Little Habits That Help You Scroll Less (and Read More Without Forcing It)
Have you ever picked up your phone to check one thing… and suddenly it’s 30 minutes later?
I have.
Most of us don’t spend hours scrolling because we planned to. We do it because our phones are incredibly good at making the easiest choice feel automatic.
I’ve realized something over the last few months: if I want to read more books, I don’t actually need more motivation.
I need fewer distractions.
Instead of trying to “have more discipline,” I’ve started making tiny changes that make reading easier and scrolling just a little harder. None of these habits are dramatic, but together they’ve helped me reach for a book more often than my phone.
Here are the habits I’m trying this season.
1. Make Your Phone Slightly More Annoying to Use
One of the best changes I’ve made is installing the One Sec app.
Instead of opening Instagram (or another app) instantly, One Sec adds a short pause before it launches. It sounds almost too simple to matter, but that tiny interruption is often enough to make me ask:
“Do I actually want to open this… or am I just bored?”
Many times I close the app before it even loads.
Not because scrolling is bad—but because I didn’t actually choose it.
2. Put Your Phone Somewhere That Requires Standing Up
Your environment shapes your habits more than your willpower.
When I get home, I try to leave my phone:
- in a kitchen drawer
- on the charger across the room
- in another room entirely
- even inside a basket by the door
If my phone is next to me on the couch, I’ll reach for it without thinking.
If it’s twenty feet away?
Suddenly grabbing my current book sounds much easier.
3. Keep Your Current Book Visible
Books hidden on a shelf don’t get read.
Leave one:
- beside your favorite chair
- on your coffee table
- in your purse
- by your bed
- in your car while waiting for pickup
The easier it is to grab, the more likely you are to read a page or two.
Those pages add up.
4. Replace One Scroll With Ten Pages
You don’t have to stop using social media.
Just trade one scrolling session for ten pages.
That’s it.
Ten pages usually takes around 15–20 minutes, and it’s amazing how often ten pages turns into thirty.
5. Create a Cozy Reading Ritual
Reading becomes easier when it feels like something you look forward to.
Maybe that’s:
- making a cup of tea or coffee
- lighting a candle
- wrapping up in your favorite blanket
- turning on a reading light
- sitting outside for fifteen minutes
You’re not just reading.
You’re creating a moment you’ll want to return to.
6. Give Yourself Permission to Quit Books
One reason people stop reading is because they feel guilty quitting a book they’re not enjoying.
Life is too short.
If a book isn’t working after a fair chance, set it down.
The best reading habit is continuing to read—not forcing yourself through books you dread picking up.
7. Listen Instead of Scroll
Not every reading session has to involve sitting still.
Audiobooks count.
Listen while you:
- walk
- fold laundry
- drive
- cook dinner
- clean the house
Those ordinary moments can easily become extra reading time.
If you are interested in supporting our independent bookstore and listen to audiobooks, the app Libro.fm works just like audible, but when you sign up online and select Paper & Vine Book Bar and use code SWITCH, we will get a portion of the proceeds from your listens and you will get two free audios. Win win!
I've been personally using the app over a year, and I love it.
Libro.fm here to learn more if you are interested in supporting local.
8. Protect the First and Last 15 Minutes of Your Day
Many of us begin and end the day looking at our phones.
Try replacing just one of those windows with reading.
Fifteen minutes before bed.
Fifteen minutes with your morning coffee.
You might be surprised how quickly that becomes your favorite part of the day.
Small Changes Add Up
Reading more isn’t usually about finding huge blocks of free time.
It’s about making tiny decisions that gently point you toward the life you want.
One less scroll.
One more chapter.
One more quiet evening.
That’s enough.
If you’re looking for a simple place to start, I created a free “Read More, Scroll Less” weekly printable to help you build these habits one week at a time. Print it out, keep it somewhere you’ll see it, and check off the little wins. They may seem small, but over time they can completely change your reading life.
Here’s to filling our days with more stories, and a little less scrolling.
