Introduction
Reading is an interesting hobby, especially when compared to modern entertainment activities such as watching Netflix or playing video games.
That’s because reading can provide you with similarly high levels of enjoyment, however, it does require more of an involved effort whereby you’ll need to process the information and words you’re reading off the page whereas the aforementioned pastimes don’t require the same level of tenacity.
In short, modern entertainment already does most of the hard work for you and that’s usually why people find it difficult to get involved with reading and stick with it.
Basically, why take the hard route when everything is already given to you on a plate with other entertainment formats?
This is only scratching the service, however, we wanted to go over some of the most common reasons for why you’re getting bored of reading and what you can do about it — let’s take a look.
Give Reading a Chance: Why You’re Bored of Reading (7 Things to Consider)
1. You’re reading complicated material
Some works of writing come highly recommended such as H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Call of Cthulhu”, mainly for how unique the world was that he created within, however, it comes from a time when intellectual prowess and convoluted writing was often prioritized over the needs of allowing a larger audience to fully grasp what was going on.
Basically, to read such works, you’d need to have an extremely good grasp of the English language otherwise it may be prudent to sit with a dictionary beside you to decipher some sentences.
This can often be one of the main reasons for people becoming bored of reading — it feels more like a task than something that should be enjoyed.
In fact, there should be no shame in admitting that some works of writing are beyond your normal comprehension; some of the best books are those that can be understood by all.
In most cases, modern works of writing are better produced to reach a wider scope of people, mainly because books aren’t just reserved for small parts of affluent society anymore.
If you’re finding reading to be too complicated or convoluted, we recommend trying to read things that have been published from a more recent era as you’re more likely to enjoy things that can be quickly processed in your mind.
2. You haven’t found your genre yet
If you always go along with what’s suggested to you online or through reviews then it’s quite likely you’ll end up reading things that don’t always mesh well with your typical interests.
In most cases, the best way to find books that you’re more likely to enjoy is by going to a bookstore or into a library so you can peruse a few pages to get a general idea of the layout of the book and what’s going on inside.
By process of elimination, this will allow you to find a few books that match both your reading comprehension level and the type of genre that you’re more likely to find enjoyable to read.
In some cases, joining a book club and watching video reviews can also be useful tools for gauging the material inside a book. However, we do recommend some caution as biases are likely to trump a truly objective perspective.
3. You’re overexposed to addictive activities
Addictive activities such as binge-watching television shows or playing video games are likely to make you find more paced activities such as reading more boring.
That’s because reading doesn’t hand deliver enjoyment to you on a plate, it requires effort and conviction to unlock the enjoyment for yourself.
You may argue, why read then if you can simply become mesmerized by these incredibly stimulating pastimes like playing games?
In truth, nothing should stop you if you don’t want it to. However, some research suggests that reading can provide many long-term cognitive benefits that modern entertainment formats can’t.
Books are also far more nuanced and allow for greater descriptive detail than what’s possible in a TV show or in a video game — this means the worlds that are built within a book can be some of the most enchanting places that will ever exist from an imaginary perspective.
These fictional worlds are also unique to yourself which is a special thing, mainly because your mind has to imagine what they look like and has to do a bit of processing, whereas games and television shows present you with their version of what a world looks like which removes some of the magic.
Switching off from addictive pastimes can be a challenge which is why we recommend doing it slowly — eventually, you’ll find things like reading can be appreciated more without feeling like other activities are pulling you in.
4. You find it hard to switch off
This links in somewhat to our previous point in that addictive activities contribute towards people’s inability to switch off.
However, it’s not just addictive activities; our lives are packed full of constant events whether that be going to work or attending parties on the weekend, sometimes there’s never a good moment to switch off and that means reading gets pushed back for other things.
It’s also why reading may seem boring to you especially when you’re so used to doing emotionally draining things on a regular basis — in a kind of twist, you expect to always be bombarded by stimuli in this way, and thus, your brain finds it hard to find enjoyment in things that offer a more paced process.
If you think this is the case, we recommend trying to do a little bit of meditation or mindfulness, even if it’s only ten minutes or so whenever you can as this will help you get used to switching off.
There are some useful apps like Calm or Headspace that you can download on your phone that will guide you through the process of mindfulness and meditation.
5. You don’t stick with it long enough
The best things in life don’t always reveal themselves immediately.
Sometimes you need to persevere and get used to challenging moments as it can often lead to good things.
This can often be the case with reading in that the pleasure kind of sneaks up on you when you’re least expecting it.
If you’re not a natural bookworm then we highly recommend sticking with it, even if you only read a few pages a night, it’ll help you slowly build up your appreciation for the written word and some of the beautiful moments they will allow you to have.
6. You haven’t matured
This isn’t meant to be an insult — some people just don’t appreciate certain things when they’re younger, mainly because parties, people, and life is vying for their attention and it’s hard to turn that off.
Combine that with raging hormones and you may find it an impossibility to find reading enjoyable.
Certain stages of life afford more time and appreciation for different paces of living and reading is definitely on the slower side of things which is why older folks may find reading easier to stick with.
If you don’t find reading enjoyable now, it doesn’t mean you won’t ever find reading enjoyable.
7. You don’t have the right environment
If you’re surrounded by people using their phones or watching television, even if they’re not audible, simply having them in your visual field can be enough to take away your focus from your books and onto other things.
Some people need a dedicated reading space for them to be able to truly appreciate the moments within their book.
This often means neutral lighting, comfortable seating, and very little sound from external sources.
Without this, you may become frustrated with your book which can often be confused for boredom.
In this case, we recommend trying to create a dedicated reading space so it becomes easier to focus your attention on the book, though, a library can be a good substitute if you’re not able to do this.
8. Try an audio format instead
This is the last point on our list, mainly because we think you should try enjoying reading from a page rather than listening to the audio where possible.
The reason for this is that reading words off a page usually gets processed in a way that becomes more memorable than simply listening to it — in essence, a deliberate effort to take in and process information is less susceptible to distraction than purely having an audio track playing in the background.
However, this may not always be possible, and sometimes, people simply enjoy an audible format more than they do a written one.
In this case, you should try using a service like Amazon Audible as it’ll give you plenty of choice for a rather small monthly subscription.
Why Is Reading for Pleasure Important?
Reading for pleasure is extremely important if you’re to take in the underlying messages of what you’re reading and want to make the most of the process.
In fact, being able to enjoy the material you’re reading makes it more likely that you’ll be able to broaden your perspectives as you’ll be more open to the authors’ thoughts and opinions, even when conveyed through a fictional backdrop.
It also makes sense that you should want to enjoy reading mainly because the majority of the information we consume is still written, whether that be directly through a book, or online on a blog (like this one).
As well as that, there is growing evidence that suggests reading for pleasure can be beneficial for both educational and developmental growth which means you’re more likely to achieve the things you want in life.
It can also translate to better emotional wellbeing which is something of a growing issue in many mainstay western nations where psychological disorders are rife.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the reason you’re bored of reading is often a combination of modern-day distractions and an inability to focus on the book without something competing for your attention.
Without a dedicated moment of solitude, you’ll usually find that reading becomes a chore more than something that should be enjoyed.
For this reason, we recommend only trying to read when you really have a moment to embrace everything it offers, even if that’s only for ten minutes or so on the night.
It can also be worth going to a library to read as it’ll reinforce the idea of going into a specific space to read without distraction which is easier to do when others are doing the same thing around you.
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