Any of you ever got burnt out with reading?

[BlackKnightX]

I think I'm burnt out with reading. Nothing seems interesting to me anymore. It's not a depression per se, but I find more interest in anime and movie lately, and reading feels like a chore.

I used to read a lot, sometimes all day and all night long. I was obsessed, but now it's not fun anymore. It's like everything I read is subpar. It's like my standard has become so high. Ridiculously, stupidly high. Even the best of the best still can't meet it.

Any of you ever had this feeling? Should I get off reading for a while? How long does it usually take?

 

[SailusGebel]

Again?

 

[BlackKnightX]

Again?

Yeah. I didn't try getting off reading completely before, though. Somehow, I still managed to get a peek or two at something and ended up feeling the same...

 

[Generic.Archdemon]

How long does it usually take?

28 days

 

[BlackKnightX]

28 days

About a month, huh? What did you do during that time?

 

[DemonOppai]

It’s a natural progress.. rest your eyes while it last.. cause you’ll be back on the grind in no time..

there is no escape

 

[Generic.Archdemon]

About a month, huh? What did you do during that time?

I write more, than usual.
I learn a skill
I research a topic
I read non fiction
I design a boardgame

 

[StarrGaze]

Never. But I would never push it to pass faster if it did. I read because I enjoy it, I would just stop if I didn't. Invest your spare time in things that make you happy. Reading shouldn't be an obligation.

 

[BlackKnightX]

Reading shouldn't be an obligation.

Doesn't feel like it's an obligation at all. Just... disoriented is maybe the word for it. Suddenly not enjoying something you used to really enjoy sucks.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Absolutely. I finally got back into reading only last week after a year of not wanting to write or read.

 

[StarrGaze]

Suddenly not enjoying something you used to really enjoy sucks.

Ah, I see. I get that. Don't worry, it'll pass. In the meantime, a change of pace is not bad. If the other sources of entertainment make you happy, I'd say just stick with those for now. The books won't run away in the meantime lol. They'll still be here when you're ready.

 

[LilRora]

I definitely had that more than once. Like I want to read, but not matter what I try, I just can't keep reading for more than a couple chapters because it doesn't satisfy me. I don't know how much time it lasted for me , it's hard to keep track of those things. I usually just focused on other pastimes, like games, or learning random things, or writing.

 

[SailusGebel]

Read something different.

 

[Vnator]

Burnout like this happens with any really fun activity if you do it long and hard enough. Same thing has happened for me with modded Minecraft which can provide hundreds of hours with a single well made modpack.

You just need to spend some extended time away from it and do something else that's fun. So for you, watch some TV/Netflix, play some games (video or board), or maybe get out of the house and explore your neighborhood? Soon enough you'll be refreshed and ready to jump back in :)

 

[Corty]

Hmm, I never felt that. But since beginning to write I barely read anything as my time is spent on writing.

So my best advice start writing and soon you will miss reading

 

[Poleg]

I think I'm burnt out with reading. Nothing seems interesting to me anymore. It's not a depression per se, but I find more interest in anime and movie lately, and reading feels like a chore.

I used to read a lot, sometimes all day and all night long. I was obsessed, but now it's not fun anymore. It's like everything I read is subpar. It's like my standard has become so high. Ridiculously, stupidly high. Even the best of the best still can't meet it.

Any of you ever had this feeling? Should I get off reading for a while? How long does it usually take?

Overconsumption can lead apathy. You sound like you need a break.

 

[georgelee5786]

sometimes

 

[DeathDoesWonder]

I don't really get that feeling. If anything it's more like finding nothing to read instead. Once you've read for years, there's hardly any good novels left to read. And if there is, it probably has like 10 chapters only. So you're pretty much trying to read machine translated of novels that weren't picked up.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

I normally don't enjoy reading.
It's rare there's a story I'm interested in enough to binge read.
It's better if it's a picture book, like a comic.
Lately I have been playing videogames.

 

[TsumiHokiro]

I get burnout quite often and of quite a lot of things. It's quite common. You should stay away from the things that you can't stand, that's the best way to "recover". The scar recover faster when you don't try to do it repeatedly. When it comes to reading, I have grown out of reading quite a few genres that used to be interesting in the past, or should I say, I have grown tired of the perspective that writers regularly write.
It's better to give it some time, so people write more of that sweet honey you like to read, or others have time to grow out from the samey stuff that has become the norm during that year or two (people will frequently be fixated with something for a year or two if it's a theme that you have grown tired of. If it's something like Isekai you have grown tired of, tough luck, you have to wait 10 years for people to grow tired of it, or some 7 years until someone develops a sufficiently unique perspective and enough spin-offs of it have grown enough legs to be mature enough for them to be "independent" enough of the original for it to be a theme by itself.)

All in all, as they say, there's nothing that Time does not heal. With enough time, you will see that things have changed, you have re-interpreted old events into new ones plenty for even some old books to have a fresh new outlook, for new genres and formats to have emerged and authors migrated into themes they did not use to write. Stay away from the things you have grown bored with, else you are just going to make it all the worse.