How to Get Out of a Reading Slump

Posted on by Anusha Narasimhan

My experience with a long reading slump:

In 2020, I stopped reading.

I would pick up a book out of habit, read a page, and immediately put it down again. Trying to keep up with the coronavirus news, being anxious about the state of the world, taking precautions like washing hands and obsessing over cleanliness in general leaves you physically and mentally drained.

Also, I just could not bring myself to read books and gush about them during a pandemic. It would be similar to Nero fiddling when Rome burned. Not that I have the power of an emperor to make a difference to the situation, but it still felt that way.

What worked for me:

During the pandemic, reading words, an activity that I enjoyed more than anything, felt like a chore. So I listened to audiobooks while doing the dishes. I loved most of the books I listened to and contemplated over them, but I just couldn’t write reviews. It was tiring to form coherent streams of words and type them down.

As for my media diet challenge, I failed the no social media part of the challenge miserably, and I didn’t read a short story and a poem every day, but I read a bunch of them during my free time or listened to audiobook editions while walking. I started walking as an exercise whenever I get free time because I have a sedentary job. This meant no time to sit and read.

Then, it suddenly struck me that I could read graphic novels, manga, manhwa and comics and it won’t take much time or focus. I received a lot of these from publishers that I need to review anyway. So I resorted to books with pictures for my reading fix.

I’ve been reading graphic novels, looking up new free webcomics and catching up on some that I used to enjoy but paused reading. Finding some sort of normalcy in such abnormal times can help keep us sane.

Tips to Get Out of a Reading Slump:

A reading slump is rarely about the world. It can be a bad book, a tired brain, a phone that gives you a small hit every thirty seconds, a job that takes the good hours, a baby, a grief, a winter. You want to read but for some reason (or excuse) you simply cannot, and then you feel guilty for not reading. So here are some tips on getting back to reading, slowly and steadily:

1. Lower the bar until it feels silly. Reread a favourite book, or read a short work – a novella, a short story, a flash fiction, a poem, a children’s book. The goal is to finish something, not to read “well”. The Little Prince is 96 pages; a Murderbot novella is 144; a Chekhov story is ten minutes. Finishing one small thing breaks the spell. Small wins matter!

2. Change the format. If print isn’t working, try an audiobook on a walk, an ebook on your phone, or a book in the bath. A different medium breaks the association with the routine that failed. Audiobooks count. Reading on a screen counts.

3. Quit the book that’s blocking you. The slump is sometimes that one book you are forcing yourself through. Put it and start something you actually want to read. The guilt about abandoning a book is unnecessary. Life is too short to read books we can’t get through – DNF and try again later if you want to.

4. Put the phone in another room. The doomscroll is tempting and notifications compete with your attantion span. Try reading ten minutes of a book before you pick up the phone.

5. Follow curiosity, not the TBR. Read the “guilty pleasure”. Read the genre you loved at fifteen (or five). Read the book with the cover you keep picking up in a shop. A slump is often a mismatch between what you think you should read and what you actually want to read. Its somewhat like procrastination when you try to do something you should do, but don’t really want to.

What didn’t help me and may not help you:

  • Buying more books that caught my eye led me to feeling guilty about Tsundoku
  • Setting a Goodreads challenge did not work
  • Picking books that I’m supposed to have read by now or would make me well-read made me hate reading.
  • Forcing fifty pages a day or having deadlines felt like a chore.
  • Reading in bed with the phone within reach meant I could not give my attention to the book.
  • Telling people about my reading hoping to be accountable backfired. There was too much pressure to complete it and shame from not keeping my word.

FAQ

How long does a reading slump last? Anywhere from a few days to a few months. There is no deadline, and trying to rush it usually makes it longer.

Should I force myself to read? No. Forcing tends to turn a slump into a chore. Lower the bar instead of raising the pressure.

Do audiobooks count as reading? Yes. You are taking in the book. The format is not a moral test.

Is it okay to reread? Yes — rereading is one of the most reliable ways back. You already know the book works; you are rebuilding the habit, not testing your taste.

What if I don’t want to read at all? That is allowed. Reading is not a moral obligation. The slump ends when something makes you curious again, not when you guilt yourself into it.

How do I tell a slump from burnout? A slump is specific to reading. If you have lost interest in most things, not just books, and it has lasted weeks, that is worth talking to someone about. A slump is about a book; burnout is about everything.

How do I start again after years away? Short, fast, fun. A novella, a thriller, a reread, an audiobook. Start where the pleasure is.

It is normal to stop reading at times. Life happens. When you’re ready to pick up a book again, I hope my experience was relatable and my tips were useful. If you want more tips on reading, I would suggest:

 

8 thoughts on “How to Get Out of a Reading Slump”

  1. I can relate the pandemic and all the anxiety left me feeling unable to read, to just concentrate on a book, thankfully my reading slump seems to be broken now. I use audio books occasionally but I still prefer to actually read but they are a great substitute for reading during a slump. For me a really good non fiction book is the best way to get back into reading.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I know a lot of people have struggled with reading slumps during this pandemic. I’ve still been reading/listening, but most things I read feel kinda meh, and I have to wonder if it’s just me lol. I’ve always found comics are a great solution though for times when I’m too distracted or stressed for novels! I’m glad comics are helping you too 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Kristen! Thank you for dropping by and adding your view. I also find that most books I pick up these days don’t hold my interest. These are books I would have enjoyed if read them at another time, but now they feel bland and just okay. I’m also finding it hard to pick up a book again once I stop reading it.

      One trick that works for me is to read a graphic novel or manga adaptation before diving into the original. Sometimes I read an ongoing webtoon adaptation, so the curiosity to know how the story continues makes me pick up the book.

      Liked by 1 person

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