Have you ever stopped reading? I have and it was such an unusual and uncomfortable time for me.
I was in my early ’40s. I would start a book and couldn’t finish it! And this went on for quite a few months. And for a lifelong reader this was like a punishment. I felt so out of sorts and unlike myself. Strangely, it seemed to coincide with my getting married, moving to a new home and a new city. Was it stress, I wondered? But reading has always been my number was to destress!
A few months later, I found the real cause of this – I had developed cataract in both eyes. So it was unable to read quite clearly, I was giving up on reading from eye strain. As scary as having surgeries and implants seemed, I was happy that to have a real cause for my reading slump.
There are times though that one could have a reading slump. You want to read but you don’t really have the motivation to finish books. Or you read in a disinterred way.
If, like me, reading is a large part of your life, a reading slump might cause you to panic and wonder how you could no longer be an avid reader!
A real slump, unlike mine, doesn’t need surgeries! All you need is patience with yourself, knowing that it’s just a phase. You can ride this out by reading old favourites or listening to audio books. Janssen of Everyday Reading lists 9 Ways to Get Out of a Reading Slump.
I’d love to hear if you’ve ever stopped reading or faced a reading slump and how you dealt with it.
I think the only time I did not read was when my kids were born. Having twins left me with no time to even breathe, let alone pick up a book! But now that my girls have flown the nest, I am more than making up for it.
I get into reading slumps every once in a while. Reading the Harry Potter series always fixes the matter and puts me back into reading mode. 🙂
Vinitha recently posted…Fiction Monday – 80
I’ve gotten into reading slumps occasionally. Generally, re-reading an old favorite helps pull me out of it!
Modern Gyspy recently posted…What May Sarton taught me about embracing solitude
Oh, can I ever relate – even mentioned it on my blog. There appear to be many reasons for these “reading slumps,” and for those of us who have always been avid and voracious readers, it’s especially hard to go through one no matter what the root cause. Stress, too much study/reading for work, vision problems, headaches and other discomforts – anything that drags me out of the story and distracts me from it are a problem. And a cause of sadness. Frustration. Even worse, if you fall out of the habit, it’s harder to get back into it and feels like you’ve lost something vital about yourself.
Holly Jahangiri recently posted…My #OneWord365 for 2022