Once upon a time, I had a person in my life who didn’t read. That person took up a large portion of my life, so I found myself reading less and less. Needless to say, that person is no longer in my life (for more reasons than not reading, but this is why it’s a big thing on my “oh no no list”). Once I dropped that dead weight, I knew I had to make some changes to make reading a priority again.

I read a lot. There are plenty of people in the world who read more than I do. I know that. However, those are my people. I went up to visit my sister for a couple of weeks and found that I was only able to read for maybe 10-20 minutes a day and I felt LOST.

Reading has become such a big part of my life (clearly, since this is a blog dedicated to everything bookish) so it’s my personal goal to help everyone make reading a priority, at least as much as they can. This blog post is actually inspired by one of my favorite Bookstagrammers, @jennastopreading.

Why make reading a priority?

For starters, why not? Honestly, when I look at my day and how much time I spend reading…what do other people do with their time? Granted, this mostly refers to my unattached friends who work a more traditional job. People with children and such, you’re exempt from this wonder.

But really. Do people spend that much time watching TV? Playing video games? Scrolling mindlessly through their phone? I work full time, workout most days, and still manage to read for at least an hour if I can. Thus, reason one why you should make reading a priority: It helps fill the time.

Plus, books are fun things to talk about! Yes, TV shows and movies are cool. You can talk about the latest episode of Dancing with the Stars or the newest thing from Marvel, but those discussions will fade. Guess what. My family still talks about which we liked better: The Woman in the Window or The Couple Next Door. (We’re pretty evenly split on this one, so if you liked one more than the other, let me know in the comments!) Reason two: It leads to lasting discussions. When I was in a capacity to interview people in a previous position, it was one of my favorite things to ask, “What is the last book you read?” (Now, I never judged someone by WHAT they read, but there was always a hesitation if they didn’t read.)

Reason three: Reading is good for your brain! Think of all of the new things you can learn when you read, even reading fiction books. I’ve found myself having to Google words to figure out what they mean. (New favorite word: gallimaufry.) Reading is so much better than just staring at a screen.

How do I make reading a priority?

For starters, I don’t really think about it. Now, most people I’ve seen write or comment on this generally say that they give up television. For the most part, I’m with them. Often, I will have my television on, but I generally rotate through the same few shows or movies so that I can divide my attention. One weekend, I noticed Big Little Lies was available on Prime Video, and I did nothing but watch it. I sat on my booty and stared at my TV screen for far too many hours. Since then, I don’t enjoy watching new things because it does take my attention.

*Note: I do recognize that there are benefits to mindlessly watching something on TV or going to a movie. Sometimes your brain does just need to turn off.

You don’t even need to “give up” TV! Instead of watching 5 episodes of Schitt’s Creek, watch 4. BOOM. You just got 20 minutes to read.

My number one recommendation is to leave the screen before bedtime. So many of us will lay in bed, scrolling through our feeds until we feel tired. For starters, that light is not great for you and helps contribute to less restful sleep. You should be putting your phone down about 30 minutes before bed. Fill that time with reading!

Now, I am not much of an audiobook person, but it is something that I’m working on. I find that I get annoyed unless it’s the perfect narrator, reading at a reasonable speed. However, a lot of people in my book club(s) will listen to audiobooks on walks with their pets or while doing household chores. BOOM. Even more time for reading (if audiobooks are your thing). So far, I’ve had the most success with memoirs and thrillers on audiobook., plus reading at 1.5x+. I’ve also met people who will listen to books while they’re working out, but that just baffles me (I need a beat from music so I can pretend I’m in some sort of epic music video).

Speaking of working out, I’ve seen people put in some real reading time at the gym! For me, I can probably only do it on a machine like a recumbent bike. I tried a couple of times on an elliptical or a treadmill, and I just got really dizzy. It was hard to stare and focus with all the “bouncing” that comes with cardio like that.

I also want to say that there are little to no FINANCIAL excuses in your effort to prioritize reading. I am very lucky and can purchase books that I want to. However, I am running out of space and am LOVING walking the aisles of my local library and seeing what new or different books are available. Friends, the library is free! A friend of mine calculated how much she saved by utilizing the library in 2023, and it was almost $3,000.

At the end of the day, you can make reading a priority if you choose to do so. As an adult, no one is going to turn off the TV for you and put a book in your lap. No one will take your phone away from you when you crawl into bed at night. If you’re not much of a reader right now, start slow. Go find a book that everyone is raving about and give it a try. Maybe sign up for a library card if you don’t want to invest in a book without knowing if you like it or not.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, so I may receive a small commission from sales generated. Go buy books, friends!