There is something uniquely satisfying about spending an evening with a book in your hand as you lose yourself in the pages. Unfortunately, most of us have forgotten what that feels like in this digital age, but the fact that good books make you wiser and help you to develop as a human being remains as true as always. To counter some of the elements that keep us away from books and also to make the best out of each reading session, here are three awesome tips.
The Medium Doesn’t Matter as Much as the Reading Itself
Holding a real book in your hands as you read it is a feeling that cannot be replicated, but there are multiple advantages of going digital. eBooks are more economic, they never go out of print and they are greener alternatives as compared to books made out of paper. In addition to all that, there is also the question of convenience. To have every single book in one device means that you can read whatever you like, whenever you like and from wherever you like, which inevitably results in us reading more than we would be reading otherwise. The bottom-line is that the medium might have changed from paperbacks to smartphones, tablets and e-readers, but if you actually like reading, that won’t really matter as much.
Create an Immersive Environment
Reading is not just a visual experience, as most people believe it to be, and that’s precisely why we enjoy audio books as well, while the visually challenged read their books in braille. In order to encourage yourself into reading more books, create an environment for reading at home. Choose a somewhat quiet part of the house and either dim the lights or switch them off in favor of classic, scented soy candles. Preferably, choose specially scented soy candles that are meant to be used exclusively for reading and the scent will make the whole experience a lot more immersive. As you are now engaging more than just one sense as you read your book, not only will the whole experience be more immersive, but it will also be something that you will look forward to getting more of.
Put Down Books that You Don’t Like
Sometimes, we get out of the habit of reading because we don’t like what we are reading at that moment, but try to get through to the end irrespective of our wishes. This is the reason why we often subconsciously reduce our reading time and find excuses to skip it, without even realizing that the real problem is the book we are reading. Just put it down and try something else and you will see a remarkable change.
If you are just starting out with your first book in a long time, it is recommended that you keep your initial reading sessions particularly short as that will keep things interesting. Always remember that reading for leisure is supposed to be entertaining and enlightening, so never force yourself to do anything and you will likely end up reading more books than you ever did before.