By Jay Flood
What is a Reading Slump?
Reading slumps are one of the most frustrating things a reader can experience. Have you ever heard of writer’s block? A reading slump is writer’s block for readers. It’s a period of time when the idea of reading a book is disinteresting to you and no matter what you do to try and get out of it, you’re stuck. When reading is something you do for pleasure during your free time, and all of a sudden the last thing you want to do is open a book, it sucks. Especially when you have so many books you want to read and have goals to reach, but can’t get yourself to even read a page. When reading feels like a chore, that’s how you know you’re in a reading slump.
Why Do Reading Slumps Happen?
I don’t know. I can make guesses based on experience, but it’s hard to determine exactly what causes a reading slump. Sometimes the book you’re reading isn’t holding your attention, so you just stop caring and begin reading less and less until you’re not reading at all and months go by and you still haven’t picked the book back up. Sometimes after months of reading every single day, you get busy and miss a day or two, and the thought of reading suddenly seems much harder than it was before. Sometimes your mentality can just be off. Reading definitely takes a lot of brain energy, and if you have limited energy to spend, sometimes you want to do something that takes no energy, like watching a tv show or movie instead. Sometimes you’ve read so many books and can’t find another book you’re interested in.
Reading can be a good escape from the real world if you have a lot of personal issues you want distracted from. But sometimes your personal issues are too much to handle and it is impossible to focus on anything else, which can make it difficult to want to read. Sometimes you begin to question why you even like reading and struggle to find the answer, so you just stop reading. Sometimes the books you’re reading all begin to blur together and you simply get bored and aren’t excited about reading anymore, so you stop. There are so many different causes for reading slumps and it can be hard to predict when you will fall into one. It can also be difficult to recognize you’re in a reading slump until you realize it’s been months since you’ve finished a book. Sometimes you don’t want to admit you’re stuck in a reading slump because once you admit it, it’s harder to get out of.
How to Get Out of a Reading Slump
I don’t know. I am currently in a reading slump and it is so frustrating. I know I have so much time to read because it’s summer so I’m not as busy as I am during the school year, so I feel like I’m wasting my time by not reading. I’ve been in bad reading slumps before and I think I’ve only ever gotten out of a reading slump when I give up trying to get out of it. Others offer advice like to pick up a new book, reread one of your favorites, read a short book or novella, read a book in a completely different genre, or spend time in reading spaces like the library or book social medias. These methods might work for some people, but they have never worked for me. In the past, I’ve gotten out of reading slumps after not reading for months because I didn’t read for months. Taking a break from reading can put you in a reading slump, but it can also take you out of one if it’s been long enough.
My current reading slump is different because I’m still sort of reading, but I am forcing myself to. I enjoy what I read when I’m reading, but when I stop, it’s hard to open the book again. It’s not like the books I’m reading are uninteresting or not captivating enough because I am constantly thinking about the characters and what’s going to happen next, but when I make time to read, I usually end up procrastinating and scrolling on my phone instead. I have been in this reading slump since the end of March, and I think it’s because I am forcing myself to read because I know I love it. However, because I’m forcing myself to read, it feels like a chore and therefore my brain does not want to do it. I might just have to wait for a book to override my brain to get out of this reading slump.
How Long Do Reading Slumps Last?
How long a reading slump lasts depends entirely on the reader. I have had reading slumps last weeks, months, and even years. I think most of my reading slumps occur because of a book I’m reading. If a book is not interesting enough and I’m bored, I stop reading but refuse to read anything else before I finish that book. So my reading slumps usually end once I either finish that book or read something so amazing that it only takes me a day to finish. However, I finished the book that put me in a reading slump at the end of March and have read two other books since then, and I like the book I’m reading now. But for some reason, reading is still not a priority for me and I just don’t care. So the reading slump I’m in right now has been going on for about four months now. This isn’t the longest reading slump I’ve been in, but it’s not the shortest either.
If you want to get out of a reading slump, trust that you will eventually. It may take years, it may only take weeks, but if you want to get out of a reading slump you probably will. Sometimes the best thing to do is stop forcing yourself to read and let yourself naturally get excited about reading again. Let yourself rediscover why you love reading on your own time without forcing it.
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