01/24/2021 Post - Reading Slumps: What Are They?
01/25/2021 Post - Reading Slumps: My Thoughts on Them
In my experience, I tend to get into reading slumps when I'm feeling overwhelmed. The first 4 tips on how to deal with feeling overwhelmed. The tips at the end of this post (Tips 5-8) are specifically directed towards fellow readers and how to get out of a reading slump.
Tips for dealing with the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Tip 1: Recognize when you're feeling overwhelmed. Usually, being overwhelmed causes emotional and/or behavioral changes. Take a look at the following websites to see common signs of when people are overwhelmed.
- 5 Signs You're Overwhelmed (and How to Fix It)
- How to Tell When You Are Overwhelmed by Life
- 10 Signs You Are Overwhelmed + Self-Care Strategies
Tip 2: Identify why you're feeling overwhelmed. Is it because you didn't get an assignment or job done? Is it because of an expectation you have on yourself, or an expectation someone else has for you? Do you have a due date coming up?
Tip 3: Let yourself process what you're feeling and why you're feeling it. Accept that you are feeling overwhelmed. And accept that it is perfectly okay to feel overwhelmed. Once you've processed and accepted that you're feeling overwhelmed, focus on what you can do in that specific moment.
Tip 4 - What Not to Do: Stop making comments like "If I didn't do this" or "If I only did that." Don't focus on what you should have done the day before. Don't focus on what you need to do the next week.
Here's the part for my fellow readers - tips for getting out of a reading slump.
Tip 5: Have a book on-hand at all times. The format and size of the book do not matter. It can be large, medium, or small. It can be an audiobook, ebook, or physical book. It doesn't matter what kind of book it is. Just have one on hand at all times.
Tip 6: Don't force yourself to read. If the best you can do is Tip 5 (having a book with you), then that's the best you can do. Forcing yourself to read can - and most likely will - prolong your reading slump. A longer reading slump is something we don't want. If you're in the mood to read, then go for it and read. But it's not something that you should be forcing unless it's for school.
Tip 7: If you feel like you can read, don't force yourself to binge read. Read as much as you can, even if it's just a page, or even a paragraph. You don't have to be reading multiple pages or chapters in one go to be considered "a reader." If it's a page a day, then you're still a reader, no matter what others may say.
Tip 8: Don't rush back into reading. There was a reason you got into a reading slump, so it would suck if you got into another one simply because you rushed back into it. Like with Tip 7 and forcing yourself to read, rushing back into reading can prolong your reading slump. If you rush back in after a reading slump, this can also set you back into the feeling of being overwhelmed.
If you'd like me to make similar posts in the future, please let me know in the comments. You can also DM me over at my history bookstagram, @historybookreads.
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