Reading is a part of every university student’s life. Between the articles, papers, critical commentaries and essays it’s easy to get lost in it all. It’s also easy to feel so burnt out from it that the thought of doing any type of reading for fun sounds horrific. Trust me I get it, as an English student I sometimes feel like my whole life is just reading. But reading for pleasure is also important, it’s a great way to relax and improve your mental health. So, the question is how do you mind the balance and motivation to read outside of your course work?
For starters making sure you’re in the right mood. I know it sounds simple but trying to read when you’re not in the mood can just put you into a reading slump and leave you worse off than when you began. Sometimes you need to unwind by watching tv or scrolling through social media and there’s nothing wrong with that. The key is finding balance and knowing what you need and when. This might be a little tricky to figure out but it’ll make all the difference.
Also, the type of book that you chose is really important. When you’ve spent all day reading articles do you really want to read something heavy? I like to contrast my reading; when I’m feeling a bit burnt out from university work, I’ll find some trashy romance book that requires no thoughts to read. It’s like a palette cleanser.
When I’m feeling a bit burnt out from university work, I’ll find some trashy romance book that requires no thoughts to read
While I would normally say to prioritize reading for your university course, I don’t think that reading for pleasure should be completely ignored. I think finding a good balance between the types of books you read will help bring reading back into your life.
