7 Ways to Take a Readcation and Why

I took a 7 day readcation last year, and it has been one of the best and brave decisions of 2019.

I thought now would be a good time to share how I did it and what I learnt from it, considering how we are restricted to our homes due to the COVID pandemic. It is a difficult time, and we have many things to deal with mentally and physically. However, books have this magical ability to ward off troubling thoughts, and if you feel like, you could indulge in a small readcation for yourself, perhaps just over the weekend. So what if you can’t take that flight? You can always travel into farther lands that are more more magical!

Reading books is best done in long blocks of time. But more often that not, we have to make do with reading in smaller pockets of time — when we are in our commutes or when we’re having lunch. I had been musing about taking a readcation, where I would do nothing but just read books. I finally did that last year, where we had two public holidays in the vicinity of a weekend.

Duration: 7 days

How to do it:

1. Check your calendar and plan your readcation when you can get a big chunk of time — when public holidays fall near the weekend, during long holidays, etc.

2. Block time exclusively for reading. Stock up on snacks and make sure coffee is always a brew away. Get comfortable in your space. You may not head out of your house for days. Tell others you will be exclusively reading during this period of time.

3. Make a list of books to read or choose what you feel like reading in the moment from your TBR pile. Finishing a particular book may make you feel like picking up a similar one, go ahead with it. You might start reading one poetry book and end up picking all the ones by the author. If you don’t like a book, put it down. Go for a wide range of genres.

4. Write a small note about how you felt after reading each book. What emotions did the author draw out? What important lessons did you take away? Any favourite quotes? If it’s a non-fiction book, take it further and make a mind-map. Writing down what I felt after reading a book is really important to me. When I read these notes at a later point of time, in a way it takes me back to what I was going through then and how the book impacted or helped me through those situations.

5. Minimise time on Social Media. I made an attempt to stay away from Social Media, but won’t say I was entirely successful at it. I did post my readcation story updates on Instagram after all. Social media posts decrease your attention span, and books demand extended attention periods. If you are constantly switching between the two, it will make it difficult to read continuously.

6. Most importantly, have fun. After all, Readcation = read + vacation. You don’t have to pack or get dressed for this vacation!

7. I would say switch your posture while reading every now and then, but who am I to preach, I got a neck sprain at the end of seven days, because I was reading from the time I woke up to the time I slept.

What I learnt –

1. Reading books at a stretch from start to finish makes for an immersive experience. I cried my eyes out while reading ‘A Man Called Ove’, and I wonder if I would have been on the same emotional roller coaster had I read it sporadically over smaller intervals.

2. You form connections between all the books you read. Greater the associations formed in your mind, greater the chance that you’ll remember what you read in the long run.

3. When there is no pressure of all the other things that usually demand your attention, reading is a much better experience. It is akin to reading as a carefree kid, I guarantee you!

4. Poetry is best started on a lazy afternoon and finished with a hot cup of coffee in the evening.

5. There are so many take-aways from short stories and children’s books. I fear my notes on them were longer than the books themselves.

6. I had to fight my instant gratification monster — I would sometimes feel like reading smaller books, finishing them and raising the count of books I read, but I had to tell myself to not do too much it.

My readcation was one of the best and brave decisions I have taken. Brave, because I had plenty of important things to do during that time, but I consciously decided to block off the time and dedicate it solely for books. Best decision because I gave my adult self an experience I thought I would only have as a retired old granny. I’m glad I did it young, instead of waiting for old age!

Books I Read:

Happy Reading everyone! Stay safe and take care :)

Do let me know which books you would read if you decide to take a Readcation! I’m always on the lookout for good book recommendations :)