Here is how to start a reading habit |

Emma Marshall, Arts Editor | 

Feeling stuck in a reading rut? You’re not alone. Many book lovers hit a point where the pages just don’t turn as easily anymore. Or maybe you were never that into reading in the first place, and that’s okay too.

Whether it’s a busy schedule, lack of motivation, or simply feeling disconnected from your favourite stories, the good news is—escaping a reading slump is totally possible.

Reading has countless benefits to the body and mind. What if I told you the answer to your restless nights is a good book? How about your sore back? You guessed it, reading.

With the right approach, you can (re)discover your passion for reading and make books a regular part of your life.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging. Spending all day in lectures or with your nose buried in a textbook doesn’t necessarily motivate people to go home and exercise those sore eyes more.

So, what do you do instead?

Maybe you put on a TV show, or maybe doom scroll videos of cats playing with each other. While these habits offer a quick dopamine rush, this is only temporary relief from the stressors of everyday life. A Harvard Business Review article suggests “that social media platforms are addictive by design.”

These habits, though, have a progressively negative impact on things like sleep, productivity, attention span, and overall quality of life. I know reading may feel daunting, but so do the 438 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. And, despite your dreams of becoming a surgeon one day, reading may actually help your life now.

The benefits of reading

A study by the University of Sussex concluded that as little as six minutes of reading each day can reduce heart rate and ease muscle tension by 68 per cent. This same study concluded that reading was better at reducing stress than listening to music, drinking warm tea, going for a walk, or playing video games.

With these calming effects, reading is also a caveat in creating and maintaining a positive sleep schedule. Kindles and e-readers are widely debated for being as effective as traditional books when it comes to winding down at bedtime. While these devices still require blue light to operate in low-light conditions, there is a dark mode that can help minimize the effects of the screen.

Overall, trading the blue light of your phone for reading at all—whether that is an e-reader or the raw pages of a book—helps the brain to unwind before sleep. And if you keep up with it, your brain begins to recognize that reading time means bedtime. Oh, did I mention it could make you live longer?

A 2016 study found that reading for 30 minutes each day extended lifespan by two years. This same study also concluded that the positive effects of reading were more prominent among book readers as opposed to people who read magazines or newspapers.

If all of that doesn’t convince you, how about the fact that reading is hot? A survey by SuperSummary concluded that 81 per cent of women and 77 per cent of men believed that being a reader was attractive. Aside from improving vocabulary, imagination, and overall literacy, there are countless online forums of people confirming this research and pouring out their attraction to those who read.

I know they are not the most reliable, but the opinions speak for themselves. On Reddit and Quora alike, people widely agree that reading is a far sexier habit than watching TV or playing video games.

How do you get started?

As I mentioned earlier, reading isn’t the most desirable thing for most people after a long day, especially if you aren’t used to it yet. Like most habits, the hardest part is getting started. If I haven’t already convinced you to pick up a book, I have composed some tips for starting—and keeping—a reading habit.

Find out what you like

Despite what those self-help books may tell you, reading doesn’t have to be transformative to your brain chemistry. I’m here to tell you that you can still read for enjoyment. Lose the self-help and dive into a story—whether that is fantasy, romance, horror, or anything in between.

You may not find your niche first try, and don’t feel unmotivated if it takes a few attempts. To help with this, you could try out fan favourites or classics. Popular books are popular for a reason. If the length feels daunting to you, try something short. Light reads feel less like a chore, and the reward of finishing a novel may even convince you to pick up another.

Some popular short book titles are “Animal Farm,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Before the Coffee Gets Cold,” and “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.”

You can also chat with people around you who read regularly, even if it’s just a coworker. Ask for their recommendations based on what they read and what they think you might like. Books have a way of bonding people, so don’t be afraid to talk about it—you might make a new friend.

Create a space

Similar to the psychology of creating a designated study space, a reading nook can be motivating for adopting a reading habit. Dedicate a comfy chair in your home, and fill it with pillows and blankets. Ensure your space is adequately lit so you don’t strain your eyes. My personal favourite touch is to add a drink holder or tray so I can keep tea or water nearby while reading. Also, don’t overlook the power of reading in bed.

If you train your brain to associate your bed with reading and sleeping instead of phones and laptops, your sleep is sure to improve.

Apps to help

I know starting something new is easier said than done, so don’t feel discouraged if you feel yourself still reaching for your phone. Maybe counterintuitive, but there are apps that can help.

One Sec is an app that can be connected to other apps on your phone. It implements a 15 second wait period before they open, and forces you to think for a moment about whether you really want to be accessing social media, or if you are just doing it out of habit.

Another is called Opal, and this app can be configured to actually lock you out of certain apps for an amount of time. This is perfect for studying and productivity, but it can be used to carve out designated reading time too. Also, if you’re the kind of person who likes to see progress, there are apps for that too. Habitify and Habitica are habit trackers that allow you to add and monitor new habits you want to implement.

Fable is one specifically for readers. With a vibrant design, this app allows you to create and manage reading goals, find new book recommendations, and connect with book lovers globally.

The final point

Reading is supposed to be enjoyable, and it’s never too late to rediscover the power of pages. Dedicating just a few minutes each day to yourself may actually be the secret to improving your life. In the digital age we live in, this can be hard. But the results speak for themselves.

Oh, and you. Yeah, you reading this right now. You’re already two steps ahead of everyone who decided not to read this.

Emma Marshall is the Arts Editor for The Reflector 2024-2025. She is in her third year of journalism, from Northern England, and her childhood was filled with constant movement and travel.