I really want to read again, but my brain won’t stay with the words
By Real Ray C on
One of my goals for 2026 was simple: read a few books. Nothing intense, nothing academic. Just sit down, read, and enjoy it like I used to. But lately, reading has been way harder than I expected, and it’s honestly discouraging.
I’ll read the same paragraph over and over, and it just doesn’t stick. The words are there, but the meaning slips away halfway through. Sometimes my thoughts interrupt, sometimes my focus fractures, sometimes it feels like the sentence loses coherence before I even finish it. I’ll turn a page and realize I have no idea what I just read.
What makes it frustrating is that I want to read. I want to learn, escape into stories, feel productive, feel normal. But my brain doesn’t always cooperate. Some days I can manage a few pages, other days even a short chapter feels overwhelming.
It messes with my confidence too. I catch myself thinking, “Why is this so hard?” or “I used to be smarter than this.” I know that’s not fair to myself, but it’s hard not to compare who I am now to who I used to be.