My Reading Routine (or lack thereof)

I’m always curious about how and when people read, especially when they read a dozen or more books a month, but generally too. Do you have a set time to read? A dedicated reading nook? Does most of your reading happen on your commute? Have you often lost sleep for a good book? I want to share my answers to these questions and more in this post.

How I Like to Read

Probably the most interesting part of anyone’s reading routine is how they consume literature. What I mean by that is in what format and under what conditions they enjoy reading. Some people swear by hardbacks and the corner chair in their living room and won’t take anything less. Others will read anywhere, anytime, even from a questionable PDF they found online.

I like to read anywhere. I like that it gives me something to do with my hands and something to concentrate on whether it be a physical book or my phone. I’ll happily read a paperback, an eBook on my Kindle, or a hardback, even though the last one happens to be my least favourite way to read. The heftier a book, the less comfortable I seem to be able to get while reading it, which is why I love reading on the Kindle. It’s the same weight regardless of the length of the book, which not only saves your wrists but your shelf space too.

Without the luxury of choice, I’ll happily sit, lay down or stand to read, but sitting in a comfy chair with a book on my lap is my favourite way to read, even if it’s not the way I read the most often.

When I Like to Read

I’ve split this into two sections because I have realised that the times I like to read fall into two categories: ‘set times of day,’ which is quite routine and reoccurring and ‘whenever I can’, which is far less strict.

Set Times of Day

In theory (not always in practice) there are some set times of the day when I tend to read, though they often aren’t very long and probably make up the least of my time spent reading. These set times are usually in between doing other things when I know I have enough time to at least get a little bit into a book, so I will try to make the most of them.

These times are as follows:

• In the morning – Before I get into my days, I like to read for as much time as I have after getting ready and before I start whatever I have planned for the day. I think it’s a great way to start my day and it’s also very handy in encouraging myself to pick up the book later in the day. If I’m thinking about what happened in a book when I last read it to encourage me to pick it up again, the more recent it was, the better. An active decision to read in the morning usually sets me up for a good day of reading ahead.
• During lunch – After making and eating lunch, whatever spare time I have is usually dedicated to reading, though occasionally I’ll do something else during this time. Again, though it’s not always too much time, even fifteen minutes is enough to get a few pages read and delve even further into a story.
• Before going to sleep – I’m sure I don’t need to wax lyrical about the benefits of reading before going to bed, as we’ve all heard them before, but I will share with you what it does for me. I have quite an active inner voice that tends to get a lot louder at night. To stop my mind running while I’m trying to sleep, reading is a great way to create some quiet and get tired enough to have an easier time drifting off. One thing I never do, however, is read for too long. I value feeling rested far too much to read late into the night.
• On my commute – Being stuck on a tube with hardly anything to look at, the fact that I love reading is never more useful. Not only is travelling to and from anywhere made more bearable with the addition of some entertainment in the form of a book, but it’s also a sizeable chunk of time which allows me to make a good dent in whatever I happen to be reading. This is also when having the Kindle app on my phone shines, as a book or even an e-reader is a lot bulkier and harder to manoeuvre and take out of your bag when you’re standing by a door on a packed tube carriage.

Whenever I Can

Sometimes, reading whenever you have the time to is better than relying on everything in life to work out perfectly every day and allow you to fit reading into your routine. So, here are some of the times I often find myself reading that are unscheduled:

• While I brush my teeth – Whenever I’m really into a book, if I have a spare hand and spare time, I’ll read. Even though it’s only a couple of minutes of free time that I get when brushing my teeth, I still get to read a little more and it’s something I have to do every day, twice a day, so it’s great for habit stacking if you want to try that.
• When waiting – whether I’m waiting to go somewhere or filling time while I wait for something to cook, I find these moments to be very useful when it comes to reading. If I didn’t read during these times, I’d probably end up scrolling mindlessly through social media or watching TV. Why do that when I have a book that I’m genuinely interested in to fill my time with?
• Any other available time – If I’m truly into a book, whatever format I’m reading it in will be permanently glued to my hand and put down only very reluctantly when it is necessary. If I’m not currently doing anything with my spare time, like playing a video game or crocheting something for myself, a family member, or a friend, it will be entirely dedicated to reading.

So, that’s my reading routine. It may be patchy and far from optimal, but it’s what works for me. It’s very easy to get caught up in using every second of your time in the most efficient way possible, but I prefer a little bit of flexibility in my routine. Always remember that the best time to read is whenever you can and want to and that there’s no need to have a set reading routine if that does not work well for you.

What does your reading routine, or lack of one, look like?