Why Do I have Readers block?

Nothing quite feels like being unmotivated to do something you enjoy doing or know you should be doing.

Reading is a great hobby that we all enjoy and it’s not always just a hobby we engage in to pass time, sometimes we use reading to learn and equip ourselves with specific knowledge.

Reading block is simply when you cannot pick up a book and read it, in this article I’m going to explain why you may have readers block because this is commonly experienced by most readers.

With that said, let’s get right into why you may experience readers block.

Prior aggressive reading

Having spent a lot of time reading prior to the moment you choose to read. It is highly likely that you’re going to face reading block.

For example students that may have spent a week studying ferociously and writing exams may experience reading block when they choose to engage in reading a few days after their examinations are done.

Therefore, reading block is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it’s just your body and mind signalling that a break is necessary after having read and consumed a lot of information.

Anxiety

People that suffer from anxiety may experience reading block at several instances especially when they have a lot of different material to read.

For example, if a person suffering from anxiety has the choice between reading 5 different books. They may find it difficult to choose which one to read and this can easily lead to them developing reading block.

This can result in them not reading any of the books they want to read because the fear of choosing one book over the other imposes anxiety.

It’s wise that you take time to confront any anxiety that may make it hard for you to read. Also, seek professional help if you feel it necessary.

There are a lot of good therapists that can help you confront and conquer your anxiety.

Depression

Depression is another reason why some people may experience reading block.

It’s hard to focus on anything else when you’re going through dark times in your life that overwhelm you emotionally.

Therefore, it’s not always your fault, it’s not that you don’t want to read, it’s that you’re not in the right frame of mind to read.

It’s healthy to check how you feel emotionally so you can figure out a way to get the help you need.

Laziness

Sometimes you experience reading block because you’re just lazy. Let’s face it, not all days are the same.

On some days you’ll operate at full capacity and on some days, you’ll find it hard to even get out of bed.

You should therefore be self aware enough to know when you’re just being lazy.

If you know you easily get bored, try and read a few pages per sitting. This will alleviate the fear of having too much to read.

Lack of motivation

If you could spend your days always motivated, your life would be so much easier. While this is possible to achieve, it is not something very common among people..

Reading block sometimes is simply a lack of motivation and conviction on your part to engage in reading.

Sometimes, it’s a boring book that a friend recommended to you that you don’t really feel like reading. Sometimes, you’d much rather spend time doing something else than keeping your head buried in a book.

There are many reasons as to why you may experience reading block and its up to you to find your internal motivation for reading.

New hobbies

If you have a new found hobby, sticking to the older hobbies can pose a challenge for you.

Therefore, you could find it hard to pick up a book if you would rather be doing something else.

Sometimes it’s as simple as that.

You shouldn’t force yourself to engage in reading if you’re in the mood to do something else.

Reading is work; doing it when you lack the interest to do it will have a negative impact on your comprehension.

Fatigue

Your body is a machine and just like anything other machine it is bound to demand a break.

On days that you experience fatigue, it may be hard to literally do anything, let along read.

It’s important to get enough rest, charge up and then try to read because a fresh mind is more accustomed to receiving, processing and retaining information.

Lifestyle

We lead different lifestyles and depending on your kind of lifestyle, reading block may be a frequent occurrence or not.

Of course anyone can be a reader but if you’re used to a certain way of life, reading may not pose great importance and can easily be treated as a “by-the-way” hobby.

Specific appetite for books

Sometimes you experience reading block only because you have a very specific appetite for what you want to read.

In such situations, you’ll find it hard to read anything other than what you want to read.

What to do when you have readers block

Below are some things you can do to counteract your reading block.

Let the day go by

Sometimes the only tactic on the menu is letting the day go by and hoping to do better the next day.

It’s of vital importance that you avoid forcing your brain to comply because you may simply waste your time reading and only retaining a small percentage of what you read

Read a page, stop when you can’t continue

A good technique to alleviate reading block is to simply read what you can and leave it at that.

If you read every day, you can read a limited number of pages on days that you experience reading block so you allow your mind to engage in something else.

Read what’s of interest

At any given time you have something that could be of interest to you, it’s important that you spend time reading what you like if you’re not really in the mood to read.

This will make it easier for you to read without facing too much difficulty.