I Have Come Up With A Better Metaphor Than “you Can’t Pour From An Empty Cup” For Burnout. You

how to start reading again

from someone who was a voracious reader until high school and is now getting back into it in her twenties.

start with an old favourite. even though it felt a little silly, i re-read the harry potter series one christmas and it wiped away my worry that i wasn't capable of reading anymore. they are long books, but i was still able to get completely immersed and to read just as fast as i had years and years ago.

don't be afraid of "easier" books. before high school i was reading the french existentialists, but when getting back into reading, i picked up lucinda riley and sally rooney. not my favourite authors by far, but easier to read while not being totally terrible. i needed to remind myself that only choosing classics would not make me a better or smarter person. if a book requires a slower pace of reading to be understood, it's easier to just drop it, which is exactly what i wanted to avoid at first.

go for essays and short stories. no need to explain this one: the shorter the whole, the less daunting it is. i definitely avoided all books over 350 pages at first and stuck to essay collections until i suddenly devoured donna tartt's goldfinch.

remember it's okay not to finish. i was one of those people who finished every book they started, but not anymore! if i pick up a book at the library and after a few chapters realise i'd rather not read it, i just return it. (another good reason to use your local library! no money spent on books you might end up disliking.)

analyse — or don't. some people enjoy reading more when they take notes or really stop to think about the contents. for me, at first, it was more important to build the habit of reading, and the thought of analysing what i read felt daunting. once i let go of that expectation, i realised i naturally analyse and process what i read anyway.

read when you would usually use your phone. just as i did when i was a child, i try to read when eating, in the bathroom, on public transport, right before sleeping. i even read when i walk, because that's normally a time i stare at my screen anyway. those few pages you read when you brush your teeth and wait for a friend very quickly stack up.

finish the chapter. if you have time, try to finish the part you're reading before closing the book. usually i find i actually don't want to stop reading once i get to the end of a chapter — and if i do, it feels like a good place to pick up again later.

try different languages. i was quickly approaching a reading slump towards the end of my exchange year, until i realised i had only had access to books in english and that, despite my fluency, i was tired of the language. so as soon as i got back home i started picking up books in my native tongue, which made reading feel much easier and more fun again! after some nine months, i'm starting to read in english again without it feeling like a huge task.

forget what's popular. i thought social media would be a fun way to find interesting books to read, but i quickly grew frustrated after hating every single book i picked up on some influencer's recommendation. it's certainly more time-consuming to find new books on your own, but this way i don't despise every novel i pick up.

remember it isn't about quantity. the online book community's endless posts about reading 150 books each year or 6 books in a single day easily make us feel like we're slow, bad readers, but here's the thing: it does not matter at all how many books you read or what your reading pace is. we all lead different lives, just be proud of yourself for reading at all!

stop stressing about it. we all know why reading is important, and since the pandemic reading has become an even more popular hobby than it was before (which is wonderful!). however, there's no need to force yourself to be "a reader". pick up a book every now and then and keep reading if you enjoy it, but not reading regularly doesn't make you any less of a good person. i find the pressure to become "a person who reads" or to rediscover my inner bookworm only distances me from the very act of reading.

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i hope that in 2025 u get to take more walks, read more books, connect with more people whom u love and who love u, achieve ur goals (even if ur goals are having no goals and just living in the moment), exercise fun hobbies, move from a place of self-direction, and weave together a beguiling assortment of beautiful little moments. remember that no feeling lasts forever. love u

Dear world,

Today I address you with an urgent and moving appeal from the heart of suffering. I am Ahmed Abu Shamala, and I am trying my best to collect donations for my family who lives in the Gaza Strip, where they are suffering from famine and all forms of genocide.

Thanks to God, I was able to collect 10% of the required amount, but we are still very far from our goal. The small percentage of donors makes hope weak, but I believe in your generosity and kindness.

My family, like many families in Gaza, suffers from poverty, hunger, and constant danger. We urgently need your help. Your donations will help save the lives of my loved ones, and give them a chance at a dignified and safe life.

I ask you to open your hearts and contribute what you can to save a suffering family. Every amount, no matter how small, makes a big difference.

You can donate through

gofundme.com

Donate to Help the Abu Shammalah Family Find Safety and Rebuild, organized by Ahmed Abushammala

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Strangers, I am writing to… Ahmed Abushammala needs your support for Help the Abu Shammalah Family Find

Thank you to everyone who will contribute to saving innocent lives. Together, we can make a difference.

May God reward you.

Verified by @el-shab-hussein , @ibtisams 🙏

@sar-soor @appsa @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @marnota @el-shab-hussein @sayruq @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @vivisection-gf @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @ibtisams @animentality @kordeliiius @communistchilchuck @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @the-bastard-king @tamarrud @4ft10tvlandfangirl @queerstudiesnatural @northgazaupdates2 @90-ghost @skatehan @awetistic-things @gentl3manly @baby-girl-aaron-dessner

who are you now

people always talk about leaving comments on ao3 like it's a nice thing to do, or the best way to encourage writers to keep writing, or overall like it's how you Do Your Part in fandom

and yeah, all those things are true, but having spent the past few months leaving enthusiastic comments on as many things as i can, i have a different perspective

you should leave comments on fics because it's fun

taking the time to stop and focus on what i like about a story has made me way more aware of what's going on in stories and what i like about them. there's bit more actual comprehension and appreciation and not just beaming content into my eyes to fill time

i like noticing cool little things in fics, or riffing on funny events. i've never been very good at speculating or picking apart characters, but sometimes something clicks and it rocks.

and of course it's pretty nice when you get a response and it's clear you've made another person happy

so yeah, you should leave comments for your own sake, too. it makes reading better!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 .. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟕𝟔 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 .. 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 🍉🕊️☮️

•|| 𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙂𝙖𝙯𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖, 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙖 𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙮𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮.

𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙋𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚. 𝙒𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩.

Nomad esims are needed!!!!

Urgent 🚨 🚨

My mother makes us bread despite the difficult situation and the lack of necessities of life 😔

The war has entered its ninth month and everything is getting worse 💔

Please help me get my family out of there and protect them from war and bombing🙏🙏

gofundme.com

Donate to Help Ahmed family to travel to a save place, organized by Alaa Al khateeb

Hello everyone My name is Ahmed I'm from Gaza, i am engineer I created… Alaa Al khateeb needs your support for Help Ahmed family to trav