Happy Thursday everyone!

Reading! Who doesn’t love it?! Nobody, right? You just don’t do it because you don’t have the time to, right? I’ve never been this huge bookworm or anything (unfortunately my sister inherited that trait). But I have always craved to be a well-read young woman who can converse about a range of topics from books she’s read just- like her old man can. I frequently hear some of my peers raving about this great book or this classic novel and I just want to consume them all already! Does anybody else experience serious FOMO with books or is it just me? I have never invested a lot of my time or energy into reading because I always had bigger interests at hand. I’m pretty much an extrovert. If I’m lying on the couch and reading a book, I’d say I’m just bored. I prefer to be outside or somewhere I can be active and moving. During college, I was always freaking busy… or lazy. Let’s be honest. I won’t say that I never read because that’s not true. I could always pick up a novel over summers and Christmas breaks. Reading for class definitely did NOT count. I despised assigned reading. If I wasn’t truly interested in it, I had little to no motivation to read it at all. College students, you may be relating to this so hard. Way back when, I was totally looking forward to all the free time I would have after graduation to read alllllll the books!

Well… I’m here now. And I’m still struggling with sacrificing time. You may be too; but it’s definitely do-able!!

So lately, I’ve been trying to set aside more and more time for books because my reading list is H-YUGE! Little by little it has become achievable to make time for reading every single day. Here are my current reads:

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey

Almost Adulting by Arden Rose (Arkansas represent!!!)

Can you tell I like self-help books? My two favorite genres right now are self-help and psychology, but I hope to immerse myself in some awesome fiction soon. It’s so much more motivating to read books when they’re about stuff you actually like! Imagine that. JK Rowling said “if you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” So for example, I FREAKING LOVE PSYCHOLOGY! Like it’s my shit and I kick myself all the time for not declaring it as a minor. One day, I just happened to see a vlogger review The Psychopath Test and so I immediately went to Barnes and Noble and made a beeline straight for the psych section. Now I just love pointing out psychopaths on the street!! Great use of a gift card!

So how am I making time for reading while balancing a full-time job and a part-time blog and oh my gosh everything in between? Well it’s not an everyday thing in case you’re wondering and sometimes I can only squeeze in 5 minutes. But omg, there have been days where like I’m sitting at work and I can’t stop thinking about getting home, getting in my PJs, and reading. It has become like a drug. It’s great for the soul and for your brain. If all you can squeeze in is 5 minutes then whateva!! Five minutes is better than zero.

Here are some ways I squeeze a few pages in everyday:
1. When I get home from work. 15-20 minutes is usually the best I can do before hunger kicks in and it’s time to start cooking dinner. At least it’s better than nothing. Also it’s a great way to unwind after your possibly long and stressful work day. I know this works for me 😉
2. Right before bedtime. They say you should put up your phone and all other electronics at least an hour before you go to sleep. Reading makes me fall asleep easier anyway!
3. Waiting at the doctor’s office. For real tho, everyone knows that you never see your doctor when the appointment says you’re going to.  It’s going to be at least a 10 minute wait.
4. Replace social media with a good read. Be honest with yourself! You know you spend way too long scrolling through Instagram in a typical day. Globally, internet users spend an average of over an hour and a half on social media! Try to challenge yourself to replace the hour and a half with reading!
5. During my lunch hour. I need to work on this. Go to a local coffee shop with your book, or a nearby park if the weather’s nice. It’s such a productive and beneficial getaway from the office.
6. Anywhere and everywhere. Always carry something to read with you at all times. Not just your phone. A book, a magazine, the newspaper if people still read those, poetry, etc. Anytime you find the op, take it.
*BONUS: Join a book club. If you’re the type that needs to be held accountable, join a book club that meets monthly. I know tons of people who love them and they are so useful for getting motivated! I just joined a small women’s book club at my place of work, but they are literally everywhere!*

So if you like big books and you cannot lie, I hope you find these tips helpful. Try out a few and see if they don’t change how you feel about your day. I could seriously work on putting down my phone and turning off the TV and opening up a nice, ole-fashioned paper good. Sometimes it’s just way more peaceful to let your imagination run free amidst a good read and shut yourself away from the world in silence for a hot minute.

Next up on my reading list is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, which I was also pleased to find out that one of my favorite bloggers is reading too, and Chasing Matisse by James Morgan (another Arkansan!) I also have to start thinking of a book to introduce to the book club, which I am so stoked about! Would you guys like me to post my reading list on this site? Let me know. What are you reading currently, or do you have any books you’re planning to read in the future? How do you make time for those? xoxo Elizabeth