陷入阅读瓶颈？如何重拾阅读乐趣｜卫报 Lifestyle

阅读乐趣：阅读儿童书籍，重拾童心。 #生活乐趣# #阅读嗜好#

In a reading rut? How to get back into reading for fun！

陷入阅读瓶颈？如何重拾阅读乐趣

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Studies have found that reading fiction can make people more empathetic, strengthen their social-cognitive abilities and increase psychological richness. Illustration: Carmen Casado/The Guardian

在这个充满干扰的世界里，养成需要专注力的习惯往往困难重重。专家建议我们如何打破这种惯性

我们大多数人整天都在阅读——短信、邮件、菜单、水电账单、社交媒体配文和新闻报道。但纯粹为娱乐而阅读的人却越来越少。

美国国家艺术基金会2022年报告显示，当年仅48.5%的美国成年人阅读过至少一本书，较五年前的52.7%和十年前的54.6%持续下滑。英国2024年报告则指出，半数成年人未养成定期阅读的习惯。

“当今世界充斥着各种干扰，”美国图书馆协会主席萨姆·赫尔米克指出，“养成阅读习惯变得异常困难。”

你是否陷入阅读瓶颈？我们请专家支招如何突破困境。

阅读有何益处？

专家指出，养成阅读习惯能带来诸多裨益，甚至可能塑造更完善的人格。

研究发现，阅读小说尤其能增强同理心，强化社会认知能力，并丰富心理世界。

书评播客《逾期未还》联合主持人克雷格·盖廷表示，阅读小说能让他尝试理解他人及群体的视角。“这让我以更开放的心态看待世界，在结识新朋友或思考人际关系时更接地气。”盖廷如是说。

即便你不爱看小说，研究也表明：坚持阅读能缓解压力，并保护晚年认知功能。

“我常说阅读是放松身心、放慢节奏的良方，”文学策展人兼社交媒体红人摩根·门齐斯表示。她坦言这是睡前放松的有效方式：“有时能读几页，有时读一两页就睡着了，”她笑着说。

为什么人们不再阅读？

既然阅读如此美妙，为何如此多人逐渐放弃这个习惯？

干扰因素：正如播客《Getting’s Overdue》联合主持人安德鲁·坎宁安所言，干扰是主要原因之一：“电视、社交媒体、新闻、播客等众多娱乐形式都在争夺你的注意力。” 他补充道，虽然阅读能让人全情投入，但其他娱乐方式“更容易在做其他事情时进行”。

赫尔米克认同多任务处理的诱惑力：“我认识的人会在超市排队时读短文或博客，或边追剧边阅读，这些行为无法让人完全专注。”

相比之下，赫尔米克指出阅读书籍需要某种“刻意专注”。一部小说所需投入的时间精力，远超观看某人晨间日常的TikTok短视频。

环境变迁：门齐斯指出人们在人生转折期也容易中断阅读习惯，例如大学毕业、步入职场、组建家庭或搬迁。“其他事务占据了你的时间，因此阅读可能不再像从前那样占据核心位置。”

阅读选择：有时人们会给自己施加压力，要求阅读特定类型的书籍。我自己的阅读瓶颈期往往出现在强迫自己阅读那些自认为能彰显严肃知识分子气质的书籍时——而非真正喜爱的侦探小说和八卦回忆录。

“若你热衷阅读经典名著，那当然很好，”坎宁安表示，“但若你更想读敌对转为爱侣的浪漫故事，或是关于龙骑兵的奇幻小说，那就该随心而读。”

如何重拾阅读习惯？

探索阅读乐趣：赫尔米克建议前往图书馆借阅各类书籍。“读完第一章，看看哪一两本能抓住你的心。”他们说。

别勉强自己：若读着读着就提不起兴致，放下书本换本新的。“我强烈主张不必坚持读完一本书，”门齐斯表示，“不喜欢某本书，没人会评判你。这不算失败。”

精简选择：坎宁安建议从短篇作品入手。“若数年未读书，切勿以《无尽的玩笑》作为首选。”他推荐通过Goodreads、巴诺书店或布克图书馆的短篇书单进行筛选。

盖廷指出，短篇小说集也是重拾阅读的好途径。“十到十五页就能获得完整的叙事体验，”他解释道。

社交共读：专家建议与朋友分享书籍或加入读书会。门齐斯参加的有声书步行俱乐部中，成员们边行走边聆听各自的有声书。“途中我们会停下交流书中精彩内容，”她描述道。

媒介形式无关紧要：专家强调不必拘泥于阅读载体。无论是纸质书、电子阅读器还是有声书，每种形式都具有独特价值。盖廷格指出：“只要能让你开始阅读，任何形式都值得尝试。”

坚持每日阅读：当你找到偏好的题材和阅读方式后，请每天为阅读留出固定时间。“坚持睡前阅读十分钟，持续约二十天，”赫尔米克建议，“到最后，你就会养成习惯。”

享受乐趣：最后，确保阅读过程充满愉悦。“阅读本应带来快乐，”门齐斯强调，“其中蕴藏着丰富的收获。”

In a world full of distractions, it can be difficult to form a habit that needs attention. Experts advise on getting out of the rut

Most of us read all day – texts, emails, menus, utility bills, social media captions and news stories. But fewer people are reading for fun.

According to a 2022 report from the National Endowment for the Arts, 48.5% of US adults said they had read at least one book that year, down from 52.7% five years earlier, and 54.6% 10 years earlier. In the UK, a 2024 report found that half of UK adults do not regularly read for pleasure.

“The world is increasingly distracting,” says Sam Helmick, president of the American Library Association. “It can be really difficult to get into a reading habit.”

Are you in a reading rut? We asked experts how to get out of it.

What are the benefits of reading?

There are numerous benefits to a regular reading practice, experts say. It might even make you a better person.

Studies have found that reading fiction specifically can make people more empathetic, strengthen their social-cognitive abilities and increase psychological richness.

Craig Getting, co-host of the book podcast Overdue, says reading fiction helps him experiment with the perspectives of other people and groups. “It helps me have a more open-minded view of the world and be a little bit more grounded in how I meet new people or think about the people I interact with,” Getting says.

Even if fiction isn’t your cup of tea, regular reading has been shown to reduce stress levels and protect cognitive function in later life.

“I always say that [reading] is really good for helping you rest and slow down,” says Morgan Menzies, a literary curator and social media influencer. Menzies says it’s an effective way for her to unwind before bed. “Some nights I get a few pages in. Other times it’s one or two pages and I’m out,” she laughs.

Why do people stop reading?

If reading for fun is so great, why do so many people fall out of the habit?

Distraction: Distraction is a big reason, says Getting’s Overdue podcast co-host, Andrew Cunningham: “There’s a lot of entertainment out there competing for your mind and your eyeballs – TV, social media, news, podcasts.” Plus, while reading is all-absorbing, many of these other options are “a lot easier to do while you’re doing something else”, he says.

Helmick agrees about the lure of multitasking. “I know folks who read short articles or short blogposts while waiting in line at the grocery store or bingeing a TV show, so you’re not fully engaged.”

By contrast, reading books requires a degree of “intentional focus”, Helmick says. A novel demands a greater commitment of time and energy than, say, a TikTok about someone’s morning routine.

Changing circumstances: Menzies says people also tend to break their reading routine during times of change, such as graduating college, entering the workforce, starting a family or moving. “There are other things taking time from you, so maybe you can’t center reading as much as you once did,” she says.

Reading selection: Sometimes, people put pressure on themselves to read a certain kind of book. My own reading ruts have come when I try to force myself to read books I think will make me seem serious and intellectual, rather than what I actually enjoy (detective stories and gossipy memoirs).

“If you’re excited to read great canonized fiction, then awesome,” says Cunningham. “But if you’re excited to read an enemies-to-lovers romance or a book where people ride dragons, that’s what you should read.”How can you get back into a reading routine?

Figure out what you enjoy: Helmick recommends going to a library and checking out various kinds of books. “Read the first chapter, and see which one or two grab you,” they say.

Don’t force it: If you’re not enjoying a volume, put it down and move on to the next. “I am a huge advocate for not finishing a book,” says Menzies. “If you don’t like a book, no one’s judging you. You’re not failing.”

Keep it short and sweet: Cunningham suggests people start with shorter books. “Don’t have Infinite Jest be the first book you pick up if you haven’t read anything in a few years,” he says. He suggests searching Goodreads, Barnes and Noble or the Booker Library’s list of short books.

Short story collections can also be a good way to dip your toe back into reading, says Getting. “You get a full narrative experience out of 10 or 15 pages,” he says.

Make it social: Experts recommend sharing books with friends, or joining a book club. Menzies attends an audiobook walking club where everyone walks together, listening to their own audiobooks. “Throughout our walk, we stop and chat about our books and what’s exciting us,” she says.

The medium doesn’t matter: Don’t get hung up on the format. Whether you read physical books, use an e-reader or listen to audiobooks, it’s all valuable, experts say. “If that’s what gets you reading, that’s what gets you reading,” says Getting.

Do it daily: Once you’ve found your favorite genres and reading method, carve out a little bit of time for it each day. “Read 10 minutes before bed for about 20 days,” says Helmick. “By the end, you’ll have created a habit.”

Make it fun: Finally, make sure you’re having a good time. “Reading is something that should bring you joy,” says Menzies. “There’s a lot you can gain from it.”

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