1. Read before going to bed
A wonderful tactic to reduce your screentime as well as getting more reading done is to replace your phone with a book at bedtime. The next time you retire for the day, keep your phone in another room and take a book or an e-reader instead.
This way, you get some reading done before going to sleep and make sure that the time you would have otherwise spent mindlessly scrolling through social media is doing something productive.
2. Read after waking up
Another benefit of going to sleep with a book by your side is that you won’t have your phone at your bedside to check your notifications when you wake up the next day. Instead, you can pick up your book and start reading from where you last left the story.
Reading before starting your day is a great way to fill your mind with positivity and buzzing your consciousness with ideas.
3. Read while having meals
Practicing mindfulness while eating is great, but an effective way to get more reading done is to keep your e-reader propper up in front of you while having a meal. While this isn’t a great strategy if you share your mealtimes with family or friends, but can be a great way to dispel the loneliness and get the most out of your meal times if you live alone.
I’d have suggested keeping a book open while you eat, but turning the pages is hard with one hand, especially if you’re reading a paperback. And thus, having an e-reader solved the problem.
4. Listen to an audiobook while doing menial chores
When you’re occupied in tasks that don’t demand much mental space and energy, listen to an audiobook. This is a brilliant idea to make sure your mood stays upbeat while completing a chore you hate while also getting some reading done.
If you feel audiobooks aren’t your thing, many audiobook services provide a free 30-day trial. You can create an account, sign up for a free trial, and start listening to your favorite books today.
5. Join a book club
An in-person book club is a great way to read more books. However, if our city is in lockdown or you’re unable to step out of the house for whatever reasons, you can join an online book club.
Most book clubs have a simple agenda — they assign a specific book each month and have timely discussions based on various chapters and characters. This is a great way to reiterate what you’ve learned while at the same time finding other book lovers to befriend and bond with.
6. Set a reading goal
Websites like Goodreads are a great way to challenge yourself to read a fixed number of books each year. They have the option where you can set a reading goal each year and mark your progress as you complete each book.
Since Goodreads is a form of social media for book lovers, it’s also a great way to hold yourself accountable and meet fellow book-lover friends.
7. Track your reading habit
This is slightly different from the previous step. While in the previous step, you mark off each book you finish as you inch towards completing your reading goal; here, you congratulate yourself for sticking to your reading habit each day of the week. The former focuses on reading more books while the current one is focused on building a reading habit.
You can download a habit tracker and start marking how many pages you read each day. This will help you feel accomplished for small achievements and serve as an invaluable tool towards keeping you more accountable for your reading goals.