Hey guys, 

I’ve been MIA for a while, longer than expected or intended. Unfortunately work became unbearable these past couple of months and I was struggling opening up a book, or even touching the keyboard to write. I’ve stressed myself to a point I was not able to rest (and I still do) and no book could help me forget about it.  

So I’ve experienced the most awful reading slump I’ve ever had to deal with. I could not, for the love of God, find a book to keep my interest longer than 3 minutes. After the first few pages, I would switch to a game similar to Candy Crush. My mind would not allow me to focus on anything else. Psychologically, it was painful and it still is. I know I should seek professional help in these situations and I am very aware that with every emotional crisis it gets harder to come back, but so far I can still face them.  

After slowly recovering from this ugly phase, I have a few advices that worked for me and that maybe would work for you as well: 

1. Admit you have a problem: this is the beginning of any healing process. I admitted I had a problem concentrating on my reading which, initially fueled my stress levels even more. E-mails were  piling up, deadlines were not met. I was a failure! Ok, fine. What was I going to do about it? I took a step back and decided to ride the wave for a while.  
2. Keep reading: it may not be the next book on your TBR, but at least continue reading. I read articles online and even a non-fiction book. I read cooking books, magazines, anything that would keep me connected to reading 
3. Start doing something else: draw, play games, do random stuff. My sewing classes kept my mind away from my reading slump and thus I avoided becoming even more pessimistic or absorbed by it. 
4. Watch Booktube: believe me, this actually works. You may not be in the mood to read a book or to read book reviews, but hearing someone else talk about books or show off their recent purchases is great! It made me so eager to buy books and talk about them. My favorite booktubes became my inspiration. And I will talk about them soon on my blog.  
5. Start planning your comeback: it doesn’t have to be strong, it doesn’t have to be all at once. Plan, write articles and see how that go. So far, for me it looks good.  

Well my friends, this is all I wanted to share with you at the moment. Reading slumps are ugly as hell, mental blockage is ugly as hell, but there are some simple steps to take to find the light again. Let me know in the comments below how did you deal with your last reading slump, if you have experienced one, and how long it lasted. 

Until next time, Happy Reading!