There are only so many hours in the day to do what you need to do, and reading is definitely a part of the daily routine. Some people have no problem finding the time to sit down, relax, and read, but other people might not be so lucky. […] So if you’re struggling to keep up with your reading, here are some tips to help you stay on track.

Don’t Commit to a Book

If you’re not completely enamored with a book, let it go. Forcing yourself to read a book you don’t really want to read will make reading feel like a chore. […]

Read on Your Commute

Read on the train, on the bus, or in the car (if you’re not the one driving, of course). […]

Audiobooks

Audiobooks are great when you don’t have time to sit and read. You can listen to an audiobook while you’re at the gym, walking your dog, or the washing dishes. […]

Read before Bed

If you’re not too tried, try to set aside some time before bed to read. Half an hour to an hour should be plenty of time to get some chapters read before you tuck in for the night. […]

Additional suggestions I’ve found work for me:

Take a book to read on your lunch break

I just have to get away from my desk during my lunch break, so it’s a good excuse to go for a walk, get some fresh air and find somewhere nice to do catch up on some reading.

Combine reading with a compatible interest

I like listening to music, so I sometimes set aside some time, put on some suitable music (i.e. instrumental stuff, such as classical, light jazz, soundtrack or post-rock), get comfortable and crank through a few pages. The music also helps focus the mind by blocking out other distractions, and can provide an external rhythm while reading.

Read while you wait

Carry a book to your next dental/medical/whatever appointment to read while you wait.

[S]cience has consistently shown that the human brain can only sustain attention on one item at a time. Our overestimation of our attentional capacity stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of multitasking and of the human attentional system as a whole.

[…]

The brain’s attentional system functions like a searchlight in a pitch black night. Whatever external or internal item we wish to focus on is illuminated by our attentional searchlight. Importantly, our neurological searchlight has limited wattage so any focal point that falls outside the radius of its beam is cloaked in darkness. When we wish to attend to another item in our external or internal environment we swing the neurological searchlight to the new item, and by the definition of our finite attentional capacity, lose the original item to the inky darkness that envelops our beam.

[…]

As it turns out, far from being a shortcoming of the human brain, our inability to focus on more than one item at a time provides an inroad to mindful practice.

Thus, by practicing mindfulness we build an off ramp for the superhighway of worry, self-blame, and obsession. We will inevitably have to return to the highway of thought before long, but it is surprising what a little break can provide.