This week’s prompt: Sometimes, readers get into funks and maybe stop reading or feel like reading is work. What do you do to get yourself out of a reading funk?
You know, I used to really worry when this happened. I’d think, “that’s it, my reading days are over. What if I never read another book?” But nowadays I’ve learned a lot more about myself. For starters, I now know I have ADHD, which really changes how I think about my own behaviour – I know that my attention span is shorter than most and I also know that my nervous system is motivated by interest rather than what’s important or necessary, which I fight when it comes to chores, but not hobbies. So if I don’t feel like reading for a while, you know what? That’s a great time to catch up on my TV. It’s an opportunity to find some new podcasts. It’s time to spend getting in touch with people I’ve not called or written to in too long.
I’ve also discovered that it tends to come in a pattern. There are usually a couple of months out of the year – sometimes as early as autumn, but usually during the winter months – when I just don’t read much. But if I allow that, if I don’t push it, it does always come back and then I make up for it. I’ll start slow, but after a few months I’m usually reading a lot. So that increased understanding of my own psyche and the patterns of my life have really helped me just roll with it.
What about you guys? Are there any other neurodivergent folks out there who have made similar discoveries about their reading patterns? If you’re neurotypical, how does this kind of thing work for you? Are you able to push yourself through discipline to get back to reading? I’d love to hear about your experiences!
The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly blog link-up that gives participants a different book-related question to ponder each week, and allows them to share their thoughts, find new blogs to follow and connect with new readers. The Hop was originally created by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and is now hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. To see a list of upcoming prompts go here.