How to Get Back Into Reading After a Slump (Short Attention Span)
How to get back into reading after a slump, when the real problem is your attention span: start with five pages a day, read on paper (or a basic e-reader) with your phone in another room, and read one chapter before you are allowed to scroll. Pick short, fast books, and track pages instead of finished books.
If you read the same paragraph three times and still have no idea what it said, Brainrot Test checks how cooked your focus is and gives you a 2-minute drill a day to rebuild it. Check my brainrot
Why reading feels impossible after TikTok
A reading slump (the meaning, if you are new: a stretch where you just cannot get into books) used to mean you were bored of your genre. Now it often means something else.
You loved reading at 12. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Wings of Fire, whatever. Then came the phone. Now you open a book and:
- Your eyes move but nothing goes in.
- You check your phone after half a page "just to see."
- The pace feels unbearably slow compared with 15-second clips.
- You feel guilty, which makes you avoid books more.
That is not you "not being a reader." Reading is a sustained-attention skill, and skills get rusty. After months of short-form content, your brain is used to a new hit every few seconds. A book asks for the opposite. The good news is that rust comes off.
Start embarrassingly small
Most reading slump tips say "read 20 minutes a day." For a fried attention span, that is too much on day one. You will fail, feel bad and quit.
Start at five pages a day. That is it. If you want to keep going, great. If not, five pages is a win.
Why tiny works:
- It is impossible to skip. Five pages takes a few minutes.
- It builds a streak. Streaks are motivating, ask any Duolingo owl.
- It grows naturally. Most people find five becomes ten within a week without trying.
Getting back into reading after years off? Same rule. Nobody is grading you.
Pick books that fight back against scrolling
The best books to get out of a reading slump are not the "important" ones. They are the ones that are hard to put down. Look for:
| What to look for | Why it helps | Examples of the type |
|---|---|---|
| Short chapters | Lots of natural "one more" moments | Thrillers, YA mysteries |
| Under 300 pages | Finishing feels possible | Novellas, short novels |
| Lots of dialogue | Moves fast, less dense | Rom-coms, contemporary YA |
| Hooks every chapter | Beats the scroll at its own game | Mystery, horror |
| Books you have read before | Zero effort, pure comfort | Your childhood favorites |
Some popular picks that fit this style: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (mystery, short chapters), One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (thriller, multiple narrators), and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (a short classic you might already know from school).
Rules for choosing:
- Pick what you would watch. If you love true crime TikTok, read a mystery.
- Drop books freely. 50 pages and still bored? Swap. No shame.
- Ignore BookTok pressure. A 700-page fantasy is not a slump book.
Build the phone-free reading spot
Your phone is the whole enemy here. Not metaphorically. If it is within reach, you will pick it up.
Set up a reading spot:
- Phone in another room, or at least across the room, face down, on silent.
- Paper or a basic e-reader, not a phone reading app with notifications.
- Same spot every time: a chair, the bus, the library, one end of the sofa. Your brain learns "this place = reading."
- A timer if needed. A kitchen timer, not your phone.
At uni or sixth form, the library is elite for this. Phones feel rude there, and that social pressure helps.
The one-chapter-before-the-scroll rule
This is the rule that does the heavy lifting: before you open any social app, you read one chapter. (Or five pages, if chapters are long.)
It works because:
- You are using the scroll as a reward instead of fighting it.
- It attaches reading to a habit you already have, dozens of times a day.
- It stops the scroll from being the default thing you do when you have a spare minute.
Try it at night especially: one chapter, then phone. Many people find that by the end of the chapter they do not even want the phone anymore. (If the nighttime scroll is your real enemy, see how to stop scrolling Reels.)
The frustrating part of a reading slump is not knowing if your focus is coming back or if you just had a good day. Brainrot Test takes the guessing out. A quick check-in finds your weak spot, then you do one 2-minute drill a day and watch a score that shows whether your attention is actually improving. Check my brainrot
Audiobooks, rereads and other cheat codes
Purists will say audiobooks "do not count." Ignore them. For getting back into reading books, anything that gets stories into your head counts.
Audiobooks
Great for commutes, walks and chores. Many public libraries in the US, UK and Canada lend audiobooks free through apps like Libby. Try listening to a chapter and then reading the next one on paper.
Rereads
Rereading a favorite is the ultimate warm-up. You know the story, so your brain relaxes into the act of reading.
Graphic novels and manga
Real reading, real stories, and fast. A brilliant bridge.
How to get back into reading with ADHD
If you have ADHD or think you might, the same tips apply, just more so: shorter sessions, audiobooks paired with the print book, fidget-friendly spots, and books with high momentum. Talk to a doctor if focus problems are affecting school or work, because they can help properly.
Track pages, not books
Goodreads challenges make people count books. For a slump, that is a trap. One chunky book in a month feels like failure.
Track pages per day instead. A simple tally in your notes app works:
- Mon: 5
- Tue: 8
- Wed: 0 (fine)
- Thu: 12
After two weeks, you will see the curve. That is how to get back into reading after a slump for real: small numbers that grow. Pair it with other attention fixes like grayscale mode and you stack the wins.
Get your focus score before the first chapter
Brainrot Test gives you a free check-in in your browser right now, with no download and no account needed to try. You get a score for how cooked your attention is, the weak spot behind it, and one 2-minute daily drill, so you can see your focus come back as your page count grows.
FAQ
How do I get out of a reading slump fast?
Pick a short, fast book you would genuinely enjoy (a thriller, a reread or a graphic novel) and commit to five pages a day with your phone out of the room. Small, easy wins end slumps faster than big goals.
What is a reading slump?
A reading slump is a period where you cannot get into any book, even ones you would normally love. It can come from burnout, boredom, stress or an attention span worn down by short-form content.
How do I get back into reading after years of not reading?
Start tiny, with five pages a day, and choose something short and gripping rather than a classic you feel you should read. Read on paper away from your phone, and track pages rather than books finished.
Why can't I focus on reading anymore?
Heavy short-form video use gets your brain used to fast rewards, so a slower book can feel hard to stick with. Sustained attention is a skill, and it usually improves with regular practice and fewer phone interruptions.
Do audiobooks count as reading?
For getting back into books, yes. They build the habit of following a long story, and pairing an audiobook with the print version is a great bridge back to reading on the page.