Reader’s Block: The time when you can’t get yourself to read…

This is what I currently suffer from. I want to read, so I pick up a book…

And then I CANNOT FOCUS.

It is the worst thing ever, especially if you’re the type of person that reads a lot.

Okay, maybe it’s not the worst thing ever out of everything that happens in life, but it’s one of the worst things that can happen to myself as a reader. This is what I label as reader’s block. What happens with reader’s block is that you want to read, so you pick up a book or something to read, but then you find yourself unable to focus on reading to the point that you cannot bear to look at another page. Some causes of this could be:

1. You’ve been reading far too much lately, and your eyes can’t take it anymore.

If you’re like me, you might be the type to read one thing or stare at some electronic screen for a few hours straight, hoping that you can finish reading the book because it’s really good and you want to read more.

But…if your eyes are getting tired, that’s not a good thing. Constantly putting your eyes through staring at something, whether it be a book, a screen, etc. becomes tiring for your eyes. If it’s nighttime when this is happening, just sleep. If it’s daytime, put the book down and take a break. Do something else that doesn’t require your eyes as much, like taking a walk or going to drink some water to hydrate yourself, before coming back to read another chapter (or the rest of the book).

2. You’re incredibly bored with the book that you’re reading.

Maybe you’ve picked up a book that you thought would be awesome to read. It’s your favourite genre, or it had a favourite type of of plotline, or amazing worldbuilding in the very beginning. Maybe a friend recommended it to you, or a relative gave it to you as a gift for Christmas, your birthday, etc. But then you can’t get yourself to actually read it, because it’s actually really boring to read.

If you’re really bored by the book, chances are that it’s probably not worth finishing. You should probably just put it down and try something else instead. If you’re especially merciful to books that bore you, pick them up again at a later time. Your tastes might have changed a bit by then and maybe you’ll find that book interesting next time around.

3. You just cannot focus on reading the book despite not being bored with the book and your eyes not being exhausted.

Maybe it just comes down to a matter of honing your focus on reading the book despite not having the first two dilemmas. If that’s the case, I’d suggest putting on some of your favourite music, moving to a different area where you can read comfortably, or maybe you need to make a blanket-and-pillow fort to sit in while reading. Whatever makes you comfortable for some well-needed reading time, go and do it.

And even then, if you seriously cannot focus, I will reiterate what I mentioned in the first point. Take a break away from the book(s) you are reading and do something else for a little while that doesn’t require you to really read something, like having a snack or taking a quick nap or a walk. Once you get back to reading, your focus will hopefully be a lot clearer and honed in on said book you were reading.

I hope all of these tips were helpful to all of you that suffer from reader’s block, and I hope you all have a fun time reading!