Reading is a wonderful hobby. It can stimulate your imagination, educate you about fascinating issues, and even help you relax in the evening before bed. Sadly, there are many of us who don’t read as much as we’d like to. Whether it’s a shortage of time or difficulty connecting with books, reading can be an issue for even some of the world’s most well educated people. If you’d like to make more time in your life for a good book, use these 7 tips.

1. Fix your eyesight. In order to be able to enjoy reading, your vision needs to be up to scratch. For some formerly enthusiastic readers, books become a chore because the process of reading begins to give them a headache. This could be a sign of poor eyesight, a problem that is easier to fix than you might imagine. While reading glasses are a great start, they may not be enough in the long-term. Look for the best laser eye surgery specialists in your area and get your vision back on track.
2. Join a library. Some people love to read but can’t afford to buy a new book all the time. This problem is easy to solve – just join your local library. Get a card and visit regularly to take out a new book. You’ll find plenty of literary options that you’d never even considered reading before.
3. Carry a book around with you. If time is a difficulty for you, bring a book along with you throughout your day. You’ll find that there are plenty of moments where you have very little to do and a good book will easily fill up the time. It certainly beats scrolling through your social media newsfeeds.
4. Make a schedule. We find time for the things we value highly. If reading is valuable to you, simply set a specific time of the day where you commit to sitting down with your book. This can be as little as a 15 minute period before bed, or some time during your lunch break at work. The routine will help you get into the habit of reading more often.
5. Create a reading list. There are plenty of websites out there with handy reading lists if you need some extra inspiration on what to read next. Make a list of all of the books you’ve always wanted to read, and work your way through it over time. It’s not a race, but your list will give you something to work from.
6. Cut back on your screen time. Even people that claim they have no time for reading often make time for their favourite TV show or internet browsing. Try to cut down on the amount of time you spend watching television or staring at your phone and you should find that you naturally have more space in your schedule for reading.
7. Choose books you genuinely want to read. Have you ever started a tough read and spent months attempting to slog through it? There’s no use dragging yourself through something you genuinely don’t enjoy, unless you have to read it for a course or your work. Choose genres that you really enjoy and make reading a fun, leisurely activity that you look forward to each day. Look after your health.