How to inculcate reading habits as an adult
Many articles about reading tend to revolve around children and how to inculcate reading habits in them. However, learning how to read as an adult is much less talked about, and in my personal opinion, should be espoused more often. Take a look at the comments section of many news platforms, and it becomes a lot more apparent why more adults should engage in reading and comprehension activities.
Slight aside, the benefits of reading are numerous. Research has shown that reading regularly can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heart rate, prevent age-related cognitive decline with age, increase vocabulary and comprehension, inculcate empathy and more!
There are about 130 million titles in the world, give or take, so you might need a lifetime to find a written work that resonates with you. And when you have found a book that changes your life, well, then, I'll meet you on the other side.
Here are three easy tips to get into a reading habit as an adult, even if you may not feel like you're up for it.
1) Start with something you will be interested in
No, don't go into 1984, The Great Gatsby, War And Peace, Lord Of The Rings, Pride & Prejudice – all these heavy titles just because they made it onto lists such as "X books you must read in your lifetime."
Instead, zoom into a topic you might be interested in. Baking? Check out recipe books related to it. Love some tea and shade on celebrities? Biographies are the way to go. History? Plenty of it to go around. Comics and superheroes? Check out the wide range of graphic novels. Erotica? They can be well-written too. There's something for everyone
2) Make it easier for you to bring a book around
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Books are heavy, and look prettier—now don't come for me, book lovers—on bookshelves providing a lovely woody scent to a room. If "too heavy to bring around" is your excuse, then thank technology for Kindle, the neat little handheld device that can contain thousands of books on the go.
One of the best gifts I've ever received was a Kindle, along with 8000 book titles. Apart from the sentimentality (it's a very thoughtful gift shared by a group of my closest girlfriends), the mobility that comes with a Kindle is undeniable. I do love physical books, but being able to squeeze so many more books into one tiny device makes the little librarian in me squeal (softly). It's also effortless to get more books via the Kindle store that you can access on the Kindle.
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3) It's okay to put down the book if you don't find it interesting
It was hard to do, because I swore to myself that I would read any book that landed in my hands till the end as a sign of respect for the author.
But, that is not a conducive habit to keep yourself reading. Putting a book down is okay if you're not interested in it after trying your best to read it. The whole point of reading is cultivating an interest in the hobby, pursuing knowledge, and attempting to understand the full spectrum of human experiences – not torture!
