University of Kwazulu-Natal

How Do I Read A Lot Of Books With No Time Proven Tips For Busy Readers

Bonisiwe Shabane
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how do i read a lot of books with no time proven tips for busy readers

How do you find time to read when life feels nonstop? With busy schedules and countless distractions, it can feel like an impossible task to finish even a single book, let alone multiple books a month. But what if I told you it’s easier than you think? With a few clever strategies, you can enjoy reading even with a packed schedule. Learn how you can turn those small pockets of time into a world of stories! Reading books has long been praised as one of the best ways to stimulate the mind and expand knowledge.

Beyond entertainment, it offers numerous benefits for mental health, productivity, and overall well-being. Mental Stimulation: When we read, our brains engage in active thinking and imagination, which helps improve focus, concentration, and cognitive function. Regular reading can also reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we age. Increased Knowledge: Each book we read opens us to new ideas, perspectives, and information, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. This broadened knowledge base helps us to make better decisions and become more informed in various areas of life. Some of the busiest people on our planet are also avid readers.

Reading sparks your creativity, helps you grow your understanding of complex problems and grows you intellectually, while at the same time, reading is a very relaxing activity. But how do we make time to read? News articles report that we are reading less and less. A study in 2004 found that the average number of books read in the US per year is 12, while the median value is only five books. If you want to beat this sad statistic and increase the number of books you read per year and make time to read, then keep reading. The year in which I finished my PhD, moved across the globe, and attended conferences in every single continent of the world to present my research (except Antarctica), I logged 69 books into my...

Many people have wondered how I managed to find the time to read so many books while having such a busy year. If you want to increase the number of books you read each year, I have gathered 11 of my best tips for reading: If you enjoy borrowing books from the library, borrow more than you think you’ll actually read. Having physical books piled up in your house that you know need to be returned will encourage you to read more than you might initially have planned to. If you are a digital reader, make sure you download a stockpile of books onto your e-reader,so you always have a wealth of choices right at your fingertips that you are eager to read. Want to read more books?

Here are 5 easy ways to make that happen. BY JEFF HADEN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, INC. @JEFF_HADEN Whenever I tell people I read an average of one to two books a week, I get the same question: “How are you able to read so much? I just don’t have the time.” Actually, you do have the time, but the simple answer — saying you just have to decide that reading is more important than other discretionary activities like social media, TV, etc.

— is also too simple. After all, if reading more were as simple as just deciding to read more, we’d all be avid readers. (Just as we’d all be trimmer, fitter, and healthier.) Life moves fast. Between work, school, family, and endless to-do lists, it can feel impossible to find time to sit down with a good book. But if you’ve been wanting to get back into reading or just want to fit more books into your schedule, you’re not alone.

Here are some easy, practical tips to help you read more—no matter how busy your days are. 1. Save Time with the Library’s Online Resources When you’re busy, making time to visit the library might feel impossible. That’s where our online resources come in handy. You can borrow e-books

and audiobooks without leaving home—saving time and making reading more convenient. Whether you’re grabbing an audiobook to listen to during your commute or an e-book to read in those random free moments, apps like Libby and Hoopla (among others) let you instantly access a huge... No need to worry about returning physical copies either—everything’s just a tap away! Who says you have to sit down with a book in hand to count it as reading? Audiobooks are a game-changer for busy schedules. You can listen while commuting, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, or exercising.

Suddenly, that time spent in traffic or doing chores turns into productive reading time. With the library’s audiobook and e-audiobook collection, you’ll always have something good to listen to. If you’re anything like us here at Once Upon a Book Club, you’ve probably wished for more hours in the day for literary joy! But with busy schedules, reading usually takes a back seat. Don’t worry! Whether you’re a casual reader or tackling an ambitious reading goal, we’ve got you covered with our team’s practical tips and tricks to make more time for books this year.

Let’s make 2025 the year you finally read more, even with a packed calendar! Let’s start with the numbers – but don’t panic! This is the kind of math you’ll actually enjoy. For example, if you take about 8 hours to finish a book, ask yourself, how many minutes a day can you reasonably commit to reading? 10 minutes a day? That’s about 5 hours a month, which adds up to 6-7 books a year.

30 minutes a day? That’s 15 hours a month, or 20 books a year. You overachiever, you! Let's cut to the chase: you want to read more, but your calendar is a battlefield. Between work, family, and the endless scroll of social media, finding time to sit down with a book feels like a luxury you can't afford. But what if the problem isn't a lack of time, but a lack of strategy?

The truth is, you don't need to block out hours of your day. The world's most avid readers aren't swimming in free time; they've just mastered the art of fitting reading into the cracks of their lives. This guide will show you how to do the same. First, let go of the idea that you need a quiet room and a cozy armchair. Reading can happen anywhere, in any format. The Gist: Audiobooks are your secret weapon for "reading" while your eyes and hands are busy.

Driving, doing chores, working out—these are now all opportunities to get through your reading list. Discover how to find time to read every day with these 7 practical tips—perfect for busy schedules, short breaks, and turning dead moments into page-turners. I get it—life can feel like a treadmill of endless tasks, leaving barely a spare minute for yourself, let alone a good book. But I’ve learned that even the busiest days hold hidden pockets of reading time. Here are my top seven reading tips—from personal experience—that transformed my habit from “I wish I could read” to “I can’t wait to turn the next page.” Just like you’d block off lunch or a workout, schedule 30 minutes of reading into your calendar.

I carve out nightly reading time before bed, and it’s become a sacred ritual—no screens, just stories. Over time, this small daily commitment has added up to dozens of books a year, and now I have the reading life of my dreams! I keep a paperback in my tote and the e-reader app on my phone. Waiting for an appointment? Grab your book. Coffee line running long?

A quick chapter goes a long way. Having reading material at arm’s reach turns idle minutes into mini book breaks. We all know the social media spiral. I set a five-minute timer during breaks—no mindless feeds, just reading. Those five minutes might become ten, and suddenly you’ve read a whole short story instead of doom-scrolling. In today's fast-paced world, finding time to read can feel impossible.

With work, errands, and endless notifications, even book lovers struggle to flip through more than a few pages a week. But reading doesn’t have to be a luxury—it can be part of your everyday routine. If you're wondering how to read more books in a busy schedule, you're in the right place. Here are 7 practical tips to help you make reading a consistent and enjoyable part of your life—even when you're short on time. You don’t need hours—just 10 to 20 minutes a day adds up. Try setting a realistic daily goal, like reading 10 pages or one chapter.

Use a tracker or journal to keep yourself accountable. Apps like Goodreads or StoryGraph can also help you stay motivated. Think about how much time you spend scrolling through social media or watching Netflix. Even replacing just 15 minutes of screen time with reading can help you finish more books each month. Make your book app or e-reader just as easy to access as your favorite social media platform. Whether it's a paperback, e-book, or audiobook, having a book on hand makes it easier to sneak in a few pages during idle moments—waiting in line, on your lunch break, or during your commute.

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