Distractions surround us, notifications constantly buzzing, technology a touch away, sometimes it can take us away from things we actually want to be doing. I’ve been going on my own digital detox journey recently and one of the benefits of being on my phone less has been more time to read. It sounds silly to say ‘more time’ when my time was previously being spent on my phone, but it does feel freeing to step back from the digital world a little.
Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up to make more time for reading and to be less distracted.
Leave your phone in a different room
We are so attached to our phones, but we really don’t need to be. It’s great to have the connectivity phones bring us, to be able to be called if you’re needed, but most of the time it’s okay to stand back from your phone and not reply to the text immediately. We sometimes think because we can be constantly connected, we should be, but that is not the case.
Leaving your phone in a different room removes the distractions of the little buzzer going off, but it also removes it from the back of your brain, from thinking “I’ll just have a quick scroll through Instagram”. I’ve been leaving my phone in the lounge when I go to bed so it’s no longer the last and first thing I look at in the mornings and it’s made such a big difference to not only how I start my day, but also how much I reach for my book instead of my phone.
Turn off your notifications
I’ve had social media notifications turned off my phone for years, when I want to check my Instagram messages I’ll dedicate time to going into the app or on the website. It’s made a bit difference to me in day to day life, I’m definitely less distracted since doing it. I’ve recently also muted any notifications that aren’t personal direct messages. The results? If I need the other apps, I will go in and check them, but I don’t want them to control me and bombard me with constantly notifications.
I’ve also started setting my phone onto an auto do not disturb focus mode from 10 pm till 9:30 am every day, even if I still have my phone near me at this time I kind of forget about it because the Home Screen and Lock Screen removes all apps apart from texts and turn off all notifications. It’s incredibly freeing!
Pick a book that excites you
It sounds like an obvious tip, but picking a book that has you super excited, and then picking another book that makes you feel the same way… and another… and another… it’s going to make you look forward to that time where you get to sit down and read. Sometimes we can chug along reading a book we’re not madly in love with, but life is too short and it’s more likely to dump you in a reading slump. But if you find a book that really excites you, even better if it’s a series, then you’re definitely going to read more and feel more in the moment when you’re doing so.
Go somewhere different to read
Putting yourself in a different environment can help shake things up a bit and take away the distractions that come with being in your home. Whether you’re reading in a coffee shop or sitting with your book in a park, it frees up your brain from tasks and little bits in your house that would usually pop up and tear you away from your book.
Talk about what you’re reading with friends or online
Being part of the online space and having bookish friends has been a huge way for me to grow my reading passion. I know I’ve just preached having time away from your phone, but intentional phone use for connection can help to foster community. I always find whenever I talk more about my love of books that love grows even bigger and I feel motivated to read more, the same goes for watching BookTube videos, it always makes me even more excited to sit down and read.
Journal about what you’re reading
I’ve recently started a reading journal where I write about the books I read and make cute little spreads for them, inspired by the book’s cover. I’ve only been doing this a short while and I don’t do it for every book, but I find it a really fun way to wrap up what I’ve read and it’s something I look forward to doing when I finish my books. It also invited me to think a bit more critically about what I was reading, which for me helps me feel more focused on my book and makes me want to read more.
Let me know how you focus more on reading and less on your phone!
