Just like so many people today, I used to read a ton of books when I was younger. The second I finished one book, I would open another without a single second of hesitation. Personally, I was obsessed with the Magic Tree House series; each book was full of different adventures that held such a tight grip on my childhood.
As I’ve gotten older though, the thought of reading in my free time has been tucked away so far in my mind I feel as though I have forgotten that reading was something I used to do for fun. I partly blame this sad realization on the fact that I’m majoring in English Literature right now, which means most of the reading I have been doing for the past three years has been for class.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy reading for school; I mean I hope I would since I’ve essentially dedicated my entire college education to reading and writing over and over again.
However, I will say that seeing the daunting list of books I need to purchase for all my English classes each semester does make reading seem to be less of a fun activity and more like a chore that drastically dents my wallet.
Younger me would be very disappointed to know that this is what reading has become for not only myself, but for so many other people once they start to grow up. So, in an attempt to combat this dilemma, I’ve slowly started reading again, but wow it has been kind of difficult.
The most important takeaway I’ve learned thus far is that your mindset seriously matters. In other words, I try to make sure that I don’t feel pressured to get through a book quickly.
I’m currently reading Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover (which I totally recommend) and, to be honest, I haven’t picked the book up in about a week because I’ve been super busy with school.
In this type of situation, I would usually get really stressed out and feel like a total failure if I haven’t read in a while because reading a book seems like such an easy task.
What has really helped me is understanding that this sense of guilt is present because I’m the only one who is making me feel this way. Once I get past that obstacle, I’m able to release that burden and read peacefully again.
Reading is such a good escape from reality, and I really hope that I will soon be able to read regularly in my free time. So, for any of you who are like me and are trying to incorporate reading back into your life, don’t worry if it’s hard at first, just simply enjoy the journey and be patient with yourself.