Do you have any tips on getting the motivation to read books without meds and the like?
Am an AuADHDer and while I can generally read books fine, the issue is that I struggle to get around to reading them in the first place.
(No audiobook suggestions please, my audio processing disorder makes audiobooks unusable for me)
Oh god if there are any tips that work, I don't have 'em, sorry 😭 I'm CHRONICALLY bad at sitting down to read, it just takes a lot of effort that my brain often isn't willing to put in, especially because it can't be done while multi-tasking like so many of my other pass-times.
Considering you don't have issues reading once you get into it, it sounds like what you're struggling with is task switching, which is one of the most common struggles for people with ADHD (including me). You know you want to do an activity, but you can't compel your brain to let go of the activity you're doing currently to switch focus. And before you know it, you've been paralyzed in the midst of switching focus so long that now it's too late to do the task you wanted to do.
Here are my best tips to tackling this:
1.) Setting a designated time for reading. Set an alarm, multiple if need be. Treat it like any other focused task, set a time where you'll say "okay, I'm going to read" and stick to it. Highly recommend setting a time when your brain isn't too active that it'll be under-stimulated, so either in the morning before you've started your day, or at night when you're trying to wind down for sleep. Ideally the goal is to pick a time you can look forward to reading.
2.) Associate the act of reading with a simple (and healthy) reward system. Though not reading, I've been finding that cooking has become a lot more fun because my husband and I have started watching shows together while we eat. So while I'm cooking, I know that I have a couple episodes of a TV show to look forward to; and if I'm not looking forward to the show, I know I have a good meal to look forward to, along with quality time with my husband. So find something to associate reading with that allows you to look forward to it - maybe you can drink some hot chocolate while you read at night before bed, or maybe you can read while taking a nice relaxing bath. If there's a task you already don't need to think twice about doing because you're naturally compelled to do it without much effort, find some way to incorporate reading into that task.
3.) When it comes time to Do the Thing™️, if you find yourself paralyzed with the thought of switching tasks, take a deep breath and say to yourself out loud, "I'm going to read now". This can help get the thought out of your brain and into reality, which can help you actually commit to it better than if it was just trapped in your mind amidst all your other thoughts where things tend to feel chaotic and unmanageable.
4.) Keep your time intervals short and build up from there if needed. Remind yourself that this isn't an activity that needs to take all day, it can just be for 10 or 20 minutes. Best case, you'll eventually be able to read for longer periods, worst case, you're still reading, even if it's only a little bit at a time.
5.) Switch up your environment. The reason we often read so well in school just to fall out of practice as an adult is because in school, we had designated areas to read in, the classroom, the library, etc. So next time you want to read, go somewhere that promotes reading. A library, a cafe, a different room in your house, wherever, so long as it's a place you can sit and read without distraction. If you read in the same place you scroll on your phone or play video games, then your brain is only going to associate that space with those higher-engagement activities and won't want to spend time in that space reading.
6.) Find accountability / parallel play buddies to read with. Join a book club or even a fan server for the book you're reading. Even if you can't participate right away out of fear of spoilers, you can still look forward to reading it because now you know other people are reading it, and they'll be around to chat with you about it once you've caught up. And best case scenario, if you're in a book club or group that's just beginning to read the same book together, now you have a group of pals to experience it with, which can make it far more motivating and fun to participate than if you were just trying to compel yourself on your own to do it.
7.) During times where you might not be doing anything else anyways - especially times that might end up getting eaten up by watching reels or doomscrolling - get into the habit of reading to fill that time. If you're on the bus and won't get motion sick, read. If you're waiting for your food at a restaurant, read. Again, even if it's only a few minutes at a time, do what you can to sneak in some reading.
8.) One seemingly silly but often cited trick that I often use myself is to keep my shoes on while I'm doing tasks. I know that sounds super silly, but the thing is, a lot of us tend to associate the process of getting "undressed" (even if it's just getting out of our Outside Clothes and into our Home Clothes) with the activities we do most often and enjoy doing. For me, if I go outside to run errands at any point, as soon as my shoes are off and I'm wearing my hoodie and sweatpants, I'm not doing anything else that day but sitting on my computer and working on comics and art, posting on Tumblr, playing video games, etc. But if I keep my shoes on? I'm gonna be way more compelled to actually get certain tasks done - dishes, laundry, etc. - because it's like my brain is still On and can do those things I wouldn't be able to do after I'm settled in at my desk. I mean, I'm not gonna be able to settle in while wearing my boots, so if that's the only time I can get these tasks done, so be it! Obviously doing dishes and laundry are actual chores which reading books shouldn't be, but when you have ADHD, any and all tasks and activities feel like chores. So it might be a trick worth trying next time you want to read but struggle to switch to doing while you're dressed in your usual fit that's already associated with other activities.
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Outside of all that above advice, there's a channel I love watching on Youtube - How to ADHD - that often covers this exact topic, I highly recommend you check them out!
Task switching can be uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth trying to overcome especially when it comes to doing activities you really want to do but can't compel your brain to do them. It goes without saying that habit-forming for people with ADHD is 10x harder than it is for neurotypical people, but you can still form good habits. It just takes repetition, time, and most of all, adapting that task to work with your brain, not against it. Throwing yourself at a wall to try and force yourself to do something the way you think a neurotypical person would - because that's what neurotypical people have told you or implied for years through how easy they make it look - isn't going to solve anything, but that doesn't mean you can't form your own tricks and tactics that work for your brain.
I hope some of the above tips help you out, or maybe give you ideas for how you can approach task-switching! Good luck!
