The Problem
But look, I get it!
According to a poll held by YouGov in March 2025, the median Britain has read just three books in the past year and 40% of those surveyed hadn’t even read or listened to a single book in that time. Women are more likely to read than men, older people more likely than younger, and disappointingly, reading in children is at an all-time low according to the National Literacy Trust.
We’re all busy. Life can be crazy sometimes between caring for older parents, looking after children, working full-time, handling the cost-of-living crisis, and doing all the self-care we’re supposed to do to counteract all that running around. With all that on our minds, it’s not surprising that reading becomes less and less of a priority.
The Health Benefits of Reading
According to the Scottish Book Trust, reading can help reduce symptoms of depression, loneliness and raise empathy and self-esteem levels. It can aid sleep quality, inspire creativity and even lower blood pressure according to one US study. But the reality is that even though there are so many health and well-being benefits to settling down with a good book or tuning into an audiobook, finding ways to make it part of your routine can be difficult. So here are seven ways to add reading or listening to books into your life that won’t make it yet another chore on your to-do list:
1. Find your medium
It doesn’t matter if you prefer ebook, paperback or audiobook. It all counts! And for many, audiobooks are a great way to read while doing other things, meaning you can get the ironing done and still enjoy the escapism of a good book.
If money is a barrier, think about using your local library. You can borrow physical books as well as ebooks and audiobooks and the best thing is, authors get paid when someone borrows their book which makes a huge difference to us.
2. Grab pockets of time
Not many people have the ability to sit down for a whole hour to read a book. If that’s the case, think about grabbing those pockets of time you usually spend on TikTok or Instagram and putting them to better use. Your twenty minute commute could go even quicker if you’re reading a good book. And again, audiobooks are brilliant for using while walking the dogs or putting a load of washing on.
3. Make it part of your bedtime routine
Do you normally take your phone up to bed and take a final look at your emails? Take a good book instead and reap the benefits of less screen time and better sleep quality.
4. Don’t be afraid to DNF or NFM (Not for Me!)
Life’s too short to read a book you’re not enjoying and that doesn’t mean the book isn’t any good, it just means it isn’t for you. That’s why I prefer NFM (Not for Me). It stops me feeling guilty when I don’t click with a book. But seriously, if you’ve got to chapter three and you’re still not feeling it, swap to something else rather than try and power through. Reading should be enjoyable!
5. Create your own reading nook
Having a space to read can really help to make it part of your daily routine. Creating a calm area in your home where you go to read can signal to your body it’s time to slow down and relax. It doesn’t have to be a huge space. In fact, it might not even be a space at all but a particular chair in your living room. It could just be adding a soft cushion and blanket to your sofa and lighting a candle. There’s lots of inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram to create somewhere special to help you relax.
6. Use phone apps
While the goal might be to stop using your phone as much, using reading apps can be really helpful in finding time to enjoy books while on the move. After all, we always have our phones with us!
7. Ultimately, make a choice to stop the doom scroll!
It’s so easy to get sucked into doom scrolling and we all know how bad that can be for our well-being and mental health. Make an active choice every day to put your phone down and read just one chapter and you’ll soon find one isn’t enough. Before long, you’ll be actively choosing to reward your brain in better ways and enjoying the escapism a good book can bring.
Do you have other tips for making reading part of your daily routine? I’d love for you to share them!
Katie’s latest book, The Floating Amsterdam Flower Shop, written as Annabel French, is available now!
