While not everyone has a love or interest in reading, there is something to be said about the importance of picking up a book now and then. The benefits of reading are countless, and I also think it's important to remember that entertainment used to come in the form of storytelling through oral tradition and the written word. Today, many have traded the long-held tradition of reading for a screen. While screens are not necessarily bad, the amount of time most people (including myself for a while) spend on their phones daily is outrageous! What's more, there are many adverse outcomes of excessive phone usage. I think it's important to reconsider how we're investing our time.
If you haven't, I strongly encourage you to get into reading. As I said in the beginning, it has many benefits, far more than using digital media, and regardless of how much someone is on their phone, I strongly encourage everyone to read at least one to two books a year. Making time for reading can be challenging to overcome, especially in our chaotic world, but it is possible. Why is reading so crucial, though, and how does one intentionally make time for it? First, I want to consider the benefits of reading.
The Benefits
Much like the post where I talked about the pros and cons of audiobooks and physical books, reading as a whole has a plethora of benefits, some of which are:
Gaining knowledge
It exercises your brain and improves your focus and comprehension and increases your vocabulary.
It improves your memory.
It reduces stress.
It is entertaining and can be comforting.
While anyone can admit that there are benefits to reading, many claim to have no time, especially as we get older and life gets busier, it becomes harder to read because our priorities change. Some may not want to prioritize reading or see that other things take precedence, and that's okay! Everyone is different. However, if you do want to read more, the question is, how on earth do you make time for it?
How to make time
Making time for reading can be challenging, but I want to put some things into perspective. Many say they don't have the time, and while that may be true for some, I would argue that most do have the time. They're just choosing something else to occupy that time. Statistically, the average person spends 5-6 hours daily on their phone. However, on Instagram, it was estimated in 2022 that most people spend an average of 12 hours a day on the app! Surely if most people could do that, they could take 10 minutes to read if they wanted to. My point in saying all this is that sometimes we need to put things in perspective and think about how much time we may have. Another thing one could do is to set a goal of how many pages they want to read a day. While this is not easy, especially when you're busy and want to check out mentally on your phone, choosing an amount you can realistically read in a day is better than not reading at all.
Another thing that I believe is a valuable tool is audiobooks. While in school and reading tons of books every week, I found that amidst my busy schedule, it was best to listen to some of them while driving, cleaning, etc. This ensured that I was maximizing my time and getting my work done. So maybe when you're going to work, vacuuming, or making dinner, you could listen to an audiobook, killing two birds with one stone!
Lastly, something that worked for me in the past was scheduling, not only how many pages I would read but the time of day I would read. For example, I like to get up early, so in the morning, when I'm having breakfast and coffee, it's the perfect time to read. Everything is quiet, and I am undisturbed. Plus, it is also something that can get me out of bed. I will also read at night before bed as studies show that reading before bed can improve your sleep. In the end, reading is a long-held tradition that has slowly become lost in our society. With its many benefits and the joy it can bring, I believe it's necessary to try and make time for it.
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Questions
Are you trying to read more?
How many books did you read last year?
What is your reading goal for this year?
What was your biggest obstacle to overcome with reading?
Do you agree with my tips? Would you add/take away anything?
Let's discuss!
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References
Published by L. Ceci, and Jun 14. "Time Spent on Average on a Smartphone in the U.S. 2021." Statista, Jun 14, 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1224510/time-spent-per-day-on-smartphone-us/.
Published by L. Ceci, and Apr 3. "Time Spent on the Instagram App 2022." Statista, Apr 3, 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1294879/time-spent-instagram-app-selected-countries/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20users%20worldwide%20spent%20approximately%2012%20hours,spent%20around%2017.4%20hours%20monthly%20on%20the%20app.
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