Are you reading enough? : Work-life balance for the bibliophile

I've often heard people say how work-life balance is a myth. The first time this concept was introduced to me was in a business class- and clearly we were learning some utopian concept, it may now seem
I'm still just in college- and I realise how difficult it becomes to have a balance between these two pillars of life, and yet there seems to be no definite solution as such. 

I chanced upon this article "8 ways to a work-life balance" at Reward.me site. This blogpost will elaborate on why the aticle was useful.
And it gives some really handy tips for the same: they may strike as obvious but we always fail to implement these- we need to be told time and again and again.

Two of those concepts, however, have an unprecedented relevance for us bibliophiles, we are always trying to get more time to read and our professional/academic obligations take priority- leaving us sad and guilty of not having read enough!

One of them is cut-off time. 
The virtual world has brought us fandoms together, and we can interact and squeee together, unlike ever before. We rejoice in this convenience. However, an evident drawback has been the opportunity cost of this time. The time spent uploading, chatting, commenting and updating status on facebook, instagram, twitter is time not devoted to reading. 

Image credits: mashable.com

Sometimes, we just need to make a choice: it is a simple decision to turn off your gadgets, unless it is a kindle, and just dig in the book, As I write this, I realise that I spend hours and hours on social media- one link leading to another- which I could have easily saved for reading. After all the deadline-induced tasks have been accomplished, all my reading time often goes waste. Because instagram.

Another of those tips is me-time. It is like repeating what had been said before. And it is similar to the concept of cut-off time. We definitely need to demarcate time intervals as me-time. This time will be for introspecton, journalising, indulging in any hobby, watching that hilarious show, or ofcourse, reading that book gathering dust on our shelves. I could have read 10 more books than I have this year, alone by cutting-off from social media. 

Less talking, more reading. Image credits: driftingpages.wordpress.com

I suggest no such extreme- cutting off entirely-no, but I certainly do realize that the evils of excess are showing their effects.
I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.

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The charm of reading in the rains

Monsoon has arrived. For us in India, monsoon connotes special somethings through its name alone. While for a rain-dependent agricultural nation, it heralds good news, it is also the most romanticized in popular culture. 
We always complain about the summers- nobody likes the scorching heat, we despise the winters for making us lazy among other things. But when it comes to rains, nobody can right away dismiss the charm. 

Even lesser beings like me, who are already messy and unbalanced, rains aren't very enjoyable, especially when you have to use the public transport. Bearing my belongings, which is obviously a book, I am often stranded at places. Umbrellas shield me, but more often than not I do not carry one lest the weight of my bag becomes unbearable. So yes- I am often stranded at places. I try to enjoy the rains, but when I am outdoors, I somehow just cannot let it go. 
However once home, I like it all- when I have to change into dry clothes, and enjoy the spectacle from indoors. Sometimes, when we are lucky we are also treated to the sight of the hues of a rainbow- and although the city structures don't let all colors bloom in their glory, we make do with whatever we have. 

There is something ethereal, an otherwordly feeling about sitting by the window, listening to the falling rain, and the smell of wet soil. Cliched as it may sound, it is even cathartic. Here's the books you can read when it rains to enhance your experience:

1. Harry Potter
The entire series, that's right. Seriously though, When is not the right time to catch up On your favoruite series?

2. The Great Gatsby

Yes- magic outside, magic inside: the magic of the opulence of the most tragic and beautiful story.

3. Memoirs of  Geisha

Now, I haven't read it yet- so next time it rains, i am definitely picking this one up. Romance, erotica, suspense- all in one, who could resist it, no?

4. Any Jane Austen Book
Pride and prejudice, Sense and sensibility, Emma: always is a good time to read 'em up! Or reread if you have already

To me, the sheer joy of reading snippets and quotes from my favourite classic is the best version of a rainy day read- do tell me yours in comments below!


This post is inspired from the post here.
When I thought about enjoying rains, reading was the first thing that came to my mind, hence the post! I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.

Follow for regular reviews, author interviews and bookish love: