Sometimes the things you like the most can feel like a burden to you, and even thinking about them can bore you. This applies to everything, which also includes one’s favorite hobbies, such as reading. If you are a reader, you’ll know exactly what this means. It’s that one annoying phase where no matter what book you try to read, it just can’t hold your attention for more than 5 minutes and you can’t even remember the last time you were engrossed in one.

So here are some effective tips that can help you out of your reading rut:

1. FORGET ABOUT YOUR TO-READ- LIST

If you are someone who has a reading list and likes to comply with it, there is nothing more exciting than striking out those book titles from the list. However, a long list can become overwhelming at times, making you feel guilty for not finishing on time, reading something off the list, or wanting to read just for the sake of reading. These lists we make most of the time can become monotonous.

So for a change, step away from the TO-READ-LIST and read those books that just catch your eye in the moment or something you’d never thought you’d ever read, maybe that book that had the front cover so colorful that you couldn’t take your eyes off it at the airport. You will be surprised at how exciting and relieving it can be reading something different and staying away from the ‘TRL’ list pressure.

2. DON’T CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH YOUR READING

Reading books is a great way to gain more knowledge about things you didn’t know, find new things and more. But if you read books only for what they can do for you, it might feel more like a chore to you than something you might genuinely enjoy.

This is the moment when you should back away from books you think you should be reading and take up books that you want to read instead. If you consider these types of books as’ guilty pleasures ‘, then so be it. But sometimes it’s important to remove the word guilty from it and just enjoy the pleasure aspect of it. And in this process, you might end up learning something new too.

3. REREAD YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS

 So, you can’t find yourself reading new books. Be it that you’ve tried award-winning novels, the ones with the fanciest covers, or that one book that your best friend recommended to you, but nothing seems to get your attention. It’s completely fine sand. If you’re wondering what to do at this point, this is the best time to reread your favorites.

Yes, that one book you fell in love with while reading? Read it again. Sometimes there’s nothing more fun than knowing exactly what’s going to happen, and if you don’t remember exactly what it is, then it’s also the best time to brush up on that memory. You can look forward to your favorite parts, that twist you know that’s waiting at the end of the next page, your favorite lines, and whatnot. Revisit some of your childhood favorites too. It doesn’t matter if it was the Lion King or a picture book; sometimes all we need is to remember why we love reading, and what better way to do that than this?

4. SWITCH FORMATS

As compared to back in the days, we no longer have to sit with a huge binder in our hands to count it as reading. With the different ways in which we can get our books, it is up to us as to how we choose. Try switching up the formats and reading through them as you would probably not do daily. Maybe you can give audiobooks a try, or even the Kindle. They don’t require much effort and you can keep listening to your books as you go about your day.

5. GO WITH THE FLOW

Here’s the thing Even after trying these things, if you still don’t feel like reading, then don’t. Give it a break. If you are someone who finds it hard to stay without a book in hand, this might seem very odd and hard for you. But remember, reading is supposed to be fun, and when it stops being that, there’s no harm in taking a break.

Start watching a new Netflix show, or try a new workout, or if you like being out and still want to feel bookish pastimes maybe attend a book launch, attend readings, read book reviews if you want to, and so on. And once you’re feeling the spark again and your hands want to hold one, start with something simple and fun and work your way up to a more difficult title.