How I Read Every Day

Why getting a lamp and taking my shoes off helps me read.

I have a deep love for reading. As a kid and a teenager, I remember reading for hours each day. I would read in the backyard, my room, in the living room, on vacations, at my grandma’s house, and standing in line waiting for something… Even as a single adult, I would take my book everywhere!

Having young kids changed that for me. I no longer had stretches of time to read for fun. Anything I read was informational and relevant to being a better parent, cook, housekeeper, or person. I read to benefit others.

I lost brain space to think about big ideas and imagine faraway places. Lack of sleep, mountains of laundry, and distraction kept me from my love of reading. I was in survival mode.

I struggled to have consistent reading time.

I felt like I had no time to read. Overwhelmed by my kids and the needs of my home, I wanted an escape. I needed to slow down but I didn't know how. Reading felt like a luxury for other people, it just didn’t fit anymore. The times that I set aside to sit with a book I would get distracted after a few minutes. Or I would feel guilty for all the things that I "should be doing".

Yet I was still a reader. 

I still gathered and processed ideas, just more simplistically, and haphazardly. But reading was never relaxed and felt very “necessary”. Not calm and settled. I questioned why I was different. I ached to have that relaxed time fully engaged with a book.

So, how did I go from being frustrated to reading every night?

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

3 Things That I Changed:

#1 – My attitude and my sense of identity.

• I have decided to accept my identity: I am a reader. 

• I am someone who enjoys reading. 

• I “get to” read every night. 

• My day is not complete without some time spent in a book. 

• Reading is necessary to me as brushing my teeth and wearing clothes.  

• It is a basic element of my day.

#2 – My communication with others. 

• I tell my kids “I am not available right now, I am reading”.  

• “This is important to me, please give me space.”  

• “You have all your needs met and now I am spending some time by myself.”

• I claim my spot on the couch even if that means I move a kid or a sleeping cat to have my spot. (Yes this takes training and, honestly, kids being older.) 

#3 – My environment.

• I take off my shoes and grab a couch blanket. 

• I get comfortable. 

• I turn on my reading lamp so I have good lighting no matter the time of day. 

• My phone gets set down in another room.

  • (If that strong temptation is sitting beside me I will not read, I will scroll.) 

• I get myself a fun treat and a hot tea, coffee, or glass of water. 

• Sometimes I light candles on the coffee table or open a window to hear the birds.  

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These things are all small but they make strong statements:

“I will be here for a while.”

“Reading matters to me.”

“This book is special and I am making a space for it.”

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📝Reflection Questions:

What about your identity affects your reading life?

• What kind of reader do you want to be?

• If you read 5 pages a day, are you still a reader? (YES, definitely!!!)

• When in your life have you enjoyed reading? What was that like?  

Communication:

• Who do you need to tell about your reading time?

• What can you say to others when (not if) you are interrupted? This is inevitable.

• What is an interruption that is worthy of putting your book down?

Your Environment:

• Can move a lamp from another place? Or get a candle?

  • Here is my favorite lamp.

• Do you have a comfy sweater or throw blanket to snuggle with?

• Can you put your feet up? Is it a pleasant place to be? 

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What you read, how you choose to read, where, and when will all be unique to you. It will also change with your schedule and the season. And that is okay.

I hope that you will find joy on this reading journey. 

What matters most is that we do it.

We can reconnect with this hobby that slows us down and fills us up. We can gather new ideas, visit faraway places, experience new things, and hear from voices of others within the pages of a good book. 

We can choose to make space for this beautiful practice.

Small steps can create huge momentum! What changes are you making this week?

📖📚Happy Reading! – April 

Photos by 2Photo Pots & Annie Spratt on Unsplash