Currently under a Reading Slump? 5 Ways to Get Rid of a Slump

A young woman looking frustrated while laying her head on a stack of books

Are you currently under a reading slump? I’ve been there like many other readers around the world. If you’re currently under a reading slump, please keep in mind that you’re not alone. In today’s world, full of countless distractions, it is easy to drop the book and surf through your phone to see what the current events are, binge the new Netflix series, or being occupied with life-related events. I remember the first time I got into a reading slump and how I felt. I was laying on the sofa surfing through the Internet mindlessly and didn’t have the feeling of picking up a book. It almost lead me to the point of not picking up a book again. This reading slump that I had lasted for two weeks until I had to make an effort of picking up a book even if I struggled to get back into reading a story. For your interest, don’t stay for too long in a slump or the habit of reading that you were working hard on could wither away. Here are my five tips to get rid of a reading slump.

1. Stick to shorter books to get rid of a reading slump

   Don’t pick up a novel that has a thousand pages or more from the get go! If you do that, it’ll send your mind into overdrive when it comes to getting out from a reading slump. What do I mean by overdrive? I mean that you’ll be overwhelmed by the thickness of the book, complexity of the plot, the cast of characters that you have to keep in mind as you read, and the small details that you need to watch out for since they can form a huge part of the story in the later chapters. I recommend sticking to novellas or any shorter form of novels since they don’t carry the weight of the content that bigger novels have. In addition to that, you can also stick to short stories until you’re ready to read books that are between the 300-600 page count.

   
   

2. Read something new to get rid of a reading slump

   
   
   
   

   If you find yourself reading and reading the same genre all over again and you feel exhausted, my friend, it is time for a change. I previously posted about a conversation that I had with a relative about what books I was reading and replied that I was reading biographies. Biography books were my go to genre for a few years until my relative told me that I had to broaden my genres and not stick solely to one. When I was reading biographies, there would be times where I would be bored at reading historical information and facts about the person that I was learning about. Never did I know that it was a small, but encouraging sign that a change was required. Reading the same genre again and again is a gateway to a reading slump like I said, regarding my experience with reading biographies all the time. If you read fiction most of the time and find yourself tiring out, then pick a book from the non-fiction aisle and read it slowly to stimulate your mind into reading something new. Change your genres to avoid entering a slump!

   
   
   
   

3. Participate in a reading challenge

   Sometimes, the motivation can kick in for you in order to start reading again. However, what’ll happen if that motivation isn’t there? What will next strategy be? Lucky for us 21st century humans, we live in the digital age, where technology is at its peak and with it comes the easy access to social media, trending news, and the best shows on the streaming platforms. For us bookworms, and nerds, we have many literary community applications at our disposal. GoodReads is one of the most used applications out there for any bookworm out there who is looking to get back into reading, plus it has a powerful community in which anyone can engage with others and speak about what the community is reading. Reading challenges basically consist of reading a book each month. In this case, if you’re getting out from a reading slump, I heavily advise to read shorter books in order to reach these challenges on time and to not tire out easily. Remember that reading is a mental exercise to the mind. The longer you stay consistent, the better stamina you’ll have at reading bigger material.

   
   

4. Re-read a favorite of yours

   
   
   
   

   This is one of the easiest routes to take when getting out of the slump: read a favorite book or another familiar work. Sometimes, the best way on getting rid of a slump is to read a book that you’ve always considered your favorite and would grab it no matter how many times possible. Re-reading a favorite book allows you to re-engage with the passion for reading without putting in that much effort since you’re putting your head in a comforting, familiar experience with a story that you love. A familiar, favorite book can allow you to effortlessly draw yourself back into the story once visited and experience again the journey of all of the characters.

   
   

5. Read the first few pages

   
   
   
   

Falling in love with reading again requires you to at least make an effort. Again, start out with a short story or novella and read at least the first five to ten pages. Yes, at first, it’ll be rough to get through since you haven’t reading for a couple of weeks or so but then again, there is nothing to worry about. While reading the first couple of pages, read them slowly in order to fully immerse yourself with every detail and description. Be sure to take breaks as needed in order to mentally recharge before opening the book again, you don’t want to be one of those readers that skims through the text only to forget what you just read.

THOSE ARE MY FIVE TIPS TO GET OUT OF A READING SLUMP. ANY TIPS THAT I MIGHT’VE MISSED? PLEASE COMMENT.

*FOLLOW @JESLITERATI ON TIKTOK & INSTAGRAM*