As you’ve probably gathered from the Hygge Yoga logo, books and reading are one of my greatest pleasures in life—and have been since I was a child. These days, I typically read a book a week (give or take), and I’ve been asked by friends and community members (both on and offline) how that logistically happens. With three kids (only one of whom is in full-time school) and a screen-free household (happy to talk about this in another post if there’s interest?!), I will say it only happens because I am very intentional about reading, and make it a non-negotiable priority.
I’ve shared some of my favorite tips for getting more reading done before (which you can read here and here), and today I’ll share ways in which I bring intention and priority to my reading practice.
Think Of Yourself As A Reader
If someone calls themself a writer, it’s likely that they make time every day to get their thoughts down on paper. Whether this is formal writing to be published, personal journaling, letter writing, list making, etc.—it doesn’t matter. They have embraced the identity of being a writer. Likewise, to be a reader, engage in reading every day. This can be sitting down with a Kindle to read the new celebrity memoir, a newspaper to read the headlines, a cookbook to read and savor a new dish, a children’s book to read aloud to your favorite little ones, or a good ol’ fashioned fictional paperback to devour in a bubble bath. The important piece here is: embracing the identity of a reader, and then living that identity every day in some small way.
Always Have A Stack Of Books That You Truly Want To Read
When people tell me they want to make more time for reading but just haven’t been able to yet, my first question is: are you actually prioritizing books YOU want to read or are you trying to read what everyone else says you should read? Just because something is a classic does not mean it needs to make your reading list. Likewise, just because everyone and their mother are talking about Fourth Wing does not mean 500+ pages of dragons and wars and spicy love scenes are necessarily YOUR jam—hence, don’t put it on your list. Really take time to explore book genres that captivate YOU. Whenever I’m in a reading rut, I ALWAYS turn to a good mystery/thriller because I know these are the books that I can’t put down.
Reserve Books From Your Local Public Library
New York City has an excellent public library reservation system, where you can reserve any number of titles online, and as soon as they become available the library will shoot you an email and put it on a special shelf for pickup. Now, I can’t speak for all library systems, but I’d imagine at the very least you can request specific titles from your librarian and be notified when they arrive. This is how I always have a stack of books that I truly want to read (see above!) WITHOUT spending a single cent (but also, I feel like it needs to be said that I LOVE supporting writers and my kids all know books are one thing I never hesitate to buy for them or myself—so find whatever balance works well for you here). And if digital or audio books are your preferred ways of reading, most libraries have free apps for those, too. Definitely take advantage of your local library—it’s a fantastic community resource.
Have Family Reading Time
This doesn’t happen quite as much now as I like to imagine it will in the future, but there are times I tell my three kids (only one of whom is actually reading words) that it is family reading time. I pick up my book and begin to read, and they will all grab books, too. My 4 year old flips through picture books we’ve read a million times (hence she knows the stories by heart) and my 3 year old will usually opt for family photo books to peruse through. It sets the tone for: In this house, reading is important. Reading is a priority. We are readers.
Maybe you don’t have kids in the house, but could you do something similar with whoever you live with? Instead of Netflix, call it a reading night. Rather than opening apps, try opening books? Like any new habit it will require lots of effort at first, but once you start plowing through books it will start to feel good:-)
Put It On Your Calendar
How does anything important in life get done? Likely, you have reminders written (and most importantly: time blocked off!) on your calendar to do said thing. Whether this is a work meeting, a school conference, a yoga class, a deadline for cancelling a subscription, or a dentist appointment, the common denominator is: if we don’t have the things in our calendar, we likely won’t remember to do them. Same for reading.
Even though I consider myself a voracious reader, I still write in my calendar what book I’m working on for the week, and when I will carve out time to make this happen. Little chunks of time DO add up (I’m talking bringing the book every where with you, and instead of scrolling on your phone when you have downtime, open the book instead.) But also—put generous time slots on your calendar, too. This is the difference between having a 2 minute a day meditation practice versus a 20 minute a day meditation practice. Yes, they’re both beneficial. But at the end of the week you’re comparing 14 minutes of meditation to 140 minutes of meditation. Same goes for reading. Allow yourself a few longer sessions on the calendar to really get into the book, savor the experience. Which brings me to my last tip…
In Order To Say Yes To Reading, You Need To Say No To Something Else
I don’t mean this to sound cryptic or cynical by any means. But it goes for anything in life, right? If you’re going to choose to read for an hour on a Tuesday night, there goes an hour of TV time. If you choose to dedicate 30 minutes of your lunch break to reading a novel, that’s 30 minutes you don’t get to chitchat with your co-workers. Maybe Saturday morning you decide to carve out 2 hours of reading before anyone else wakes up? Fantastic! But you’re also saying goodbye to those 2 extra hours of sleep.
Like anything else in life, we prioritize what’s important to us. As the great Tony Robbins likes to say:
Where your attention goes, energy flows.
Finally, for those of you who have read this far and are thinking: great reading tips, Jess, but how does all this apply to holistic health?! I’d argue that reading is absolutely a gateway to happiness and hygge (and thus, health!), but more importantly, this post doesn’t have to be about reading. Most of these tips can be applied to becoming a more dedicated yoga practitioner, or pastry chef, or chess player, or student of (insert whatever your interest is here!) Wherever your passion in life is, this is a little reminder from me to you to make it a priority.
Would love to hear your personal tips for how you prioritize reading!
Sending light and love,
Jess (Your Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Making Holistic Health Cozy, Not Clinical)
p.s. in case you missed it, here’s a fictional book I love and would recommend that shares the trick of life.
p.p.s. with spring right around the corner, it’s a fantastic time to start planning for a seasonal cleanse. may I suggest a digital copy of the 7 Day Ayurvedic Cleanse (written with love and complete with email support from yours truly:-)