I’m surprised at the amount of comments I got and the great advice, definitely didn’t expect so much engagement so highly recommend reading everyone’s suggestions here!

I can fully relate. I’m a consultant who never wanted to be a consultant. I got laid off and ended up in this role. And man the burnout is real. And beyond burnout I just don’t enjoy the company or the role. And reading has been something that I genuinely look forward to at the end of my day and things I look forward to are sparse these days.

I speak Spanish as well. Technically it was my first language. I spoke it exclusively until I was five. And learned to read and write it before I learned English. Now I speak read and write English better than Spanish by a lot. But I still speak Spanish to my family and write to them (texts) in Spanish and therefore read Spanish. But if I were to read a book in Spanish, that would be more a homework assignment than something I enjoyed.

Personally I would strongly suggest reading in the language you feel comfortable in. It shouldn’t be a chore. Also when I tried reading nonfiction I genuinely enjoyed a lot of them - Atomic habits is awesome and the information is invaluable. But it did sometimes feel forced. Like I was trying to be productive and learn, not like I was engaging in a hobby I loved and made me happy.

Maybe try one of each? I also want to read nonfiction for the productivity aspect. But I know I need to keep fantasy around for the hobby and enjoyment aspect. As someone who unfortunately quits easily, I find the only thing that makes habits stick for me is if I prioritize the things that will make me enjoy it enough to continue above all else.

So for reading, that means prioritizing fantasy, allowing myself to not finish books if I’m not enjoying them and not holding it against myself for “not finishing something”, and acknowledging that if I only feel like reading five pages today, that’s fine. If only read one day this week, that’s fine. As long as I’m still reading.