Another strategy: Return to a genre you adored as a kid or teenager to hopefully recapture some of that childlike enchantment. (YA fantasy, anybody?) Or look for a modern take on an old favorite. “We’re in a golden age of retellings,” Koven-Matasy says.
3. Start with breezy reads.
“I really gotta stress, try reading a short book first,” says Koven-Matasy. You wouldn’t stroll into the gym for the first time in six months and go straight for the 200-pound barbell. So if you haven’t worked your reading muscles in a minute, maaaybe don’t start with War and Peace. Slim novellas, fluffy beach reads, and graphic novels require less heavy lifting, and “you still get the satisfaction and the catharsis of the book ending,” Koven-Matasy says.
4. Or books with short chapters.
If your attention span feels ridiculously short these days, books broken up into smaller chunks are ideal. Think: fast-paced novels, short story collections, and essay collections. They’re easier to dip in and out of than tomes with dauntingly long stretches of text, Schinsky says, and knocking out those chapters can build a sense of momentum.
Quick chapters also make it easier to fit in little doses of reading here and there. “If you’ve got 10 minutes in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, you can read one of the short chapters instead of scrolling TikTok,” Schinsky says.
Plus, brief collections are great for sampling a bunch of stuff and finding a new writer you love. “It’s like a flight of books, where you’re just tasting what each has to offer before you settle in with one,” Schinsky says. She recommends MacMillan’s yearly Best American series, which compile everything from food writing to mystery and suspense.
5. Give yourself permission to DNF.
Nothing makes reading more unappetizing than forcing yourself to finish a book you just can’t get into. But true bookworms quit books so often that there’s lingo for it in the book world: DNF, for Do Not Finish or Did Not Finish. “Give yourself permission to like DNF with reckless abandon,” Schinsky says. “There is no reason in our limited lifetime to force yourself to slog through a book you’re not enjoying.”
Of course, some books do take a minute to hook you. If you want, create a rule about how much time you’re going to put into a book before deciding to ditch, Schinsky suggests, like 50 pages or 10 percent in.
6. Involve other people.
We tend to think of reading as a solo hobby, but it’s also a very social one, Dr. Hattan says. Connecting with people about the books we’re reading helps us get more out of them and provides an extra kick of motivation.
Classic book clubs are awesome. But if that feels like too much of a commitment, there are other ways to get that community feeling: BookTok, reading out loud to your partner, or turning a friend into a reading buddy. You can each go at your own pace and exchange messages or voice notes as you go. “It’s nice to just be able to shoot off a text and be like, ‘Oh my God, that thing that happens in chapter 10. Are you there yet?’” Schinsky says.
7. Create (or seek out) special vibes for reading time.
“When you’re trying to get back into the habit, you want to set it up to be as enjoyable as possible,” Schinsky says. So make reading a treat and romanticize that shit: Create a cozy reading nook, make a cup of tea, light a candle, draw a bath, pour a glass of red, or take yourself on a reading date to the coffee shop or art museum. “It starts to feel like something that you can look forward to,” Schinsky says.
8. Switch from physical books to e-books (or vice versa).
Consider which medium supports you better right now, Koven-Matasy says. If you’re constantly on the go and don’t like lugging a heavy book around, reading on your phone or tablet might be best. On the other hand, many people find physical books better for focusing. “We all associate screens with so many distractions,” Koven-Matasy explains. “Like, let me check my email really quickly, let me check my Facebook notifications.” Some people find a dedicated e-reader is a nice in-between, Koven-Matasy adds.
9. Put your phone on a time-out.
Speaking of screens: If you find the impulse to check your feed hard to resist, Schinsky recommends putting your phone out of reach when you crack open a book—in a drawer or another room, and in Do Not Disturb mode if possible. It’s much easier to get lost in another world when the infinite scroll isn’t competing for your attention. (Here are more ideas for unhooking from your phone.)
10. Don’t count out audiobooks.
Some argue that absorbing a story via your headphones doesn’t “count” as much as skimming through the written words. But let’s settle the debate once and for all: “If you needed the authority of a librarian to tell you that listening to an audiobook counts as reading: Yes, it is reading,” Koven-Matasy says. “It’s just as valid,” Schinsky adds. Not only do audiobooks make texts accessible to people who have certain disabilities, but research also shows that listening to them involves the same brain regions and cognitive processes as reading.
