I spent years in IT support watching people buy the most expensive, high-spec hardware just to use it for checking email, and I see the same thing happening with reading. You don’t need a $500 e-reader with a specialized backlight or a subscription to a curated “literary discovery” service to fix this. Most of the advice you see online about how to build a reading habit again is just a way to sell you a new system, a new planner, or a new app that will inevitably end up as just another notification you ignore. You aren’t failing because you lack discipline; you’re failing because you’re trying to turn a hobby into a second job.
I’m not going to give you a list of “life-changing” morning routines or tell you to read fifty pages a day. Instead, I’m going to tell you how to actually use the books currently gathering dust on your shelf. We’re going to talk about the low-tech, slightly boring reality of lowering the barrier to entry, what to do when you realize you actually hate the book you’re reading, and why your phone is the only piece of hardware that actually matters here.
Table of Contents
Overcoming Reading Slump by Lowering Your Expectations
The biggest mistake I see people make is trying to jump straight back into a 600-page epic fantasy novel as if they haven’t spent the last three years scrolling through short-form videos. If you try to force a marathon when your brain is used to sprinting in ten-second bursts, you’re going to fail. Overcoming a reading slump isn’t about willpower; it’s about lowering the barrier to entry so low that it feels almost silly not to do it.
Instead of setting reading goals for beginners that involve “one chapter a night,” try aiming for just two pages. Or even one. If you read one page and decide you’d rather stare at a wall, fine. The goal here is reclaiming focus from digital distractions by proving to your brain that sitting still with a physical object isn’t a punishment.
Don’t worry about how to increase reading stamina right away. Stamina is a byproduct of consistency, not something you can summon through sheer grit. If you’re struggling, pick up something “low stakes”—a graphic novel, a collection of essays, or even a book you’ve already read and loved. You aren’t auditioning for a PhD; you’re just trying to get the gears moving again.
Setting Reading Goals for Beginners That Actually Stick
When people ask me about setting reading goals for beginners, they usually want to know how many books they should aim for a year. My answer is always the same: stop looking at Goodreads challenges and start looking at your actual life. If you try to commit to an hour a night when you’re already exhausted from work, you’re going to fail, and then you’ll feel like you’ve failed at reading, too. Instead, try a goal that feels almost insultingly easy, like reading just five pages before you turn out the light.
The real trick to increasing reading stamina isn’t about willpower; it’s about managing your friction. If your goal is to read more, don’t make it a “project” that requires a new app or a dedicated study nook. Just keep a book in the spot where you usually scroll on your phone. By focusing on small, repeatable wins, you start reclaiming focus from digital distractions without the burnout. It’s not about the volume of pages; it’s about proving to yourself that you can actually sit still for ten minutes without checking a notification.
Five ways to stop treating reading like a chore
- Stop trying to finish books you hate. If you’re fifty pages in and you’re bored, put it down. Life is too short to treat a book like a mandatory training module from your old IT manager. If you force yourself through a slog, you’ll just associate reading with a sense of obligation, and that’s how habits die.
- Use your “dead time” for digital reading. I know, I know—the purists will moan about screen time. But if you’re sitting on a bus or waiting for a kettle to boil, opening a Kindle app or a reading app on your phone is infinitely better than scrolling through news feeds that just make you feel stressed. It turns those five-minute gaps into actual progress.
- Get a physical “buffer” book. Keep one book on your nightstand or by your sofa that isn’t “important.” No heavy philosophy, no dense historical biographies—just something easy. When your brain is too fried from a day of staring at spreadsheets to process complex sentences, you need something that requires zero heavy lifting.
- Audit your subscription bloat. If you use an app like Scribd or Kindle Unlimited, check how much you’re actually using them before the next billing cycle. There’s no point in paying £10 a month for a service that sits idle because you’re too tired to read. If you aren’t using it, cancel it. You can always resubscribe when you actually have the headspace.
- Pair reading with a physical cue. I do this with my bread baking; the smell of the yeast tells my brain it’s time to work. For reading, try pairing it with something else—like a specific cup of tea or a particular chair. It sounds a bit woo-woo, but it helps signal to your brain that the “work day” is over and the “quiet time” has started.
The short version
Stop trying to finish “important” books; if you’re struggling to get back into it, read something easy, something short, or something you’ve already read and loved.
Forget the yearly goal or the 50-book challenge; just aim for ten minutes before bed or two pages before breakfast to make the habit feel like a non-event.
Don’t let a “reading slump” become a source of guilt; if you aren’t reading, it’s usually because the book is boring or you’re tired, so just put the book down and try again later.
The trap of the "ideal" reader
Stop trying to be the person who reads fifty books a year and starts being the person who reads ten pages before they fall asleep. Most people fail at reading because they treat it like a performance instead of just something they do when the house is quiet.
Saoirse Doyle
Getting back to the page
At the end of the day, building a reading habit isn’t about hitting a specific number of books per month or mastering a complex tracking app. It’s about removing the friction. We’ve talked about lowering the bar so you don’t feel like a failure when you only read five pages, and setting goals that are actually achievable rather than aspirational. If you stop treating reading like a chore on a checklist and start treating it like a way to decompress, the momentum will follow. Just remember: if a book is boring you, put it down. Life is too short to spend your limited free time forcing yourself through a slog just because you felt like you “should” finish it.
My time on the helpdesk taught me that the best systems are the ones that don’t require constant troubleshooting. Your reading life should be the same. Don’t let the pressure of “literary productivity” turn a hobby into another source of digital noise. Whether you’re reading a dense biography or a trashy thriller, the goal is simply to reclaim your attention from the endless scroll of your phone. Pick up whatever is closest to you, sit in a chair that doesn’t hurt your back, and just start. The habit isn’t a destination you reach; it’s just the act of showing up for yourself, one page at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if I start a book and just can't get into it?
Ditch it. Seriously. I spent years watching people struggle with broken software because they felt they “had” to make it work, and reading is no different. If you’re ten pages in and your brain is itching to do literally anything else, stop. Life is too short to treat reading like a chore or a debt you owe. Put it down, move it to a “maybe later” pile, and pick up something that actually grabs you.
Should I be using an e-reader or is physical books better for actually staying focused?
It depends on where your focus usually breaks. If you’re reading on a tablet, you’re one notification away from a Wikipedia spiral. An e-reader is better because it’s a single-purpose device—it doesn’t ping you about emails. However, if you find yourself scrolling your phone reflexively, a physical book is harder to “exit.” Buy a cheap Kindle if you want portability, but don’t expect the tech to fix a wandering mind.
How much time do I really need to set aside each day to see any progress?
The short answer is: almost none. If you’re trying to “find” an hour of quiet time, you’ve already lost. You won’t find it. Instead, look for the gaps. Ten minutes while the kettle boils or the time you spend scrolling through news feeds before bed is plenty. If you can manage fifteen minutes a day, you’ll finish a book a month. Consistency beats intensity every single time. Don’t aim for a marathon; just aim for a few pages.
