There’s a peculiar irony about the times when we most need the mental escape that reading fiction provides. Holiday season, house moving, travelling, or a particularly demanding period at work are precisely the moments when our carefully maintained reading habits tend to collapse entirely.

But here’s the thing: life rarely settles down on its own. Waiting for the perfect reading conditions to come back means missing out on one of the few activities that can genuinely make chaotic periods more manageable.

There’s a common misconception that effective reading requires large, uninterrupted blocks of time. The ‘secret’ to continuous reading during busy spells is to shift the focus from large chunks to small, strategic moments. Here are some tips that can help you.

Embrace Micro-Reading: Letting Go of the Perfect Environment

The first step towards maintaining a reading life during turbulent times is letting go of the ‘ideal’. Not every reading session needs to involve a comfortable armchair, a hot drink, and an uninterrupted hour.

Grant yourself permission to read in fragments. Ten minutes while the kettle boils, fifteen minutes before sleep claims you, or even five minutes waiting for a taxi are all victories.  Think of it as ‘claiming moments’ that would otherwise be lost in your day.

The barrier to reading must be as low as possible. This means having your reading material physically with you at all times. A lightweight paperback in your bag, an e-reader that fits in your coat pocket, a reading app on your phone, or your audiobooks downloaded in advance. If you have to go looking for the book or have a poor internet connection, the opportunity will be gone.

Swap Doomscrolling for Reading: Setting Digital Boundaries

More often than we’d like to admit, our fragments of time are automatically filled with digital scrolling. Consciously choose a book over your phone at least once a day. That 15-minute social media check could be 15 minutes immersed in more pleasant and genuine stories – even if they’re fictional.

If overcoming the temptation of checking social media is too challenging, consider blocking it for set periods using the built-in tools – like Android’s Digital Wellbeing (Focus Mode/App Limits) or iPhone’s Screen Time (Downtime/App Limits) – or dedicated apps like Freedom, AppBlock, or Stay Focused.

Maximise Time with Audiobooks and E-Readers

Use Audiobooks

Audiobooks are perhaps the single most effective tool for busy readers. They transform typical non-reading activities into reading time through multitasking magic. A daily commute, even a short one, can account for hours of reading time each week.

Whether you are wrapping gifts, driving on a long journey, unpacking boxes, or going for a well-deserved coffee break, choose titles that suit your mood and pace, and your moment can turn into a mental escape.

The E-Reader Advantage

While physical books are beloved, e-readers (or reading apps) offer unparalleled convenience during busy periods, especially when travelling or moving house. A single device can hold dozens of books, making it easy to carry a variety without adding bulk. This is invaluable when luggage space is limited or when you are moving between locations.

Additionally, they offer instant access: If you finish a book and still have time left, you can immediately pick the next one, keeping the reading momentum going without wasting a single minute.

Best Books to Read When You Are Busy or Stressed

Not all books demand the same concentration. What you choose to read during busy times matters enormously. During stressful periods, opting for lighter or shorter reads can ease the pressure. A dense, philosophical tome requiring intense concentration might struggle to compete with the distractions of a holiday household or a tired mind. Short story collections and essays fit well into limited timeframes.

Short stories are simply wonderful because each story is a complete experience that can be finished in a single sitting. This provides a sense of accomplishment even when time is scarce. Essay collections offer similar benefits, as do memoirs and travel writing – genres that typically divide naturally into discrete sections.

It is also the perfect moment for those books you’ve labelled ‘page-turners’ – compelling crime novels, absorbing historical fiction, or witty contemporary stories. Comfort books or quiet genres like Iyashikei and K-healing are fantastic as well. They offer the deep satisfaction of a narrative arc, but one that can be comfortably completed during stolen moments. Do not feel guilty for choosing something ‘lighter’; the goal is engagement and escape, not literary obligation.

Overcoming the ‘Too Tired’ Barrier

Hectic schedules often lead to mental exhaustion. This is where setting micro-goals and linking reading to activities you will do anyway becomes crucial. You can tackle one chapter with your morning coffee, 15 minutes before sleeping, or listen to audiobooks on speakers as you shower, for example. During a busy stretch, ditch the 50 books a year aim and focus on picking up a book once a day.

The sense of accomplishment from meeting these micro-goals builds positive momentum, because these are commitments that feel manageable, not burdensome. However, if it’s still hard to weave a few pages into other activities, you can simply prioritise reading like any other task. Busy times usually involve a to-do list of errands, appointments, and social commitments, so you can include a fifteen-minute reading session in your plan, just as you would a meeting or a phone call.

Be Kind to Yourself: Reading is a Retreat, Not a Chore

Finally, remember that reading is not something to feel stressed about. Busy periods rarely allow for perfect consistency with any habit. If a day or even a week passes without a page turned, begin again. The book will wait without judgment.

The goal isn’t to maintain exactly the same reading pace regardless of circumstances – it’s to keep reading as part of your life in whatever form makes sense. Some days that might mean listening to an audiobook, other days it might be reading two paragraphs before falling asleep. Reading for pleasure is the goal, whether it’s two pages or twenty.

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