Lately, when adulting took the biggest chunk of my free time and my eyesight is unashamedly dwindling, I adapted a slower reading pace to atleast relieve the pressure to rush through the pages and to be a bit gentler to my aging and fading eyesight. So, I take my time and embrace a gentler relaxing read.
But then I wonder, in this day and age where we are all bombarded with flashy content and 30-second reels, is slow reading still relevant? Well, we already know that slow reading alleviates stress and anxiety and the reason why we are stressed and our minds are anxious is that our minds are busy multitasking, scrolling through short gaps, half-engaging, or perpetually scrolling ourselves into nothingness. Slow reading then brings our mind to the present giving us more time to focus in the here and now so when our foggy brains suddenly halts to a blank, slow reading gives it a gentle respite bringing our minds to full focus and attention. I have this habit that when I'm stressed and anxious, I tend to pick up a book for comfort. It even became an inside joke between me and my husband because whenever he asks me how many books I've read and I give my answer, he smiles and says, That stressful, huh?" Well, what can I say, it is my ultimate way to Houdini my way out of my every day stress. Afterall, a page a day keeps the doctor away.
But mind you, there are also days when I get stuck in a reading rut, unable to even make myself pick up a book. It usually happens after a long holiday or after days spent without reading and you know what they say about "reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body" so I go book shopping and buy more books, just kidding but it happens, sometimes :)
One of the most dreadful things a reader or any of us can experience is the reading slump. It is the long absense of enthusiasm to read and regrettably, years and years of reading disengagement may leave us discouraged and hate reading all the more. I often hear people say "reading is not for me", "I am too old or too busy to read" and the gazillion excuses we make to rationalize the lack of reading in our lives and it makes me remember what my grandpa used to say about "reading being the greatest luxury our souls can experiece and no amount of entertainment is as enjoyable and enduring compared to it." Absolutely the cheapest therapy there is and you wouldn't want to miss it.
It is withtout a doubt that slow reading not only allows us to slow our minds but also takes away the pressure of rushing us through the process of reading. Thus we avoid overwhelming ourselves. The phrase "the slower the healthier" does apply in all aspect of our lives both physical and mental. Therefore, the habit of slow reading allows us to read at our own pace, free from the dread of prolonged reading hiatus, which in turn removes our bias towards reading.
So how do we embrace a slow and gentler reading habit? First, accessorize and have fun with other reading tools. Besides of course a physical book or an e-copy, we can also add other fun reading paraphernalia. I love collecting writing supplies; so reading becomes the perfect excuse to buy markers, notepads, and notebooks which brings us to our second tip, annotate. Annotating is also one of the ways we can fully immerse ourselves into our books and get the most out of our reading experience. I would usually write side comments in my book as if I am talking to the characters or to the author. That way my reading experience is more interractive as oppose to the author just feeding me the information. I would comment on a conversation or what the characters did and said and also look for inspirational quotes and hidden details that may suggest what the author actually is trying to convey. We can ask questions, predict the ending and even write our own alternative ending to the story, incase we don't like the ending (which I do a lot).
But before anything else, it's important to choose a book that truly captures your interest to make reading more enjoyable. If you are starting to create a reading habit and you don't know what books to read, you can start by identifying what genre picks your interest. You can do this by going to the bookstore or the library and observe what books grab your interest and pick one that strongly pulls your attention and start from there. I would often choose books not because everybody is reading it or because I have to, atleast at this point in my life where I don't need to be graded for required reading but because there is a sense of excitement that comes with just reading the title or because I have developed an interest on a certain genre or theme. Next, set aside a specific time and space to establish a consistent reading routine. For example, dedicate a few minutes to reading before bedtime or whatever is convenient for you.
Most of all, do not rush. Take your time, smell the book, take time appreciating the cover, learn about the author, make assumptions about the characters and set the tone before even flipping to the first page. When it comes to slow and gentle reading, always remember that patience is essential. Like they say, "In reading, as in life, sometimes slower is better."
