Reading has always been something that has gotten me through some really tough times. It is a source of comfort, joy, stability, escape, and sometimes even identity. Unfortunately my brain has decided to put me in the biggest reading slump of my life. All of the good things I mentioned above have slowly slipped away. It’s unnerving. It’s not that I don’t want to read, I just feel like I am not quite myself. I just can’t seem to find joy in any of the things that usually bring me comfort. Before bed, I have every intention of setting my phone aside and picking up my latest read but I end up doom scrolling until my eyes glaze over…
Long story short: I quit my job at the beginning of March. It was a tough decision but one that I thought would make me happier in the long run. Sadly, I’ve been applying to so many jobs and struggling with impostor syndrome. I have definitely not been treating myself with the kindness I deserve and it has officially put me into a slump. Since March I have finished maybe 4 books? Rough I know..
I am really trying not to force myself into it or make myself guilty about being behind on goals or let my TBR grow without ticking books off of it as well. I know this is something we all do as readers and someone out there can relate. So, I thought I’d put together of a little list of things I am trying to break through this slump & get back to doing the things I enjoy!
1) Re-reading an old favorite
- I think sometimes we get overwhelmed with all of the new releases and we tend to forget about the books we love the most. There will always be too many books and not enough time. We have to learn to prioritize those that we know make us happy. I am trying to go back and read snippets of books I love and adore in order to help get that spark back. I feel the itch to read Tress of the Emerald Sea again just to have some magic and nostalgia in my life.
2) Try Short Stories or Novellas
- As badly as I want to read The Will of the Many, I just can’t handle a 600+ page book at the moment.. how daunting does that sound?! I have been making my way through Arcanum Unbounded, a collection of novellas and short stories by Brandon Sanderson. It is keeping me in a world that I love without being too much at once. So basically, take it slow, start small, and see how you feel.
3) Incorporating audiobooks in new ways
- Now that I don’t have a commute time, I have cut back drastically on audiobooks. I have never been the person to have an audiobook going at any given time, but I think it is time to change that. Folding laundry? Audiobook. Going for a mental health walk? Audiobook. Cooking, cleaning, etc. I am making it a priority to have an audiobook available whenever I feel the urge to doom-scroll. Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn is my current audiobook of choice.
4) Removing myself from the comparison train
- Something that has helped me, mentally at least, has been pulling back from social media. I am pretty active on Instagram and Tiktok when it comes to the book sphere and it has gotten to a point where I didn’t even want to see what other people were reading at the moment. I felt myself comparing what I have read/how much I’ve read etc with my friends online and that’s just not healthy, especially during a slump. It’s okay to step back a bit and come back when you are more equipped to handle it.
5) Riding out the slump
- This may be the most important point- it is okay to not be reading. Just as life has seasons, so do hobbies. I know my slump won’t last forever and when I pick up the right book I will be right back in it.
What about you? What gets you out of a reading slump? If you’ve been in a slump too, I’d love to hear what’s helped you through it. Or maybe you’re still in it — and that’s okay. Sometimes, just admitting it out loud is the first step toward finding your way back to the page.
Until then, here’s to slower seasons, easier expectations, and stories that wait patiently for us to return.
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