Book lovers know how reading a book, whether the book is fictional or non-fictional, makes life so much richer and more colourful.
Reading a book is not only a fun and enjoyable activity, but it also ignites our imagination, boosts our creativity, helps us relax, allows us to reflect, and increases our knowledge and understanding of complex and nuanced subjects. Many people know these benefits but the problem has always been making the time for reading.
Most of us are overwhelmed every day by various tasks, activities, and deadlines that by the time we finish doing all of those things, we are too tired to read. Research shows that less and fewer people are reading books.
Having great discipline and knowing the best ways to make time for reading will go a long way in allowing us to pursue the wonderful act of reading. Here are five of the best ways to make time for reading.
Prioritize your activities
If you are a well-balanced individual, you will usually have about 7 hours for sleeping, 8 hours for working, and a few hours spending time with your love ones. This will leave you a few hours of spare time to prioritize your other hobbies and interests. In order to make time for reading with your children, you have no other option but to sacrifice the activities that are less beneficial compared to reading.
Set a reading schedule
Telling yourself that you will finally start reading with your children is easier said than done. Again, your number one enemy will be your busy schedule and your busy mind. The best thing to work your way around these issues is to set a specific schedule for reading time with your kids. Your schedule should specifically state the exact time to start reading and the exact time to end reading – before bed always works best, or a rainy Sunday afternoon. Schedule your other activities and tasks as well so that you will not forget to fulfill your other important responsibilities.
Set a reading goal
Many people who want to read but cannot make time for reading are usually the ones who do not set their personal reading goals. A reading goal is the amount of pages or chapters or even books you have to read daily, weekly, or even monthly. Setting a reading goal will help you pace your reading and not get overwhelmed by all of your reading materials. With children this is a little different. Set goals like reading all the Robert Munsch books (with younger children) or Harry Potter series (with older children).
Use different medium for reading
With our busy schedules, we usually do not have access to the reading materials that we want to read whether it is a book, a magazine, or a newspaper. Fortunately for the 21st century readers, we have a variety of ways we can read without the use of books, magazines, or newspapers. Our computers, smartphones, and tablets have become reliable gadgets for our reading sessions. With these different methods you can use for reading, we really have no more excuse for not being able to read.
Learn, have fun, and enjoy while reading
Make sure to choose a reading materials that will help you learn something significant to your life or career or reading materials that suit your interests and passion. Doing so will help you have fun and enjoy reading that are essential because these will help you become a regular and avid reader. You will always be willing to read despite your busy schedule if you are enjoying and learning from what you are reading.
Those are just some of the ways you can make time for reading. It will take some effort and a lot of discipline to be able to read regularly. We all have to stop making excuses why we are not reading enough and start finding ways to read more instead. Everyone should make it a priority to find ways to make time for reading because reading with children is a special activity that has many special benefits to our daily lives.
