How To Read More When You’re Not In The Habit

Reading can improve our emotional intelligence, delay the onset of dementia and stimulates neural pathways, according to BBC Teach.

What’s more, reading for just half an hour each week can increase health and wellbeing, and reading for pleasure can boost confidence and self-esteem. Experts noted the calming pastime can also aid our sleep and reduce feelings of loneliness.

It is an incredibly rewarding hobby and it doesn’t have to be expensive, either. You can borrow books from libraries for free – even audiobooks and digital versions. So, if it was on your New Year’s resolution list, you made a good choice.

However, for some people, it isn’t as simple as picking up a book and getting tucked in. Reading can be daunting, especially if it’s been a while since you last enjoyed a book – and for people with conditions such as dyslexia and ADHD, it can feel like an uphill climb.

Thankfully, two experts from Kingston University – Paty Paliokosta, associate professor of special and inclusive education, and Alison Baverstock, professor of publishing – shared their advice via The Conversation for getting back into books in a way that works for you.

Many people with dyslexia and ADHD grow up feeling excluded from reading, and this is often carried into adulthood. Both children and adults with these conditions have reported lower levels of enjoyment of the hobby compared to their peers.

The experts said this can be “exacerbated” by “systemic school approaches and priorities that associate reading with national and international tests”.

They noted that reading becomes a performance metric, rather than a source of pleasure.

The experts advise: “Simple changes, such as altering the physical properties of the titles you read, or choosing graphic novels, can make a big difference. Neurodivergent readers can access books from publishers that specialise in using accessible fonts, layouts and language, for example.”

Audiobooks can also be a good shout. As they explain: “Despite the relationship between brain representations of information perceived by listening versus reading is unclear, neuroscience research shows the way our brain represents meaning is nearly the same whether we are listening or reading.”

Audiobooks are particularly helpful if you find the act of just sitting with a book to be under-stimulating. They can be consumed like podcasts or playlists; in bursts at a time and while you’re doing other tasks like housework or commuting.

The Reading Agency says: “Reading independently projects your thoughts, feelings, and emotions onto a story. Book clubs, however, expand on this experience.

“Someone else might see a theme you previously didn’t consider, challenge your interpretation, or introduce you to a genre or a book you might not have picked up otherwise. Whether new releases, classics, or hidden gems, handing over the reins of curation can introduce you to a literary world of narratives and themes beyond your scope. ”

This is something you can emulate in your own life with book clubs, read-alongs or even just joining online communities like the Reddit /r/books community, where you can talk about books you’ve read and learn others’ opinions. It’s a great way to find connection and reduce loneliness.

If your first instinct is to pick up a classic book or a research-heavy textbook, you may want to ensure that you are reading what you want to read and not what you think you ought to.

Prof Baverstock actually started the charity Reading Force, which promotes the use of shared reading to keep military families connected. This charity has always encouraged making reading fun rather than laboured and compulsory.

“This emotional satisfaction by reading things they would like to read as opposed to imposed ones is of utmost importance. Pick something that engages you, not the book you think you should be reading,” the charity urges.

While reading can help you to learn other people’s perspectives and experiences, it can also give you more insight and comfort within your own life when you feel you are represented.

I know for myself as a reader with a chronic illness, I got a lot from reading Coco Mellors’ book Blue Sisters, which explored chronic illness and how it can impact not just the sufferer but their family.

Additionally, the BookTrust says: “Diverse, inclusive, and representative children’s literature can ensure young readers see themselves, different lives and cultures, and the world around them in the stories they read.”