How do you relax?
I got back into frequent reading a few years ago. After being a heavy reader when I was younger, I got a bit sidetracked by responsibilities (school ha).
Once I started picking up more books, I started updating my Goodreads. Which, if you utilize Goodreads, comes with the fun feature of setting a yearly reading goal. The first year I set 14, the the second was 20, and last year’s was 50. About half way through last year I noticed I started getting a bit stressed out with this goal I had set for myself. It felt like schoolwork again and I had tasked myself with a goal I hadn’t reached in a long time, if ever (I never tracked how many I read before so I may have read 50+ in a year when I was younger).
While I achieved and surpassed the goal of 50, which was a fun bonus, I decided this year I wouldn’t have a Goodreads goal. By the end of last year, I felt burnt out and decided the best way to continue my love for reading and ensure it stayed a relaxing hobby was to set a goal of zero and finish however many books I got to this year. Honestly, it was nice because I went into a six-month reading slump after powering through Zodiac Academy books 4-7 in November and December. I didn’t feel the unnecessary pressure to keep up with other people’s Goodreads goals.
If you’re on Instagram and you follow any #bookstagram accounts, some people have goals of 200 or more and I know that would never work for me. I love that they can do that though and love seeing how many some get through. Sometimes I do wonder if they feel the same stress I did.
I discovered that setting any goal for the year takes the joy out of the hobby for me and that’s not something I’m willing to give up!
Outside of the book goal, reading is my ultimate relaxation hobby. I set my decorative candles up, turn Lofi music on, and put my phone as far away as possible (I’ll get distracted otherwise, which kind of takes away from the relaxing part, lol). My special occasion reading and relaxation time happens in a coffeehouse during the Fall. I have an iced caramel latte, wear a cozy sweater, and grab my current read. It’s the absolute best way to relax with no pressure around trying to reach goals that take away from my point of reading.
How does reading help you relax? Do you find that having a goal helps or hinders you?
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