I’ve been a bookworm for as long as I can remember and, if you’re like me, you’ll know what it’s like to experience a reading slump every now and then. Time spent at home reignited my love of reading and I was a woman on a mission: if there was a book I found interesting, I would buy it without question. Before I knew it, I had a huge TBR pile that I faced head-on with no fear of being overwhelmed by it.

After delving into several fantasy series (thank you, Sarah J. Maas), I found myself burnt out and unable to make my brain focus on reading anything new. At first, I thought that I just couldn’t handle the chaotic world-building that most fantasy series have. Still, I soon realized that my inability to focus also spread to shorter novels in different genres that would’ve otherwise brought me joy.

I was in a reading slump before I even realized it and I was so frustrated with myself because I wanted to read – it’s just that nothing was sticking for me. I turned to tiktok to learn how others dealt with this issue and I watched countless videos on which books could help you get out of a reading slump…nothing seemed to work for me.

Now, I know this may seem silly as it’s not an end-of-the-world situation, but when you’re planning on establishing your brand and the whole point of your brand if the fact that you’re an avid reader, the idea of not being able to actually read for weeks on end is very daunting. Especially when there are content creators that make it seem like they’re simply able to force themselves through the issue you’re experiencing.

After months of feeling bad about not being able to commit to a book, I decided to embrace the reading funk and just let things be. I went from reading several books at once for class in college to reading a book or two a week during the pandemic to now: finishing a book every couple months. In the entirety of this summer, I only finished two books and I’m okay with that.

A lot of things that are meant to be fun and seen as a hobby are very easily turned into a job or something stressful once social media and content creation are involved – it’s all about finding a delicate balance between doing the things you love and putting yourself out there. I’m no less of a reader because I embrace my reading funks and go weeks on end without turning a page.

It doesn’t make me any less of a bookworm and my friends still come to me when they want a good recommendation.

I’m still learning to be kinder to myself and embracing my reading funks allows me to think more critically about what puts a pause on my reading experience – maybe it’s a specific genre or trope or maybe even just reading too much of what I like. The books are still great books, everyone just needs a break now and then.

Reading slumps aren’t something you need to overcome or power your way through – give your mind time to recharge and settle and you’ll eventually come back to reading in your own time.