9 Hacks to Mindful Leisure Reading Despite Your Busy Schedule

Our day immediately starts as soon as we wake up. We work from 8 to 5. We spend too much in traffic. Not to mention the little things that fill in our 24 hours – long showers, social media, naps. If we list down all the things that we need to accomplish in a day, 24 hours seem to be not enough to check everything on our list.

How then can we pursue mindful leisure reading habit (because it has many benefits, trust me) if we can’t even fit it in our schedule? Here are 9 hacks to reading smarter (not harder) despite your full schedule.

1. We all have impulsively hoarded books at some point. It’s embarrassing – especially if we’re self-proclaimed bookworms – but most of them remain unread for years. It’s time to declutter your shelf the KonMari way. In choosing which books to discard, ask yourself: Does this specific book bring me joy? If not, discard it. If it does, keep it. You’ll be surprised by the piles of books you’ve accumulated throughout years of mindless hoarding. You can either donate them to underfunded libraries or sell them to bookshops.

2. Don’t buy new books yet. Instead, do the #NoMoreBookmarks challenge. Finish those on your shelf first. If you find the first few chapters boring, immediately ditch it then do Hack # 1. When you choose to read smart, it’s important to simplify your reading list according to what encourages you to read more. It’s unsmart to read something that does nothing but bore you to death. You have too much on your plate for you to force yourself to read something that makes you feel that reading is a chore. Remember: you’re reading to destress.

3. Once you’ve minimized your list, devise your strategy. You may ask your fellow bookworms for advice but remember that just because it fits them doesn’t mean it’ll fit you. If you don’t know where to start, start by reconstructing your mindset.
   
4. Make time for reading. I don’t believe in “I don’t have time for this and that.” That’s an excuse to spare yourself from guilt for not wanting enough to read. If you practice mindful living, you’d realize that even if you have many things on your plate, you have your time in your own hands. Read one chapter a day. That’s one step towards leisure reading without making too much impact on your schedule. It doesn’t have to be finishing a book in one sitting. Don’t be intimidated, then eventually be discouraged, by people who read a lot (by “a lot” I mean, literally, A LOT). Follow your own pace.

5. We spend so much time waiting. When you go to LTO, you’ll wait at least three hours for your license. When you take the MRT during rush hour, you’ll be in line for at least an hour. When you decide to dine out during dinner time, you’ll be on the waiting list for 30 minutes or so. Time spent for these is time wasted. You wouldn’t want to stay idle because you’d surely just end up focusing even more on being impatient, irritated, or hungry. You wouldn’t know when you’ll have to wait for a long time that’s why always bring a book with you. Spend this waiting time productively.

6. Have you heard of the No Impact Experiment? It’s more than just a week-long carbon cleanse program. In the program, Sunday is the eco-Sabbath day; you are “challenged” to rest. You have those Sundays when you don’t want to go out and you don’t even need to but because of the Sunday spell, you do only for the sake of it. Don’t! Devote the whole day reading a book, preferably by your window to save energy.

7. When developing your reading habit, it’s not enough to just make time for reading. You spend the whole day reading but you don’t fully comprehend it. It’s still not reading smart. Understand what you read.

8. Use Instagram for a smarter purpose. Post a creative photo of your book then caption it with the most important thing you learned from it. It’s like a book review but more intimate. You might even end up with an intellectual hub on your IG.

9. If you enjoy writing consider sharing book reviews online. You’ll be pushed to read between the lines and at the same time, you’ll develop your writing skills. If you don’t have a blog, submit it to online platforms. That’s hitting two birds with one stone.

There’s nothing magical on the list. You’d notice how it’s about adapting a minimalist lifestyle, taking control of your life, and (re)connecting with those around you. It’s because these are the things that we forget because of our fast-paced life. Developing simple habits such as leisure reading will make a huge impact in unburdening our stressful lives. Reading smart is about focusing on yourself as a reader – your needs, wants, and pace – rather than on any other reasons.