Hi! Welcome to The Pause!
Today, as I was getting ready for my morning writing session (I’m finishing my first novel), I thought that, since Sant Jordi is around the corner and we’ve been talking a lot about books, there was something I wanted to share.
More and more people are struggling to find the time or desire to read.
So today, I’m sharing a little trick to help you shift your habits, read more, and spend less time glued to your phone.
We’ll talk about:
How to Read More and Scroll Less 📖📵
What to Read 📚
Creating Time ⌛
As a writer, reading is super important for enriching my vocabulary, finding inspiration, and refining my craft.
Sometimes, when I’m feeling uninspired or overwhelmed by life and just want to stop and sit down with a good book, I somehow can’t manage to do it.
Instead, I fall into a dark hole where, instead of using my free time for things that nourish my soul (like going for a stroll, reading, or playing the ukulele), I vanish into a sea of six-second videos showing carefully curated, performative snapshots of other people’s lives. By the time I finally resurface in the real world, there’s no time left to read. 😭
Sound familiar?
How to Read More and Scroll Less 📖📵
If there’s one thing I’ve absolutely had to do in order to make progress with my novel, it’s learning to prioritise, because I do have time, but I don’t have time for everything.
That’s why I’ve had to find a way to create space for reading in my daily routine, and to reduce the time I spend on social media, mostly because it doesn’t really nourish me.
The trick is simple, but not always easy.
Let’s take it step by step, friends.
I don’t want to be too obvious here, but first things first: if you want to read more, you need to have reading material around—ideally, a physical book.
I’m one of those people who reads three or four books at a time because I use reading as a creative tool, and I pick a book based on how I want to feel.
📚 What to Read?
Right now, I’m reading:
Nonfiction in Catalan: Atreveix-te a fer les coses a la teva manera by Iolanda Batallé – a super practical and encouraging manual on how women can revolutionise the world of leadership. I highly recommend it.
Fiction in Catalan: Sola by Carlota Gurt – a novel that starts with a countdown and grabs you from the first paragraph.
Fiction in English: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison – “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” That says it all.
Audiobook: Normal People by Sally Rooney – it’s got me hooked for now, but it’s not exactly my style.
Got book recs? Share them in the comments!
I know it can be hard to find a book that grabs you (because let’s be honest: it requires more focus than watching a TikTok), and often, even our friends’ recommendations don’t quite match our personal style. (Exhibit A: Normal People by Sally Rooney.)
I’m more of a fiction person myself, but I don’t like romantic novels. So if you recommend a steamy love story or a biography, chances are I won’t be too excited about it.
But here’s the solution: visit your local bookstore or library, browse a little, and ask for recommendations!
Some of the best books I’ve read lately were recommended by my trusted bookseller, Patty, who introduced me to authors I didn’t even have on my radar. I’m super grateful for her!
⌛ Creating Time
Alright, now you’ve got your book, but the point is for it not to become just another piece of decor in your home. The idea is to read it.
As I said, I truly believe that we do have time. The thing is, we often waste it.
So, what can you do?
Next time you have a bit of free time and you’re about to grab your phone and start scrolling (probably losing hours of your life), pick up your book instead and commit to reading.
That’s it. 😎
Read as much or as little as you want: a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter. Use a timer if it helps, and read for five or ten minutes. It’s your choice, but keep it simple!
I know it might feel like these are tiny amounts—not even “real reading”—but if you do it enough times, not only will you make progress, even if slowly, but you might actually start to want to read more often.
Falling into the black hole of social media isn’t entirely our fault. We all know by now that these algorithms are designed to keep us hooked.
What we can do is slowly start cultivating healthier, more enriching, and more creative habits, like reading. And the best way to do that is one page at a time.
So, what do you think, are you in? 🥰
That’s all for now.
Until we meet again, pause often, breathe deeply, and be kind, especially to yourself.
Much love,
Laia
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