现代人越来越重视身体健康，饮食、睡眠、养生、运动 ...... 样样都给与了足够的关注与投入，但是，在精神健康层面，我们却常常忽略。如何打理好我们的心灵乐园，如何让我们心灵的庭院阳光明媚、绿树成荫、春意盎然呢？读书，便是一个非常不错的选择。
如何让我们心灵的庭院多一抹绿？如何让我们多读些书？下面的这篇文章，可以在学习英文的同时，对读书多一些深度的思考，快乐暑假，乐哉悠哉。
As a society, we’re all obsessed with physical health (trying to eat healthy foods & get enough exercise). The one piece that is usually neglected is mental health. The question we need to ask ourselves is how are we nourishing our minds? The solution is to start a reading habit.
How to Read More Books This Year
I’d guess that most Pages to Passport readers have some kind of a New Year’s resolution to read more books this year. I managed to read 52 books in the 52 weeks of 2018. It wasn’t always easy, but I developed a few tips to trick myself into staying motivated to read regardless. Whether your reading goal is one book or 52 books like me, these tips will help you read more this year.
How to Read More Books This Year
Developing a reading habit
Half of the battle in reading more is finding the time and energy to do so. Old habits and Netflix addictions die hard. We are all pulled in a thousand different directions and reading is often something that falls away in times of chaos. I find that’s exactly when I need reading the most.
Here are a few tips that have helped me develop strong reading habits and have taught me how to read more books.
Make a special time in your day devoted to reading
If you’re a fan of routines like me, make reading a part of one. Some people read in bed before falling asleep. I do my best reading paired with a morning coffee. Carve a time for reading that you keep daily.
Read just five pages every single day
Sometimes, you just don’t feel like reading even when you know you’ll be glad you did. For those days, tell yourself that five pages of reading is a win. I bet you’ll end up reading more than that after all.
Set a timer on your phone
When I worked a traditional 9-to-5 job, I still woke up earlier than necessary to fit in a few minutes of reading before tackling my commute. Because I was worried about time, I would often find myself checking my phone constantly and occasionally getting sucked into the instagram black hole.
If you have trouble disconnecting from your device long enough to read books, set a 20-minute timer on your phone and don’t touch it until it rings. Hide your phone under a pillow or in the next room. You’ll be amazed by how much more relaxed and focused you can be.
Find a format that works for you
Reading comes in all shapes and sizes in 2019.
Love the feeling of an old book in your hands? Become a frequent patron of your local library.
If you have a long commute, try audiobooks.
Always traveling like me? A Kindle might be your best friend. My Kindle Oasis can even fit in my smallest crossbody purse. The Libby app is also a game changer It allows you to get free digital downloads straight to your phone for free with a valid library card.
All readers have their own opinions on the best way to read. Like anything in life, do what works for you.
Choosing what to read next
If you want to read more books this year, it’s important to choose books that will keep you motivated to keep up your reading habits in spite of the ups and downs life may throw at you. Here are a few tips that have helped me read 52 books in 2018.
Choose books based on your Netflix binge of choice
Take note of the shows or movies you mindlessly choose after a long day. Those choices probably reflect what you’re craving in your reading life too. Action movies? Choose books likely to be the next big blockbuster. Rom coms? Choose a light read that warms your heart.
Choose books in a niche that you’re irrationally interested in
Obsessed with climbing documentaries? Daydream about living on a sailboat? Considering becoming an au pair? I guarantee someone has written a good book about it.
Reread a book that you have fond memories of
I’ve read the Harry Potter series more times than I can count. It’s the series that shakes me from reading slumps and throws me back into the habit of reading when I need it most. Don’t shy away from children’s books or past favorites. They can still teach you something new, even if the lesson is just to read books again.
Don’t take reading so seriously
Reading books doesn’t have to be any more academic or serious than watching television. Don’t try to tackle the classics or the greatest novel in history until you’ve developed strong reading habits. Just read books that make you happy, entertained, and excited to read again.
