How To Find Time To Read: The Best Tips To Create A Reading System That Works -

If you’re looking for the best tips on how to find time to read, look no further than this post.

Let’s be honest for a second: loving to read and actually finding the time to read are two very different things.

As someone who genuinely loves reading, there are phases where I catch myself thinking: I don’t really have time right now. Work gets busy. Life gets loud. Even scrolling on your phone somehow feels easier than opening a book.

The truth? Most of us don’t lack time. We lack systems.

Reading does take time, yes. And when your life feels like a busy mess, it’s very easy to believe that reading is a luxury you’ll get back to “one day”. So you don’t even try. You tell yourself you’ll read when things slow down… except they never really do.

So today, I want to show you how to find time to read even if your days feel chaotic, full, and slightly out of control. No unrealistic routines. No pressure to read a book a week. Just simple, realistic shifts that actually work.

How to Find Time to Read

1. Set Reading Goals (But Please, Be Realistic)

Let’s start here, because this is where a lot of people mess it up.

Setting a goal like “I’ll read 100 books this year” sounds impressive. It looks great on Instagram. But if you spend most of your time working, studying, commuting, taking care of others, or simply trying to survive adulthood, that goal will probably do more harm than good.

Why? Because unrealistic goals create guilt.

You start the year motivated. You read a couple of books. Then life happens. Suddenly you’re behind schedule, and instead of reading for pleasure, reading becomes another thing you’re failing at. That’s the fastest way to kill the habit altogether.

Start small. Almost boringly small.

One book a month. Ten pages a day. Fifteen minutes before bed. Whatever feels easy, not impressive.

As time passes, you’ll naturally start to understand how much time you actually have for reading. And once reading is already part of your routine, you can always adjust your goal. Increase it gently. Without pressure.

Reading is supposed to feel good. Not like a performance.

2. Make Accessing Books Ridiculously Easy

One of the biggest reasons people don’t read more is friction.

The book is at home.
You’re outside.
You have ten free minutes.
So you scroll instead.

I know, I know. Physical books are superior. I agree. There’s nothing like the smell, the feel, the aesthetic of a real book. I’ll always be a physical-book girl at heart.

But this is where practicality wins.

Digital books are a gift. Truly.

Having a book on your phone, Kindle, or tablet means you’re never “without a book”. Waiting in line. Sitting on public transport. Early for an appointment. Those little pockets of time add up more than you think.

You don’t need to carry a heavy book everywhere. You just need access.

And if audiobooks are more your thing? That counts too. Walking, cleaning, cooking, driving — all of that can become reading time.

The easier it is to open a book, the more likely you are to actually read.

3. Create a Reading Routine That Fits Your Life

Here’s something that changed my perspective completely: reading doesn’t need a big time slot.

I follow a YouTuber who reads every single day while having breakfast. That’s it. No long cozy evenings. No hours blocked off. Just breakfast and a book.

She doesn’t have much time during the day, so she created a routine that works for her. Even if she only reads for ten minutes, she still reads every day.

That’s the key.

Look at your day and ask yourself:

When do I already have a small moment of calm?
Where could reading naturally fit in?

Morning coffee. Lunch break. Before bed. While commuting. Even while waiting for your hair mask to sit.

Consistency beats duration every time.

Ten minutes a day is better than one hour once a month.

4. Stop Treating Reading Like a “Special Occasion”

This one is subtle, but important.

A lot of people treat reading like something that needs perfect conditions: silence, candles, a cozy blanket, the right mood.

And while that sounds lovely, it also means you’ll almost never read.

Reading doesn’t have to be aesthetic.
It just has to happen.

Read in messy moments. Read when you’re tired. Read a few pages, not a chapter. Let go of the idea that reading needs to look a certain way.

The more normal and casual you make it, the easier it becomes to maintain.

5. Choose Books You Actually Love

This is non-negotiable.

Just like in fashion, books go through trends. There’s always that book everyone is talking about. And suddenly you feel like you should read it too.

But if you don’t actually like it, forcing yourself through it will only lead to what I call a reading break‑up.

You push through a book you hate.
You associate reading with boredom.
You stop reading altogether.

And then, next time you think about picking up a book, your brain goes: Yeah… but what if it sucks again?

Read what genuinely interests you.
Romance. Fantasy. Thrillers. Non‑fiction. “Silly” books. Comfort reads.

You don’t need to justify your taste.

And please — don’t be afraid to put a book down if you’re not enjoying it. Life is too short to read books you don’t like.

6. Redefine What “Being a Reader” Means

You don’t need to read fast.
You don’t need to read classics.
You don’t need to read every day.

If you read sometimes, you’re a reader.

Let go of the all‑or‑nothing mindset. You don’t fail at reading because you skipped a week. You don’t lose your identity as a reader because life got busy.

Reading is something you return to.
Again and again.