How to Focus on Reading

Distractions are an inescapable part of our bustling, technology-addicted lives. Whether it's the never-ceasing online clutter of ads, annoying pop-ups, cookie consent notifications, a packed Starbucks or the deluge of notifications our smartphones drown us with every day, we're in a constant struggle to focus on the task at hand. These distractions get in the way of our reading, and for the bibliophiles among us, there is nothing worse than being distracted while reading a much-loved book, so here are a few simple tips on how to focus on reading.

Get rid of on-screen distractions

When it comes to on-screen reading, Kindles are better than most alternatives. Not only are Kindles lighter and easy to carry, but they also have no screen glare and you'll be better off reading on a Kindle rather than a desktop or your laptop as you'll avoid ads, pop-ups, cookie consent notifications, and other super annoying distractions. 

Most websites have ads as it helps them keep their lights on, so if you do happen to read regularly on your computer, you should consider using an ad blocker. Chrome extensions such as Reader Mode are also great to improve your reading experience, this extension will remove the images on the page and display a neater, text-only version, allowing you to adjust the font size, style, and use a text-to-speech feature.

A helpful way to reduce eye-strain, and thus allow you to read longer on a screen, is to turn on Night Mode on your laptop or Mac as this will reduce the blue light emitted from the screen and the resulting strain on your eyes. 

If you're a reader accustomed to printed books and you're just reading your first book on a screen, you can try reading on free ebook websites that have a design that imitates pages of a real book, such as Bookmate.

If you're a regular Kindle reader, make sure the battery is fully charged so you won't have to put down your device in the middle of an absorbing chapter. 

Put your phone away (or on Do Not Disturb)

Frequent smartphone use is one of the biggest things that impede our ability to enjoy our favorite books in peace. We're all obsessed with our smartphones and whenever we get a notification, we often drop whatever we're doing instantly to pick our phone and check it out. These incessant notifications can take precious time away from reading, and we can often find it hard to unplug. To focus on your reading, you should go off the grid for a while and put your phone away (in another room or on charge) before you begin to read.

Alternatively, use the Do Not Disturb feature most smartphones have built into them these days, it's a great way to block unnecessary alerts and still be available in case of an emergency, as it allows contact-based and frequency-based exceptions, for example letting the second call from the same contact within 3 minutes to ring through. 

Set up goals and take frequent breaks

To keep yourself on track and motivated, setting up goals, and then incorporating small but frequent breaks into your reading plan is a wonderful strategy. Reading continuously without breaks can be exhausting and straining; you should explore the idea of taking a break for 15 minutes after every 45 minutes of reading or after you finish your next chapter. Whatever arbitrary goals you set, they will help provide some structure and help you keep track of your progress. You should use the well-deserved breaks in between your reading time to exercise, to reflect on what you've just read, take notes, or simply to close your eyes and relax.

Find a quiet, cozy spot & stick to a routine

If you do most of your reading indoors, finding a cozy, quiet spot away from the noise and people in your house, a spot where you won't hear the faint background speech from television or family conversations, and then sticking to a daily routine of reading can improve your reading pace and focus. This can be anything your schedule allows, for example, 30 mins a day of reading in the same spot, or more, depending on whatever you can manage. Make sure the spot you choose also has plenty of light.

Listen to soft, ambient music while reading

If you do most of your reading outdoors, such as at your local Starbucks during work breaks or while commuting, you'd know that concentrating on the book in your hand can be extremely challenging in such environments. Listening to music can be especially helpful in blocking out the noise around you in such cases. Instrumental, non-lyrical music can help drown out outside noise and help you focus while you read on your commute to work or at a busy cafe.

Explore Audiobooks

Audiobooks are especially handy for listening to lengthy books, convenient to listen to while doing house chores, ideal for remaining anonymous while reading on a crowded subway (if you're one of those people who worry others would judge you based on the book you're reading), and you can easily listen to an audiobook while lying in bed, at moments when you're too lazy to hold open a book or even your eyes. 

While there are no significant differences in terms of comprehension between listening and reading a book, reading and listening can often create varied experiences, especially in the case of fiction books. Listening to an audiobook can sometimes evoke a more emotional response as you're able to hear voice intonations, sarcasm, and even the sadness and joy in the characters' voices. On the other hand, when you're reading, you create a voice inside your head that leads you through the book you're reading, creating a more personal experience.

Whether we’re reading or listening, our minds wander occasionally, with reading, it's pretty easy to pick up at the same spot where you left, with audiobooks, it might take you a few seconds longer to get your bearings.

If you’ve never tried audiobooks before, now might be a great time to explore them with services like Audible and Scribd to see if they help improve your focus as compared to traditional print books and ebooks.