How to Make Time for Reading: Tips for Busy Lives

Did you know that many people say they don't have time to read, but the real culprit is often a lack of energy? With the right strategies, you can reclaim reading moments from your busy schedule and make them fulfilling.

Reading can be the brightest moment in your day, yet it often slips away amid overflowing inboxes, meetings, and family demands. You crave the escape of diving into a novel or the insight of a great thinker, but when evening arrives, your brain feels tapped out. By identifying energy patterns and making small adjustments, you’ll find your way back to pages that enlighten and entertain.

You Read Less Because You Lack Energy

We commonly blame “no time” for skipping reading, but the real barrier is mental fatigue. Juggling work, classes, or parenting drains more than hours—it saps the energy needed to engage with text. Even if you have a free hour, you’d rather scroll social media or binge TV, because that feels effortless compared to focusing on a book. Recognizing this energy drain is the first step toward reclaiming reading.

“Reading is meaningful and everything meaningful has effort behind it.”

This simple truth explains why reading often feels like a chore when you’re burned out. To read consistently, you must protect your mental reserves and choose strategies that work with your ebb and flow of focus.

Constructive Rest

After a long workday, your rest choices can either restore or deplete you further. Mindless scrolling and binge-watching may feel relaxing initially, but they often lead to more exhaustion—what we call destructive rest. Instead, embrace constructive rest: low-stakes activities that reset your mind without draining it. Journaling, tidying your workspace, or planning the week are all forms of constructive rest.

Integrate reading into this routine by selecting light, engaging material that feels like a treat rather than extra work. A short essay, an illuminating magazine article, or a page-turning novel can serve as effective constructive rest, keeping you energized and motivated to continue reading later.

Book Dropsets

To handle fluctuating focus, use a technique borrowed from fitness: book dropsets. Pick three reads at varying levels of difficulty:

• Book One: A dense philosophical text or challenging history book.
• Book Two: A moderately engaging nonfiction or a compelling novel.
• Book Three: A light, easygoing memoir or entertaining narrative.

When you hit mental fatigue on Book One, switch to Book Two. If your energy still lags, move on to Book Three. This system ensures you can always read something, even on low-energy days. Rather than abandoning reading entirely, you adjust the “weight” of your material to match your current capacity.

Quiet Versus Busy Periods

Your life has natural highs and lows. During hectic stretches—project deadlines, exam weeks, or travel—prioritize the easier reads from your dropset. They’re comforting and manageable when heavy thinking isn’t an option. Conversely, in quieter windows like vacations or weekends, dive into complex classics or weighty nonfiction that rewards deeper thought.

This rhythm aligns your reading choices with your mental bandwidth. When time is scarce, lighter texts keep the habit alive. When time expands, you can savor the thinkers who broaden your perspective.

Read When the World is Quiet

Identify the pockets of calm in your day. For morning people, an early reading session offers clarity and a peaceful transition into work. Night owls might carve out a pre-bed ritual, using a chapter to shift from your to-do list to restful sleep. These quiet moments—free from notifications and interruptions—are fertile ground for sustained focus.

By anchoring reading to predictable daily windows, you turn it into a micro-habit. Whether it’s before breakfast or after brushing your teeth at night, consistency helps you stick with books even when energy levels wobble.

Carry a Book

Missed chances to read often result from not having a book on hand. Cultivate a habit of carrying either a slim paperback or an e-reader loaded with light nonfiction. Waiting in lines, commuting, or taking short breaks can add up to significant reading time. Even ten free minutes can let you finish a short essay or advance a chapter.

Choose materials that allow easy entry and exit—articles, essays, or short narratives—so you’re not scrambling to reorient your mind after each pause. Over weeks and months, these micro-sessions transform into substantial progress.

Intellectual Burnout

Many modern jobs require constant cognitive engagement, leaving your mind fatigued by day’s end. When intellectual burnout hits, approaching a challenging book can feel impossible. Instead of forcing it, honor your fatigue by stepping back. Take a reading hiatus or switch to an ultra-light read to recharge. Pushing through exhaustion often backfires, leading to frustration and a further decline in reading motivation.

Allowing yourself periodic breaks from heavier material prevents burnout in the long run and preserves the joy of discovery that drew you to books in the first place.

In Conclusion

• Actionable takeaway: Balance your reading life with book dropsets—rotate between heavy, moderate, and easy books to match your energy level.
• Actionable takeaway: Use constructive rest to replenish your mind before diving into a book.
• Actionable takeaway: Recognize intellectual burnout and give yourself permission to switch to lighter material when needed.

What are your tips for making time for reading in a busy life? Share your rituals and strategies in the comments!