Sometimes it gets a little too hard to keep up an active reading life whilst also working full time to fund said reading habit. I work 9-5 Monday to Friday, if you work full time or even part time and struggle to fit in time for reading then this blog post is for you. I still manage to finish about 3 books a month, sometimes more. So, what’s my secret?
I make sure that I am always enjoying the book I am reading, if it’s a book that I don’t feel excited to pick up, then I don’t bother to pick it up. Life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy, sure they’ve been highly reviewed and your friend loved it, but that doesn’t mean that you will. If you have a huge TBR pile like me then there’s always more books on your shelves to choose from. If not then your local library or bookshop will always have an awesome selection! Similarly, don’t force yourself to read, if you don’t fancy picking up a book after work and you want to binge watch Netflix instead, then don’t feel guilty about it!
I like to think I’m an organised person, which means I know what I am doing each day of the week during and after work. I can plan my reading schedule around this, for example if I know that on Monday the people I’d usually eat lunch with at work aren’t in, I’ll bring a book with me. It’s all about being prepared for that day, knowing where you will have time to fit in a few pages. If this isn’t going to work for you, then what about audiobooks? You can easily listen to some pages on the way to and from work and at your desk, job providing.
The best time for me to get the most reading done is before bed, so I make sure I am totally ready to sleep before I settle down with my book for the evening. Depending on what my family are doing will vary the time I sit down, but this could be anywhere from 9pm onwards. I usually go to sleep around 10:30/11pm, so I have plenty of time to get stuck into a story. I find I can’t actually fall asleep properly if I haven’t read before bed, I just end up tossing and turning and usually put the light back on to read a chapter or two.
My last tip may be a bit unfavourable for those of you who aren’t morning people, so I’m sorry! Personally, I will set my alarm for quite a bit earlier than when I need to get up for work. This way I don’t have to rush my morning routine and I can usually find time to read my book before I have to leave my house. It’s never usually very long, but it’s a good way to fit in a few pages before you properly start your day.
There you have it, the best ways I can find to fit in time for reading around a busy working week. Of course there’s always your days off, but I don’t think I need to be the one to tell you to fill those days with fictional worlds!
