Reading when you don't wanna: A How-To Guide

I consider myself a bookworm and I looove books but sometimes I feel like I have two modes when it comes to reading:  "read everything" and "ugh... don't make me read".

This past year I definitely spent most of my time in the latter mode.  I just could not get hyped up about reading.  I read a few books but, let's just say, I would not have earned any pizzas from Book It! this year.

 
I thought I would share a few tips on how to get yourself out of a reading slump:

• Get your eyes checked!  Reading had become literally become painful because my vision had changed and I needed a different eyeglass prescription.  My left eye was compensating for my weaker right eye and was giving me headaches.  Our vision changes as we age  (I didn't need glasses until I was 33!) so it's a good idea if you notice any blurriness, double vision, dryness, etc.
• Don't force yourself to read a book that just isn't drawing you in or holding your attention.  (I found out Mr. Coffee finishes a book and I was appalled.  Life is too short to read shitty books.) If you hate it, stop reading it.   
• If you're solely a fiction buff, try non-fiction and vice versa.  If you have a favorite author why not read their biography?  It might help you appreciate their work even more and inspire you to read any books you might have missed.  This can be applied to other genres as well.  If you're always reading horror, you might get tired of wading through the stacks to find the one book published this year that doesn't involve the sex lives of vampires.  Instead of giving up on horror why not befriend its brother fantasy or its cousin science fiction?
• Change the medium.  Sometimes something as simple as flipping through a magazine can help flex your reading muscles.  (It's a muscle right?)  Or try manga or comic books.  How about an art book or travel guide*?
• Re-read a book you know you love.  
• Set an attainable reading goal for yourself.  Having spent a lot of last year on the couch or in bed, I realized it was lazier easier to binge watch a season of shows than to choose a book and start reading.  Instead of another episode of The Office, why not turn off the TV, set the timer on your phone for 20 minutes, and read?

*These are not affiliate links, merely suggestions.