Struggling to finish a book these days? Between work, kids, and Instagram scroll sessions, reading can feel like a luxury you used to have time for. But what if I told you that just five minutes could change your entire reading life?
Yep—5-minute reading habits can actually help you read more, even if your brain feels fried and your to-do list is aggressive. Whether you’re trying to get out of a reading slump or squeeze in a few more chapters a week, these tips are designed to be practical, powerful, and proven to work.
Why 5-Minute Reading Habits Work
If you’re waiting for an uninterrupted two-hour window to appear, spoiler: it’s probably not happening. But five minutes? I’m willing to bet we can all find just five minutes while waiting for water to boil or hiding from our responsibilities in the bathroom. (No judgment…) and it is surprising how taking advantage of just five minutes can actually help you read more.
Turning these tiny moments into a reading habit can:
- Lower the pressure to “make progress”
- Help you rebuild your reading routine
- Turn “I don’t have time” into “I just read three books this month”
1. Start Your Day With 5 Pages
I don’t know about you, but most mornings I admit: I look at Instagram or Facebook before getting up. However, swapping that swiping time for reading a book, whether it’s a physical book or an audiobook you listen to on your AirPods, or even if it is a book you download to the Kindle app (or another favorite ebook app), this little daily reading routine at the start of your day can be so powerful.
This is the key to read more books: actually reading books. I know, reading helps you read more… groundbreaking advice over here, friend.
But seriously: making a daily habit of reading every morning before diving into screens and the chaos that life brings can help your brain ease into the day, and it allows you to sneak in a few pages.
Pro Tip
Keep your current read on your nightstand—that way, tomorrow morning, you have no excuses.
2. Pair Reading With Another Habit
Have you heard of habit stacking? It is where you attach a habit you want to have to something you already do.
For example, I brush my teeth every morning. I struggle to remember to take my pills on time. So, I will “stack” taking pills with brushing my teeth. I already know I’m going to brush my teeth, and that is a trigger to my brain to remember to take my pills.
So let’s look at how to apply that to reading, without overhauling your whole schedule.
Habit stacking for readers can look like:
3. Use the 5-Minute Rule to Beat Slumps
A common issue I see lots of women talk about is being in a reading slump. They feel like they lack motivation to read, and they Google “how to start reading again” in desperation.
Does that sound familiar?
If so, you’re totally in good company: I’ve had reading slumps, too. If you’re a reader, or if you’ve ever tried to become one, odds are, you’ve had a slump, too. And the tough news is, there’s no magical reading slump fix.
You just have to read.
So… how do we hack our brains into thinking it’s fun and that we want to do it, when our brain is complaining worse than a sophomore in high school who stayed up till 2:43 am trying to play the newest Fortnite release (not that I’m speaking from experience or anything…)?
We tell ourselves, “Ok, Lauren, you only have to read for five minutes” (except you’ll say your name, and not Lauren. That would be weird. Unless your name is Lauren, and in that case, rock on with your bad self.).
That’s it! More often than not, five minutes of reading turns into ten or fifteen minutes. But even if it doesn’t, and you only got a page and a half before your laundry mountain ahem pile threatened to attack you? That’s ok! Because you still read today.
I don’t really do math, but this is some math I can rally behind: Reading in a slump > Not reading at all.
4. Try a Reading Sprint
Much like running on a track, a reading sprint is where you set a timer and read until time is over. No distractions. No priorities… just you and your book. This is actually how I ran a full marathon one time… I just kept lying to myself that I only had a little left to go.
If you’re competitive, gamifying your reading like this with a reading challenge will definitely be your thing.
And if there’s a way I can read more in less time, because I’m trying to “beat the clock” and read as much as I can… then I will call it a win.
Want to amp up the stakes?
Try these reading sprint reading challenges:
- Track your page count after 5 minutes every day for a week. See if you can improve your reading length (while still comprehending what you read).
- Challenge a friend to see who can read the most in 10 minutes.
- Repeat this challenge daily for a week – can you keep your streak?
5. Keep a “5-Minute Book” on Hand
If you have been looking for some reading tips for moms, look no further than the 5-minute book.
Some books are built for quick bursts. Think:
- Essay Collections
- Short story anthologies
- Romance with tiny chapters
- Poetry Collections
These short reads are perfect for chaotic days (or entire seasons of life) when your brain can’t handle a 473-page chapter book (looking at you, fantasy novels).
Check out my favorite short reads:
- Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh (multiple times I’ve simultaneously peed my pants and snort-cried from laughing so hard. Please read this)
- King of the Mild Frontier, by Chris Crutcher (one of my favorites that I read with my dad)
- Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls and Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris
- Excuse Me As I Kiss the Sky, by Rudy Francisco (my absolute favorite poet at Button Poetry)
- The Thing Around Your Neck, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
6. End Your Day with a 5-Minute Reading Wind-Down
Similar to tip #1: this time we’re ending our day with reading in bed. Instead of scrolling on social media, which usually turns into longer than a 5 minute activity for me, try trading your scroll for some page turning. This quick swap of a bedtime reading habit can really lead to a lot of books being finished!
With just five minutes of reading, you’ll fall asleep faster and stop doomscrolling your anxiety into oblivion. Use your Kindle with a warm light setting instead? Even better.
In my opinion, a good romantasy is the ultimate adult bedtime story.
Tiny Habits, Big Impact
The secret to reading more isn’t finding more time—it’s using the time you already have with intention.
So next time you say, “I just don’t have time to read,” try one of these 5-minute habits. Small shifts can make a massive difference in your reading life.
Ready to level up your reading routine?
