Is your feed not interesting enough despite all the memes? Or has reading a document made you realise that your attention span is practically non-existent? Do you still think about the good old days when you used to finish a book in one sitting? Today’s the day everything changes and you take your first step to reading more than a page of a fiction book. These are some of The Bombay Circle Press’ tips to get back into reading after doomscrolling.
- Start Slow
One of the biggest reasons people fail to get back into reading is that they try to read 100 pages in a day. With doomscrolling decreasing our attention span, you need to focus on increasing your attention span bit by bit. And of course, reading a book will take time for the story to build and plot twist to…twist. But for that, you need to be patient with yourself and build your reading habit bit by bit.
If doomscrolling has completely destroyed your attention span, start with 5 pages on day one. Then move to 10 pages after 3 days and keep increasing the page numbers as you go ahead. Your brain needs to get used to reading and letting the story build up, and for that, you also need to be patient with yourself and start slow and build up to reading more and more.
- Re-Read Your Favourite Novel
A common fear a lot of people have is that the new book they are reading might be their cup of tea. More importantly, the story might feel like a drag and they would end up losing their interest in reading, thus, turning back to doomscrolling.
The solution for this is pretty simple—read your favourite book. There’s nothing like picking a book that either became your source of joy or emotionally destroyed you (in a good way). Not only do you then get to revisit your favourite fictional world and characters, you also get to read your favourite scenes and chapters. Now, it might not seem like a lot in the beginning but will push you to read and build your reading habit.
- Pick Up Something Nostalgic
Now if you don’t have a favourite book or are done reading your favourite book, it’s time to take a trip to nostalgia land. Everyone at some point in their life has read a book or even a short story. So why not read that again. Sure, it might be a children’s book but there is some undeniable magic in them that keeps you hooked, even if you know how it is going to end.
- Start With Short Stories and Novellas
A lot of times people pick up some big books, thinking more pages will somehow keep them hooked. But that usually has the opposite effect. The daunting task of finishing 500 pages piles up just like the book’s pages and you might often feel overwhelmed. Thus, not reading altogether.
An easy way to ensure that you aren’t frightened at the sight of the mounting page numbers, why not start with something small such as a short story or a novella. In doing so, you are able to feel a sense of accomplishment in completing your reading goal and have lower chances of abandoning the story.
- Set a Daily Goal
So you have everything sorted and are able to read more than two pages on a daily basis. But how do you go past that? Easy, set a daily goal. It could be ten pages or a chapter every day or even a book in weeks. The point is that you keep pushing yourself to do something that does not involve scrolling on your phone. When you meet your goals, the reward could be another book or even a sweet treat for your next read.
We hope these tips will help you get back into reading. If you want some recommendations of books you can finish in one sitting, The Bombay Circle Press got you covered!