.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Know your tastes<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Try and tailor your books after the content you consume. What kind of films and series do you watch? Do you like science fiction? Family drama? Comedy, horror, or true crime? Take what you already know you enjoy and apply it to books. Once you\u2019ve got a nice, comfortable reading rhythm, you can start experimenting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t bankrupt yourself in the name of reading\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Reading books and buying books are two very different hobbies, so don\u2019t get them confused. Just because you made it to the bookstore and bought those gorgeous hardbacks, doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll ever read them. If you want to buy books, be smart about it. Many bookstores or even grocery shops often have great pocketbook sales\u20144 for the price of 3, or 3 for 100kr, etc. E-books are also a much cheaper option if you have something you can read them on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But first and foremost\u2014don\u2019t buy, borrow! The Malm\u00f6 City Library has a fantastic, broad catalogue of books in many languages, with plenty of new and trendy titles, as well as oldies-but-goodies. Search the online catalogue and reserve the titles that interest you, if you don\u2019t want to spend much time browsing the bookshelves. If you don\u2019t want to go out at all\u2014you can get an online library card and use it to borrow e-books, downloadable straight onto your desktop. If you still <\/span>really <\/span><\/i>want to buy those pretty hardbacks, then my advice is to buy books you\u2019ve already read and liked.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sidenote:<\/strong> if convenience is important to you, and you\u2019re seriously dedicated to reading more, an e-book reader may be worth splashing on. It\u2019s the best way of reading in bed and on the commute, and it doesn\u2019t tire out your eyes the way a phone or a tablet does.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. Plan and prepare<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re waiting to start reading until inspiration strikes you, you will never get to it. Trust me\u2014you have to make an active decision which times of the day\/days of the week you want to read, and then stick to the plan. Then, prepare yourself and your reading space. Make sure you\u2019re sitting comfortably (lying down is risky!), that you have good light, some drinks, snacks, and a blanket nearby. That way you won\u2019t be getting up multiple times, to fetch whatever it is you need, and losing your focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking of focus\u2014<\/strong>get rid of distractions. No TV in the background allowed, and when it comes to your music, try to avoid vocals. Lo-fi beats and instrumental playlists are the safest bets. Then there\u2019s the biggest distraction\u2014the phone. The best solution to the smartphone issue is to put your phone in another room and temporarily turn off all notifications (aside from calls). If you\u2019re not comfortable not having your phone near you, go into your setting and enable grayscale. Making your screen black-and-white makes it less attractive, and thus\u2014less likely to distract you from your reading.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. Remember that books don\u2019t have feelings\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\u2026so you can\u2019t hurt them. If you start reading a book and after 50-ish pages you decide you don\u2019t like it, don\u2019t be scared to abandon it. I know, I know, this is controversial. But remember that you\u2019re only reading for yourself\u2014there\u2019s no teacher making you do it, no test at the end of the week. Forcing yourself to read a book you don\u2019t enjoy defeats the purpose of reading for pleasure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Similarly, you don\u2019t have to enter a monogamous relationship with just one book. <\/span>
<\/span>A lot of people read one book at a time, but I\u2019ve found I like to have two or three titles always ready to go. Some books can be quite tough to get through, so it\u2019s good to balance it with a light read. You may also want to mix fiction with non-fiction, long novels with short stories, etc. A to-be-read pile is always a good thing to have, whether you decide to read many books simultaneously or not. That way you can jump from one title to another without a long pause breaking your flow.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

6. Don\u2019t be too hard on yourself<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s completely normal to struggle to stay focused and motivated. No, you\u2019re not stupid and yes, your brain is working fine. If you\u2019ve had a long break from reading, or if you\u2019ve never been a big reader, then naturally it will take time to find your rhythm. Don\u2019t beat yourself up and never compare yourself to other people\u2014there are literary freaks out there who can read over a hundred books per year, but we regular folk have to manage our expectations and set realistic goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Consider tracking your reading with an app like GoodReads or Libib\u2014figure out if you stay on track better if you aim for pages per day, or books per month. Start slowly and build up your confidence. Remember that you\u2019re only reading for yourself, and not to impress anyone else. Give yourself a break if you need it\u2014you don\u2019t want to burn out and abandon reading again. And realize that sometimes as students, we read much more than we think we do\u2014all the course literature and academic articles are no light reads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So go easy on yourself, and happy reading. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many of us wish we were better readers, and this might help you get there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,335,332],"tags":[77,80,78,76,75,79,81],"class_list":["post-6036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-for-students","category-literature-film","tag-books","tag-how-to-read-for-fun","tag-pleasure-reading","tag-read","tag-reading","tag-reading-for-fun","tag-reading-motivation","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6036"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6575,"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6036\/revisions\/6575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sum.malmostudenter.se\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}