Reading every day with chronic illness

I love to read, it has been something I have loved since a child, curled up with my favourite teddy and a good book I would be happy for hours. But reading every day with chronic illness is not easy, and found one book could last months. I wanted that to change, and I used some tactics to ensure I can read more and faster, so let me share them and maybe they will also help you to regain your hobby.

Why does reading every day with chronic illness matter?

I was in my early twenties when I first became sick, I had worked hard for three years to train to be a nurse and had my first job for only a year. I was enjoying my time and starting to find my feet when everything had to change, and I suddenly found myself living back at home and unable to even take a shower alone. I tried so many different jobs hoping that I would be able to do something, and always upset when I discovered another avenue closed to me.

My mental health really suffered a lot in those first years, and I wasted a lot of my time online and barely sleeping. But as I started to accept that my life would look different to how I had imagined, I realised I needed to find new interests and hobbies that were more than just sitting online doing nothing.

It was then that I looked to the things I loved as a child for inspiration and remembered there had been a time when I had loved to read. Back then I had devoured a book easily in a day, but reading every day with chronic illness is very different. Pacing in an important part of managing our day so that we actively rest enough so that we do not cause flares. I quickly realised that this would also need to be applied when I was reading because in no time at all I would get a headache, get blurred vision and become fatigued.

Reading now looks very different to me, and I have to juggle how I do it so that I do not find myself struggling with my health. Getting out a book to curl up with should be enjoyable, not something that leaves you feeling ill. So, I had to look at my pacing course notes again and go through how I thought I could apply some of the skills they taught me there to this hobby.

Now, I read about four books at a time, at least one of them is usually a physical book, and the others I keep on kindle to read when I am able. Most books I choose are about my passion for witchcraft, but I tend to make sure at least one is fiction. I love to talk about books, and so I post a book review every month on my YouTube channel; it is usually a witchcraft book, but I do mention a lot how accessible to book is to those with chronic illnesses.

I like to jump from book to book because I get bored easily, though logically I know I would finish them faster if I just read one book at a time. Thankfully, I do tend to only read one fiction book because otherwise I do think I would get confused about who was who and what was happening. I can cope with reading a couple of witchcraft books though as long as they are about different things.

It is important to me to read every day with chronic illness so that it gives me a break from screens, but it also gives me a break from my thoughts. I do practice mindfulness as you know, so I can let my thoughts pass by without letting them crowd me out of the moment quite well.

However, once I am deep into a book I find it so much easier to use my imagination to let the book take me away from any triggering thoughts or pain I may be experiencing. Studies have shown that reading more than once per week will experience less cognitive decline, live longer, have less stress and reading before bed can even help you sleep.

How do I read every day?

• Pacing – Yes, even curling up with a good book needs to be factored into your time when you have chronic illnesses. You cannot ignore that using your eyes, holding the book or device, and using your brain all use up energy. So, when planning your day, make sure you have rest breaks included either side and sometimes even during your reading.
• A little at a time – This is important too; you need to read a smaller amount at a time. I usually read a chapter of a book every day. One chapter I find is more than enough usually to finish a book in a month as most are shorter than that. On days when I am struggling, I find reading to subheadings or a number of paragraphs I have decided on before starting is enough. This is important too, as I find I will constantly thing one more paragraph unless I have already chosen a stopping point.
• Audiobooks count – I don’t have many audiobooks, however, there are a lot of books to be found on YouTube as audiobooks. I love to listen to channels like Get Sleepy, Soothing Pod, Sleep stories, and down to sleep. As you can tell, I tend to use these when I am resting or sleeping rather than to just listen to them. However, if you find yourself preferring audiobooks then that is still reading!
• Let go – It can be so easy to get lost in a book or read more than the amount of reading you had allotted yourself for the day. However, reading more just because you feel ok now can quickly turn into a flare of symptoms because you read too much. Let go of that societal pressure to overachieve and don’t pressure yourself if you are unable to read as much as you had hoped or at all. I often need to skip a day due to my health and that is perfectly okay, it is a hobby and should be enjoyable not something that becomes pressure.
• Use reading aids – there are many aids out there to help us readers with chronic illnesses. These range from stands to hold the book for you, large magnifiers, and even book openers that you slip onto your thumb and stop your hand aching. So, look around and choose something that will suit your needs.

I really hope that you will find these tips help you to get back to reading every day with chronic illness. I know we often pressure ourselves and feel it from society and those around us as well. But taking some time to read can be such a lovely break and something that we can enjoy even if we have to find new ways to make it work. Let me know what you are currently reading in the comments.

Thank you xx

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