Today, many of us (myself included) can get wrapped up in the online world. Especially since the pandemic, it feels like our entire world exists on little glowing screens. I don’t know about you, but I get so frustrated with it sometimes that I’m just about ready to throw my cell phone off a cliff and invest in a flip phone. Seriously. I’ve considered it.
But that’s pretty hard to do that in a world where interconnectivity is central to everything we do. Instead, I have found myself trying to tear away from the cycle of social media-scrolling and email-checking by staying active, finding new hobbies and most importantly for me, returning to my childhood love of reading.
Let me tell you one thing: it isn’t easy to do. As a kid, I spent hours upon hours engrossed in books. When I was probably seven, my mom caught me up at midnight reading Little House on the Prairie under the covers and threatened to take away my books if I didn’t go to bed at bedtime (ha!). But as I grew up, I became so wrapped up in all of the things that we constantly have chasing us down. Classwork, athletics, and community service, just to name a few, took up so much of my time that I started to feel like there was no time for anything else. By the time I was in high school, I was only reading a couple books a year outside of school.
This year, however, I decided that it was time to get back into reading again. It’s good for you, as opposed to the endless, addictive scrolling that makes so many of us feel anxious and overwhelmed. It might seem difficult to do (you’re busy, I know!) but I promise that making room to be a reader again is worth it. I’ve included a few steps to help you get started:
Set a Goal
As college students, I know that many of us are super goal-oriented, so set a goal! Maybe you want to read a book every week or once a month. Maybe you have a list of specific books that you want to read before the end of the year. Whatever it is, write out your goal and make it happen. According to Forbes, “people who very vividly describe or picture their goals are 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish their goals”. So make it happen! Manifest it!
Find time
I know that we’re all busy. I know. But there’s always somewhere that you can find the time. Maybe instead of scrolling through your phone for an hour before bed, you pick up a book (blue light before you sleep is bad for you anyway!). Maybe you bring a book with you for the half hour that you’re on the stationary bike or sit down and read for a few minutes to relax between classes. You might be surprised how much extra time you have if you decide to cut back on the mindless scrolling.
Find a Friend
One of the best ways that I’ve found to continue reading is to find a friend who’s a reader (or wants to be!). You can swap books, talk about them together and keep each other accountable.
Pick Some Really Good Books
There are tons of great ways to find good things to read. Peruse the internet, ask friends for recommendations or even find a book podcast like “Oprah’s Book Club” or “Book Riot.” A few of my favorite reads have been The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, The Nightingale and The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. It’s also a great idea to visit your local new or used bookstore and support small businesses. Better World Books is an online bookstore that donates a book for every book purchased, so that’s just one amazing way to support global literacy by reading.
Join a Book Subscription Club
One of the best things that I have done for myself this year was join the “Book of the Month Club.” It’s an online platform that picks the five top books each month and allows you to choose one (or more!) to be sent to you. I get ridiculously excited when the new books come out each month and I have loved the ones I’ve received so far. It’s surprisingly affordable too. For $15 a month, you get a beautiful hardcover book (and who doesn’t love the smell of a new book?). I cannot recommend it highly enough. I’ve already gotten tons of my friends and family members hooked on BOTM.
Starting to read again has been such an enriching experience. I read pretty much every night and I find that I’m more articulate, I sleep better and it’s honestly just such a relief from the virtual world that we are all stuck in right now. I highly recommend making this part of your self-care routine. It’s so important that we all take care of our bodies and minds and our physical and mental health, especially right now. Make time for yourself. Love yourself. Take care of yourself.