Let me set the scene. You’re out to dinner with friends and one of them brings up the latest, bestselling book they’ve been reading. They ask you if you’ve read it and you say something along the lines of “ugh, no I’ve been meaning to but I haven’t because [you fill in the blank].” Reading is one thing most of us would love to do if only we had the time (and by “only had the time” I mean “if we made it a priority”). Between running to school, work, the gym, Netflix binging sessions, we find ourselves leaving no time for reading. Reading is great because it promotes mental stimulation, reduces stress, expands vocabulary, and improves focus and concentration. Long story short, you definitely should be making time to sit back and crack open a book. While sometimes it may feel like you need a ton of time in order to read, in reality, there’s no time restriction. The only way to make time for reading is to do just that, make time for it. When you’re intentional about your actions and schedule in time to do it, the chances increase that you’ll get it done.

Swap social media for a book

Most of us use our morning commute time as time to catch up on social media. If you’re going to be sitting on the bus/train in the mornings, instead of using time to mindlessly scroll through Insta, pick up a book instead. This will feel like a meditative way to start your morning and is a great trade in for the toxicity of social media. Driving to work doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun, use an audio book instead!

Read During Lunch

Like the morning commute, the afternoon lunch break often becomes a time to catch up on Instagram. If you’re looking for more time to read, an 30-60 minute lunch will give you plenty of time to catch up on a good book.

Tip: If you want to ensure that you have time to read, leave your book on your desk or in your car to avoid forgetting it as you rush to work.

Add It To Your Bedtime Routine

Reading before bed is a great way to unwind after a long day. Adding reading to your nighttime routine will give you a calm, meditative bedtime experience. Your body repairs and absorbs information when you sleep so this is a great time to read a self help book! Brush your teeth, complete your skincare routine, write a page in your journal, read a chapter of your and voila! You got yourself a healthy nighttime routine.

These tips will transform you from being the person who’s always “too busy” to read to the one suggesting a book club. Making time to read will expand your mind in so many ways and could be the one thing standing in the way of you becoming an expert in your field. Which books are going to read next? Comment below!