Top Ten Tuesday: Things Getting in the Way of Reading

By: Leah

Originally posted on Leah’s Books.

While I would love to spend all day lounging around on the couch/bed/other comfortable spot and reading all day, life has other things in mind. This week’s topic is all about the things that get in the way of reading, and take up my time. Obviously, time that could be better spent reading, but what can I say? My attention span is short and I’m easily distracted. Here’s some things I’m doing when I’m not reading:

1. Chores. As much as I despise doing chores, they have to get done regularly, or the work just gets worse. So this definitely cuts into my reading time.
2. Healthcare appointments. This is a regular part of life for me as a disabled person with multiple health issues, so every week usually involves multiple health-related appointments. These can be stopping at the pharmacy, going to the doctor, or going for physical therapy.
3. Jewish holidays. Last week I went to a little festival that was being held for a Jewish holiday, and there’s another holiday coming up next week. While they’re fun, they’re usually pretty draining on my limited energy, so it takes me a day or two to catch up and feel like myself again afterwards.
4. Social media. Obviously following up on social media posts and keeping up on world events takes up some of my time. More if I get caught in a TikTok black hole, and I’m pretty sure any of you on TikTok know what I’m talking about.
5. Cooking. I do enjoy cooking, but I’m also responsible for doing the cooking at home, so it takes a little bit of my time each day.
6. Playing with my dogs. I have three of the most spoiled, adorable, sweet chihuahuas in the world (I’ll admit, I might be biased), and I spend some of my time hanging out and cuddling with them every single day. One of them is a total princess, and she demands a stress-relieving massage every night before bed.
7. Making lists. I love to make lists, and it helps me keep track of things, like what I need to do. Part of my health issues make it hard for me to remember things, so I always have to write things down. If I didn’t have a daily to-do list, I’d struggle to recall everything that has to get done.
8. Proofreading. I mean, I guess this counts as reading, technically. But it’s different from regular reading, because I’m not scanning, and reading much more thoroughly than normal to catch any errors.
9. Learning a language. I can speak Spanish pretty well, but I practice it daily just to keep things fresh. I’ve also been trying to learn Hebrew, but it’s super hard to learn.
10. Watching TV. I don’t watch much TV, but occasionally I’ll get sucked into a good show. I usually watch shows while writing my reviews, but there are some shows that I’ll sit down and watch with my mom.

What are some things that get in the way of your reading?