how to read! ...basically

Reading is such a great release... if you enjoy it. If you don't, it can certainly be more of a chore than anything. I guess more "homework" than "chore" but you know. I'm an advocate of literature, I'm always encouraging my friends to read because I think that it exercises the imagination and in doing so unlocks great creativity. If you need to rekindle your love of literature or if you're taking a first stab at it, please continue reading!

1. Find the Room: Find the quietest and least traffic'y room in your home. (Make sure that it's also comfortable!) Make it cozy, do whatever you need to make sure that you won't mind staying there for a while. The less clutter, the better. The more you can concentrate on the pages in front of you, the more inclined you'll be to continue reading.

2. Hide the Phone: Unlike watching TV, reading uses lots and lots of brain power, and since it requires your undivided attention, you probably won't be able to multitask while you're reading. Put your phone on silent and keep it somewhere out of the way.


3. Some Light Music Never Hurt Anyone!: Find some instrumental music (that way you won't get caught up in the lyrics) and play it softly to add some extra ambience.

4. Get Some Snacks: Since you're going to want to make yourself comfortable, grab some little munchies to nibble on. Lately I've been enjoying wasabi peas and kale while I'm reading, and plums will always be a favorite. It sounds kinda stupid, but easy-to-eat foods are best while you're reading. You wanna be thinking about the words on the page more than anything!

5. Take it Outside: If it won't be too distracting, take yourself and your book outside. Enjoy the nice weather and just relax.

6. Don't Get in Over Your Head!: Know what you like and like what you know but don't be afraid to grow. (I just made that up-- clever, right? Okay maybe not. But you know.) Don't just read a book because you think it will make you "smart" or because everybody else is doing it, and don't NOT read a book that you're interested in for the same (opposite?) reasons. If mystery is your thing, go for it. Fantasy? Why not? I made the mistake of reading the Hunger Games books because everybody seemed to be and I actually wasn't crazy about it. Nobody I know really reads Dostoevsky, Nabokov, or Pasternak but they will always be a few of my favorites! So just find what you like. It's trial and error, but you might fall in love with something that you never could have imagined.


Above all, make it fun for yourself. Let your imagination run wild. Reading doesn't have to be stressful, find your own way to enjoy it and just enjoy it!

Have a lovely day!
xo, e.m.

3 comments

  1. listening to instrumental during is one of my favorites. It also makes you get more into the story because of the emotions the music stirs up. And you also end up thinking about the book whenever you hear that music later :)

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