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If you’re a book lover, chances are you’ve experienced binge reading. Binge reading is when you read large amounts of text at one time.
If you’re a binge reader, you may relate to these images . . .
Pros and Cons of Binge Reading
Is binge reading good? Bad? Does it matter once you start? Here are some pros and cons!
Pros
- You get to read an awesome book or series without stopping AND enjoy every second of it.
- You become more fully immersed in the story, for a deeper and more exciting reading experience.
- You may dream of the world you were reading about.
- Binge-worthy books encourage you to read, which has so many benefits.
- You read instead of watching TV or browsing the Internet, which is better for your brain and (in our opinion) more fun.
Cons
- You finish the book or series fast, and then end up with a book hangover.
- You don’t get nearly enough sleep and may fall asleep during the day.
- If it’s a longer reading binge, your house looks like homeless people have been living there by the end of it.
- You may miss out on meals, showers, and real-person interaction with the people that really matter.
How to Prevent or Break out of Binge Reading (If You Must, I Suppose, because You Know, Life)
Are you prone to binge reading but need to actually get work, chores, taking care of children, showering, and eating done? Here are some tips to not fall prey into binge reading, or to break free if you’re already entangled.
- Set a reading timer, and when it goes off, immediately close the book.
- Place a full sheet of paper at a designated point (for example, a chapter or two), so when you read to that point, the next page is bookmarked and covered. Now, the next chapter can’t catch your eye and you can quickly close the book.
- Ask someone you trust to come take the book from you after a set time. And maybe bring you chocolate or something you like so you don’t get irrationally angry at them.
- Stop reading the book in the middle of a chapter rather than at the end, since chapters often end in cliffhangers that encourage you to keep reading.
- Don’t pick up the book at the beginning of the day; instead get your work and chores done first.
- Alternatively, read only when you have small chunks of time to read and MUST get back to something, like during a lunch break, while waiting for the train, waiting for an appointment, taking a bath, etc.
- Save the exciting, plot-driven, bing-worthy books for the weekend when you can set aside dedicated time to read, and read nonfiction or light-hearted fiction—or whatever doesn’t completely suck you in but that you still want to read—during the week.
- Try an audiobook instead; you can read and still get mindless tasks such as chores, eating, and showering done. (And for showering, you can buy a waterproof speaker that you can hang right in the shower!)
Our favorite method to balance binge reading with life: Schedule in binge reading for an hour or two when you have more time, then use the methods above to stop. By allowing yourself to binge read on a schedule, you’re less likely to do it unintentionally. You get that great, immersive reading time without failing to accomplish the other things you need to do!
What are your thoughts on binge reading? Have you experienced it? Do you enjoy it? How have you broken out of a reading binge? Let us know in the comments below!
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