What places do I read the most, and when?

If we’re talking about reading places – I don’t think the library would come first unless you’re a student, right? I used to spend a lot of time at the library, but not anymore. So, where do I read?

Last year, I read 28 books. I was 2 short of my reading goal – but that’s okay. The intention is not just about the number, but also the fact that I am actually still honing my reading skill, focus, and pleasure! — Yes, I read for pleasure mainly. I like fiction books, especially those with detectives and murder cases. It’s all rooted in my liking of Detective Conan by Gosho Aoyama and also spending my teenage years reading The Famous Five by Enid Blyton. That made me into who I am now.

So, where do I usually read? and when?

My safe sanctuary: home

This must be kinda expected, since I mostly work from home. But I think the real question is not only where, but how do I spare time to read, right? — for those who might struggle with this, last year I wrote a little bit of tips on how to get back into reading [How I Make Time to Read in this Digital Age]. But in this blog post, I want to share a new strategy I’ve picked up for reading time.

My favourite one is to change my scroll time into reading time. With this, I tackle 2 things at once: lower my screen time and increase my reading time. With this kind of strategy, I need to be aware of my time. I know for sure, once I start to scroll, my mind will go mindlessly into that. So breaking that cycle needs a little bit of practice too.

Basically, in my previous blog post, I mentioned that I mostly read either in the morning or at night before sleep.

But, on busy days when I was too tired to even focus, reading sort of became my kind of break in between work. A 10-minute reading session between high-tension work would serve not only as dedicated time but also boost my focus on my work.

Commuting: on the bus

I think this is the second-longest place I spent on reading last year. I mainly commute by bus, and when it’s possible (when the bus isn’t too crowded), I read. I don’t usually get to sit on the bus, but as long as it’s physically possible for me to get my book out of my bag and read, I would do that. (On a side note, this is not possible when I’m travelling by car – I get easily nauseated, so I prefer closing my eyes hahaha).

That’s why I always bring my book everywhere with me. Even though I wasn’t even sure I would have the time to read when I went out. That’s the most important stuff, cause I know I would regret not bringing a book when it turns out I have the time to spare.

Believe me when I say that the regret of not bringing the book out outweighs the regret of bringing it out but not having the time to read it.

Anywhere I have to wait

Let’s be honest. We spend a lot of time in our lives waiting. We wait inside the lift, at the cashier, in the queue for whatever reason we have to do. And to think about that – that is a great amount of time when accumulated!

Not to mention, this becomes a big point in my case because I am the kind of person who always has to be early. In any meetings, either casual or formal. I like being early. It puts my mind at ease. That said, sometimes I purposely arrive very early for meetings, so I have more time to read. (This has become my strategy for quite some time now.) And no, I wouldn’t rush the other person and tell them I have arrived like an hour early. I will def start looking for them if they didn’t show up like 10 minutes after our agreed time and haven’t informed anything to me.

Last September, I was travelling with a friend to Bali for our friends’ wedding. I decided not to bring a book since we packed as lightly as possible, and I thought I would rather spend time interacting with my friends. However, we got delayed for 3 hours and our energy level has dropped we were sleepy. I regretted not bringing a book so much that I ended up buying one at the airport. Hahaha.

When you need it

I’m not sure what to call this section. But this is basically how I feel. It’s also nice to set aside some time to read when you’re overwhelmed by your own mind. Reading puts your mind in the present, focusing on what you’re reading. Please don’t just associate reading with learning, ’cause I love reading just for the sake of it. For the sake of reading, finding pleasure. Sure, I do read some non-fiction books, but the number isn’t significant compared to the fiction books I’ve read.

Have you found yourself reading the same paragraph many times because your mind is wandering? No worries! I do too! That moment of noticing is actually a great practice for our mindfulness.

What’s yours?

I know this might not be applicable to all of you, especially if you’re driving your own vehicle or don’t really spend as much time alone as I do. Life is an experiment, try what works best for you!

Please share your story and how you incorporate reading in your everyday life!