3 Tips to Make Reading More Enjoyable Than Instagram
I asked our Instagram community what their goals were this year, and the most common goal was associated with reading. Some women wanted to read daily while others had a book count goal to achieve by the end of the year.
The second most common goals was to spend less time browsing social media, which seemed like an easy “two birds, one stone” scenario.
These tips will help you to achieve both by falling in love with reading. As a writer, it’s always been a romanticized event in my head. I used to escape to a quiet little corner of our house and cuddle up with a good book. Now, I take an hour to read here and there. Either way, I’m ALWAYS happy I chose to read instead of consuming mindless media.
So, let’s get into these tips to help you enjoy reading more!
1. Discover what captivates you
Listen, if historical romance is your thing — alright! If the rise & fall of ancient empires is your thing — cool! If you haven’t found a book you like reading or listening to, then you haven’t discovered your genre yet.
When I first met my husband, he didn’t like to read. As a writer, I honestly wasn’t sure I could marry someone who didn’t like to read. I took it on as a personal challenge to fix. Ordinarily, I would advise trying to “fix” your husband, but this instance ended up benefitting us both. Through trial & error, we learned that he prefers to listen to books (thanks, Audible!) rather than read a physical copy.
We tried reading a few books together, and I asked him questions such as, “Why did you like or dislike this book?” “What would have made it a more interesting read for you?” “Who would you recommend this book for?” Through this process, we learned what he likes and doesn’t like.
In the last few years, he’s gone from reading 0 books per year to DOZENS! He found a few main categories he enjoys, and he now enjoys reading as much as I do.
Here are a few steps to follow to discover what captivates you:
- Jot down what genres of movies, TV, and podcasts you enjoy. Then, jot down what types of questions send you down a Google hole.
- Google search: “Books about” and whatever your previous answers were.
- As you read, ask yourself questions about whether you’re enjoying the plot line (for fiction) or what you’re learning (for non-fiction). If you aren’t enjoying the book, put it down and start something else. If you keep trying to finish a book you don’t enjoy, you’ll end up ignoring your reading time and —oops!— browsing Instagram.
2. Set a goal & a reward.
When setting brand spanking new goals, I’m a firm believer that starting small is the way to go. To start, set a goal to read 10 minutes tonight, and only then will you login to Netflix or open your Instagram app. Most of us watch more than an hour of TV per day. I’m not saying cut it out completely — just create balance. After you’ve progressed with these tiny, daily goals, consider setting a goal to read an entire book by the end of this month — or week, if you’re that wild!
Then, set a reward to coincide with reaching your goal. Buy a cute new coffee mug or that fancy latte you’ve been craving. As much as I wish we could all just treat the satisfaction of reaching our goal as enough reward in itself, that’s proven to be untrue in psychological studies. So, designate a specific reward for achieving your specific goal.
3. Make it social!
Do you know how many of your friends would say that they, too, spend too much of their time mindlessly scrolling online? Probably most of us.
We all know reading is better for us, but it’s hard to skip over the draw of social media. Not only is Instagram entertaining, but it helps us to feel connected to other people. Take a cue from the outrageous success of social media this past decade and start a book club with your friends. It can be in person, over Zoom, or over email. It can include your bestie or a group of casual acquaintances. Either way, it will be fun to anticipate how everyone else will respond to the stories you’re reading. And the exchange of ideas will challenge you to consider other people’s perspective. Win, win!
I hope these 3 tips help you to read more and mindlessly browse less. But just so we’re clear — it’s okay to browse a little. You’re the only you who can determine if it’s consuming too much of your time and energy. If so, cozy up to a great book, pour a glass of pinot, and try these 3 tips!
Know a book our community would enjoy? Share it in the comments!
Here are my recommendations:
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