Mumlife

How To Start Reading And Stop Doomscrolling

February 13, 2025

Here’s How I Stopped Doomscrolling And Started Reading (And My Recent Favourite Books)

Here’s how to start reading again and stop doomscrolling…or, how I cut down on my screentime and swapped it for books (contains affiliate links!).

I’ve also listed the best books I’ve read in the past year – my favourite recent reads. And talked about my new best friend, my Kindle.

Falling Back In Love With Reading – When You Have Kids

As a prolific reader from as soon as I could read right up to my mid-20s, I fell out of the reading habit around the time I had a baby. And, if we’re being honest, bought an iPhone and with it, a short attention span.

Despite several attempts, I never quite got back into it.

Having kids who need you all of the time meant I could never really get into a good book, and a constant stream of ‘big’ news events meant I spent more time than I’d admit doomscrolling, switching to and from news to social networks and back.

Which was ridiculous and began to feel really unhealthy.

After failing miserably to hit any sort of reading target for a few years, In 2024 I set myself a Goodreads target of twelve books, one a month. Which I thought was realistic, right?

I actually hit it by the end of January 2024 (which amazed even myself!)

I then decided to unofficially set myself a new target of 52 books. And as of December 2024, I’d read 55 books. Here’s how I read that much and what worked this time.

Tips That Helped Get Me Reading Again

Here’s what helped me how to start reading again – this is what worked for me!

Reading On My Phone

Being able to read books on the Kindle app on my phone helped a LOT. Reading time can be in short supply when you have kids, can’t it? And because my phone is always with me, it’s so easy to pick it up and read during short spurts of time.

This does requite some self-discipline for scrolling addicts though. If I found myself aimlessly switching between social networks, I’d force myself to open a (digital) book instead.

Buying A New Kindle

Once I’d really got back into the reading habit, I ‘rewarded’ myself by buying myself with a new Kindle. Although reading on my phone helped, it started to feel like a lot more phone time. Having a new Kindle was easier on the old eye strain, was easier to read in bed. I’d previously had an ancient Kindle with no light which was hopeless in the dark, and I hardly ever used it. Reading on a Kindle also made it easier to leave my phone in the other room and and ignore the news.

DNFing a Book

Nothing puts me off more than slogging through a book I hate, even if it feels like I should finish it (why?). I gave myself permission (ha!) to stop reading a book if I really wasn’t feeling it. Or, alternatively, I would skin read it to the end.

Gameify It – Set A Target

Although I’d set – and failed to hit – a Goodreads target for a couple of years, this time treating it as a game really helped – especially when I hit the target early on, which inspired me to keep going. And after a couple of years of not hitting my target, shame was a motivator! Follow me on Goodreads.

Only Reading What I Want, Not What’s Popular

It sounds obvious but it helped to read what I really want to read, and not what was popular. Last year I read a lot of non-fiction, travel books and literary biographies because it’s what I fancied reading.

Feeling The Reading Benefits

For me, reading more and doomscrolling less had so many benefits it was hard to ignore them and easier to keep going. Reading for pleasure is enjoyable, horizon expanding and puts you in a more positive headspace than constantly looking at the news (which is a negative / anxiety spiral).

It also helped me to stop overthinking everything – sound familiar? – as I’d be thinking about books instead. This was such a positive bonus to my busy mind as it helped me take a break – and carry on reading.

My Kindle, A Love Story

Buying my Kindle was such a big motivator as I find it such an enjoyable reading experience due to the screen. I have this Kindle (and this case – stickers from my Swiftie daughter).

I know people have THOUGHTS about Kindle vs paper books, and I will always love book books! Obviously! But it’s so easy to buy books online – I try and stock up on the Kindle Deals and have also tried out Kindle Unlimited which has some interesting books.