How to keep your love for reading alive with a 9 to 5

Hello, hello. I hope you are well.

My 9 to 5 used to get in the way of reading. I went from someone who read 6 books a month (I am a slow reader!), to someone who reads barely one when I got employed. If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the same boat, wishing you had more time in the day to be able to read more…however, I didn’t magically increase the number of hours in my day to be able to fix my reading habits and neither do you.

The truth is you do have enough time! Yes, you do. If you try analyzing or taking notice of what you do with your time, you’ll realise how much time you really have (and waste). The morning commute. Your coffee breaks at work spent scrolling on your phone. Any moment you find yourself waiting, hands agitated to grab your phone...you don’t have to set time aside to be able to read more. Sometimes, especially for someone who has a 9 to 5, you have to make use of the time in between.

I know it might be annoying to have to read another essay about how your phone is the problem, but it actually is! However, I really want to incorporate technology as a tool to help you read more, instead of trying to ignore its existence. It’s impossible now, so we might as well make good use of it.

1. Carry a book with you everywhere:

This step is pretty simple to follow. Make it a habit to carry a book with you everywhere you go, even if it is a short trip to the store. You never know when you might be able to slip in a few minutes of reading. Funny enough, the times when I thought there was no need to bring a book with me are the times when I really needed it the most.

2. Make it become a habit, a reflex to grab your book first:

Following the previous step, every time you feel like grabbing your phone, while you wait in line, or if you are awkwardly waiting for someone in public, try to grab your book instead. And it does not matter if you look performative! Honestly, who cares...the aim is to make it a habit first, so start small and build up from there. Soon, you would not want to do anything else with the time you have to spare than read.

3. Become an e-reader:

We cannot fight technology so we might as well use it. You have your phone with you already and if you are able to buy digital books, I suggest you do so. It is so much easier if you are unable to carry a book everywhere you go. Additionally, if you feel a bit awkward reading in public, becoming an e-reader might help.

4. Set time aside daily dedicated to reading:

This might go against what I mentioned earlier, but if it is possible, try setting some time aside, even if it is just 5 minutes in the evenings to read. This is an additional way of establishing a habit. However, don’t just set time a day; make sure it’s something that works for you, that fits into your daily routine. Pair it with something you already do. Read while you eat breakfast. Swap out doomscrolling in the evening with reading as a way of winding down. Just make sure that the time you dedicate to reading is something that fits in your routine. Make it fit and make it easy. Make sure your book is always easy to access, always within your reach so that you remember to read at all.

5. Try audiobooks:

This is not reading specifically; however, audiobooks are another form of consuming a story. You work 8 hours a day; how nice would it be if atleast 30 minutes of that could be useful for something you enjoy doing. I really suggest trying audiobooks to be able to listen to a novel while you work. This has been a game-changer for me. When I really do not have time to sit down and read, I make sure to listen to an audiobook, and it has allowed me to make better use of something I refer to as ‘dead-space’.

6. Sometimes, the problem isn’t time, but what you choose to read:

   Make sure to choose the right books. Novels that really grab your attention; books that you really cannot put down. You have to choose books you actually want to read or subjects that really speak to you, because how can you expect to read more if you do not even enjoy what you read.

Whether you read 1 book a month or 50 is something I will not comment on, you do you. Just remember, reading is not something you have to do every minute of everyday. It is something to be enjoyed, not endured. That is why it is crucial to make sure to read at your own pace. All I aim to do in this essay is show you that it’s possible to keep your love for reading alive even if most of the hours of your day are eaten by your 9 to 5. Do not let that stop you!

‘That’s all.’ (The Devil Wears Prada, 2006)

Thank you for reading, you beautiful soul.

Yours sincerely,

Elena D. Willow

The Nocturnal Journal

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