@@johnmanole4779 No, I watched the video and couldn't stop thinking about reading my book so I didn't really get what she was saying most of the time, so you helped me lol
@@britneynicolewrites yeah, its an app where you plant a tree in your ever expanding land from variety of trees. Its addictive, so you will plant more trees to get coins and the more time you spend offline the more you get. If you close the app from the background, the tree would get withered. Plus if you score 2500 coins, you can plant an actual tree, which is done by the company.
In Addition to Your wonderful Tips, I also wanna recommend to watch a Video called "BOOKSTORES: How to read more Books in the Golden Age of Content" by Max Joseph, were Max is not only visiting the most beautiful Bookstores in Western Europe and America but also meeting a lot of interesting People, that helped him to find out how to get more Time & Focus on Reading again. A true Masterpiece of Educational Content & also the biggest Loveletter to Reading Books, I probably could ever remember. 😁✌
For those, like me, that need the information a bit more detailed step by step within each step but still compressed. 1) Stop multitasking/limit distractions (tech not needed in another room/on silent) 2) "Meditative reading", allowing the mind to wander. // (word and task vomit before reading to curb the connections starting to work during reading time.) keep a notebook nearby for anything else that might come up. 3) Unlocking "flow state". (eliminate distractions/do the above mentioned = creating a ritual signals to your brain that sensory trigger means focus mode = habit formed (over time/consistency).) Good luck, you got this! I believe in you!
What helped me this month was cutting off IG/TikTok/Twitter/Reddit from my life. Last month I only read ONE BOOK and one manga saga so I knew things had to change for me, but that was difficult since I primarily read on my phone. If something important in pop culture has happened, my friend's gonna text me. Otherwise I have never felt more alive after cutting off social media completely.
Interesting, Leonie from Book Leo just made a video about focus and attention span (and how it's not really true, that we have shorter attention spans that we used to). This is a perfect combo, with yours talking less about the reasons, and more about "here is what you can do about it".
Haha yes! I also thought this was a nice coincidence 🙂 Although... perhaps Leonie and Merphy had a secret, candlelit meeting at Booktube Manor where they planned this. A transatlantic collaboration
it is also not the firts time this happens! they had the idea of the impact of social media in reading almost at the same time 2 months ago. either they are incredibly in sync or they are indeed collaborating behind our backs! 😂
Sometimes I think Book Leo is just trying to make herself feel better about just not being interested in some of the stuff she's read through the years. It's okay for tastes to change throughout our lives, so it's been a real journey seeing how this is just as true for big YT readers who have made a "job" out of reading.
For me, my 'escape' has always been my horse. There is nothing more relaxing for my mind then taking my horse for a long slow ride thrugh the mountain paths. But even just being around my horse automatically makes my feel at ease, even though several of the tasks I need to do are fysically hard (heavy lifting, shoveling, moving full wheelbarrows, etc). When I read I have found that I need some low volume sound to really relax into a book. Ambiance sounds/music or even just my fav band playing on a low vol. in the background helps me alot
Another tip I'd like to add: "Read what you like" In my case, I tend to read a book faster if I like it (it's my genre, the writing style fits with me, a book I genuinely want to read for a long time).
Great video. Some of the tips that are applicable to reading High Literature (Classics) can really apply here 1) SLOW DOWN. Feast on the words. Understand the words. Reread if needed or if you want. Take notes. (Almost any book worth reading at all is worth reading slowly and rereading, even if you are reading and comparing thoughts with other people... if the book is worth anything at all...that person will like to discuss it with you even AFTER they finished the book) 2) Break up your reading into bits that are digestible in small amounts and taking longer over all to read the book is a GREAT way to read a book.
Great Tips, one thing that helped me stay more focussed is to use the Pomodoro technique, not so much for the taking breaks part but more so just for starting a timer of ~30min and just saying to myself i will just keep reading until it rings. That frees my mind from constantly thinking after each passage or chapter about whether i should stop and maybe check messages for a moment. Just read until it rings and then stop at the next best point.
I do this too when I just want to read for a set time, it really helps. I have also been putting on Reading Sprints live or old replay ones when I have more down time like the weekend. I read when the timer is on and do house hold tasks when they talk. This way I am productive as well as enjoying reading.
Ability to focus is largely a trained talent. Removing distractions when you are reading is one thing, but to emphasize her larger point, we all need to reduce the distractions the rest of the time as well. That constant stimulation becomes an addiction. Break that addiction . . . I say while eating breakfast listening to this UA-cam video. (We all have to improve.) I have a rather productive writer friend. When I text her, I prepare for a many hour wait for a response. Sometimes a day or two. Why? Because she turns off her phone for huge blocks of time. And she says that she will probably only answer on days that have a T in their name. Her phone is off Monday, Wednesday, Friday. :) For working folks, that's tough to do during the work day, but we can all learn from her practice.
Something that's important to note: Childrens'/YA literature is designed for a child's shorter attention span! They're designed to be short, to draw you in, and to keep you hooked. Not that adult fiction doesn't do that; but it isn't as concerned with making sure you're concentrating (it kind of assumes you already are). It's not that the internet is ruining our brains or anything; it's that adult lit doesn't make the effort to actively draw our attention, the way that social media or childrens' lit does. I often hear people say that it's way easier to reread their childhood faves rather than read new books, and that's probably a big part of the reason why!
yess i feel like this is the easiest way to get back into reading as an adult and then slowly build up to more "boring" and by that i mean complex books or things with less hand holding that you have to really pay attention to, starting with old classics or super dense reads make it impossible, i started getting back into books with the handmaids tale which was roughhhh so then i went back down to the maze runner boks and had a way better time.
Thanks, because my brain is busy ALL. THE. TIME. and I've tried everything to calm it down and i think this is the reason why i like to read on my phone than looking at a book at a bookstore.
Merphy, you have no idea how much I needed this video. I have been so unfocused. And there are so many books I have bought and want to consume. Thanks!
Thank you for this video. My ability to sit and just read, fiction, non-fiction, study…all of it…seems to be nearly obliterated. The routine part is something I’ve been working on to create a kind of spiritual/ritual space in my life. Put everything away from the day, light incense, meditate for 10 min. But I really haven’t applied the same thing to studying/reading. So thank you again for that reminder that routine is important to create the headspace needed for any kind of concentration.
Wonderful tips here! Very cool how things like "flow state" seem to come up in our lives in clusters, almost like the universe is trying to tell us something!
I can agree with this A LOT!! I read on my kindle (dark mode) for a couple hours every night. I have much better focus because I'm in the dark and I don't look at my phone. I can get very immersed into the story. I'm definitely going to put my phone in another room and turn on a special ring tone for my kids if/ when they text.
I really appreciate that my commute to work on public transit gives me structured reading time every day at the same time. But yeah, at home, it’s SO hard to just focus on reading with everything else happening
I usually get distracted with stuff at home when I try to read there, but I take a bus to and from work so I do most of my reading there now. I’m getting through books faster now reading them there since I don’t have the home distractions. 😂 So I guess my advice is just, go out of the house to read if possible. Whether it’s a park, cafe or just your backyard. Remove yourself from the distractions rather than removing the distractions.
I actually can enter flow state reading if i put a timer and have a notebook. Timer allows me to not worry about reading too much time, what can worry me if i have other things to do. And notebook to not forget some ideias. Doing both, its amazyng
This video is definitely helping me! Im addicted like crazy to my phone, and sometimes that takes away from when I’m reading. I’m definitely gonna do better at removing distractions when I read. Thanks for this video!
just earlier today I was annoyed with myself how unfocused I have become, especially while reading. And of course I did other things while watching this video ... But good timing for that! I need to find a way that works for me 🙂
Merphy, this was so helpful. I'm not on most social media apps but can still get distracted by my phone. Will definitely be implementing things you mentioned in this video. More focus is always welcomed. 😊
Another perfectly timed video! I told myself I would read last night and doom scrolled for an hour, so this video was a sign for me to reset my priorities!
Merphy, this is great! I am a literature professor and I have been giving my students tips to improve their focus, since many of them love reading but find it hard to focus for long periods of time. This video gave me a few new tips for them to try, thank you so much! 💕
Oh, thanks for the tips. I have hit a big slump lately because my brain has been taken over by grief. All the habits I had have gone out the window, including the ones that brought me comfort, like reading. I miss reading and I think my brain is ready to start again slowly. Those tips, and understanding more what is going on with my brain when I am reading or distracted, is just what I needed to help me find my way back to my books. I will give it a try.
I love Flow Theory by Csikszentmihalyi (never ask me to pronounce that name correctly 😅). His book changed my life so many years ago. Wonderful video essay, experiment, and tips! ❤
Great video! I can totally relate to the struggle of maintaining focus while reading, especially in today's digital age. Your tips on reducing multitasking and eliminating distractions like phones are spot on. I've also found that keeping a notebook nearby to jot down any thoughts or to-do lists that come up during reading helps me stay engaged with the book. And the concept of flow state while reading is fascinating! It's amazing how we can get so absorbed in a story that time seems to slip away. Thanks for sharing these valuable insights and practical techniques to enhance our reading experience!
Today we demand instant gratification, and social media including TikTok feeds this. Reading demands focus, patience and will. Most people don't want this, then they have a mental break down , and start preaching mindfulness crap, which is just they same concept given a new term. Reading has so many benefits, if people only knew.
Subtle background noise helps me focus when reading. I turn on my fan, or put on a music video, but have the volume turned down to whisper. Works for me.
I remember there was one summer in which I lost all focus. I could not read at all, mainly due to burnout from heavy studying I had done a month ago for important exams. I was also working seven days a week in a local shop from 7am until 7pm (with a break from 2pm until 4pm). Needless to say the teenage version of myself was convinced I was going to become a mindless zombie who would never feel motivated or energized to read ever again. During the middle of July the weather started improving and so when I came home for my 2 hour break, I would eat lunch, make myself an iced tea, cuddle up on the swing chair outside, and read IT by Stephen King. Within a month of repeating that exact routine every day, I managed to finish the brick of a book and all of that was definitely due to flow state. Thankfully I came to my senses and got a better job with not so insane hours but that summer was still one of the best reading summers I've ever had. I'm glad to have watched this video now so I can understand more about routines and flow state and I am excited to start incorporating that back into my life.
Ooh, additional tip, if you put yourself in a life-threatening situation, your body will be more primed to remember in greater detail. There are lots of studies showing that high-stress situations stimulate your mind significantly, so it would logically follow that if you wanted to read a book while skydiving for example, you would be able to focus quite intensely and remember it far more vividly. Hope this helps 👍
lol Now I want to see a video of someone skydiving and reading. I think the mind would be too preoccupied on the "OH GOD IM GONNA DIE" part to be able to read, but maybe a seasoned skydiver would be able to pull it off? lol Side note, if you listen to a song when in a life-threatening situation, the song will trigger PTSD, so would the book or poem end up triggering PTSD? Is this why cheesy self helps books end up inspiring/motivating/changing a persons outlook on life? because they read it during a stressful time in their life? Im intrigued now
Wonderfully timed video for me, as I’m currently reading Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention by Johann Hari. I cannot recommend this book enough (especially for those of you commenting about ADHD!) Another tip to add to your list I picked up from this book, especially for those who aren’t already used to reading for long periods of time and find it difficult to focus even with the removal of distractions: start with shorter periods of time, say 10 minutes, and gradually increase. The portion of your brain that allows you to focus needs to be worked out like a muscle. If it has gotten out of the habit of being focused and monotasking, it won’t suddenly just be able to focus for an hour. Also, exercise and getting enough consistent, deep sleep are absolutely key!
Since I have been a child reading has always been the activity I wanted to do above everything else, so there are no distractions for me. When I read, I read and am lost for the rest of the world. But to avoid constant distractions I can only advice using the pomodoro technique, it makes it so easy to concentrate and focus on any task, not only reading, for a set amount of time and not to be distracted. I use it to stay focused on learning the Italian language and it works superbly.
A piece of advice I picked up from Robin Walden: Reading is like exercise. If you haven't been doing it, start easy. Read books far below your "reading level". Get used to the notion of reading (maybe with tween books) before moving on to German philosophers.
putting modes on my phone has been life changing for me. now i only have social media access a few times a day on my phone and it improved my reading and everything else significantly
At 8:10 you start talking about the flow state - fascinating! When I read books as a child or teenager I used to fall into this state so deeply, people around me could talk about me and make fun of me without me noticing at all. I kind of had to "wake up" out of this state to become aware of my surroundings. In 2015, I started to write a novel, still working on it. And while writing, I experience this flow state, too. Then it feels like I'm not thinking out what I write, but rather receive or download it and the words flow through me. I love it. And by the way, your playlist "Dear authors..." is great! Thank you for those videos. I watched a few channels run by writers (like Shaelin and Abbie Emmons, for example), but actually your videos about what readers like or dislike are much more helpful. Now that I'm talking about this anyway, I'd like to ask you and the readers around here one thing: I found that some of my side characters might be more relatable, more interesting and more likable than the MC. 1. Is that a problem? 2. Any suggestions how to move the MC more into the limelight? Do more insights into the MC's emotions do the job? Thank you for your work.
There is an older gentleman that is in my town who is 84 and he reads a book a day - he also reads the entire newspaper daily. His mind is as sharp as a 25 year old - he does read at the same time everyday- proving your point
These are good tips for any endeavor like if you want to study or learn some skill. It also helps if you learn speed reading, sometimes its hard to concentrate because book slows down or you are not that interested in that part. Lately I feel like I'm reading too much, reading used to be escapism for me during the school.
When I was starting to retrain myself to read instead of doom scroll, I found that having an app to track my reading was a good starting point. That way I didn’t have to be “where’s my phone” all the time cause it was in a different room but my phone was helping me to read instead.
You are so right about the keeping a notebook nearby so that you can write down stray thoughts. I do some of that with a note keeping app on my phone, but... yes, the responsible thing to do would be to actually have a physical notebook next to me, lol. I've noticed that I have a lot of stray thoughts listening to my audiobooks or podcasts in the commute to and from work. in the morning, i absorb a lot more. but the commute home, my mind wanders almost the entire time. And I hear the narrator announce the next scene or chapter, and I have to back up to the previous scene, lol. So the only thing I would add here is: If your mind wanders during your commute or audiobook, pause the audiobook and let your brain process whatever stray information it needs to in order for you to focus better, when you next have to be reading or performing a task.
As a fan of reading who suffers from ADHD, this kind of stuff is even harder for me but your advice does help a bit! I find absolutely any noise at all (including people trying to talk to me, car sounds outside, etc) directly takes me out of whatever I am reading and I'll have to do a sort of double-take and reread a line or two before getting back into it. I need pretty much complete silence in order to read so even though I love it, it can be hard to read as much as I want to due to living with other people. I literally just thought of it as I am typing this, but maybe something like headphones might help.
I started reading out loud to myself. I found the silence uncomfortable, something I'd never noticed as a kid/teenager; reading out loud helped to fill the void.
Think it is time I start reading more to build my focus. I tend to watch youtube before sleeping and it takes me hours to fall asleep. My mind races on about everything. I recently started listening to The Way of Kings on Audible, maybe I'll also pick up a paperback of another book for at home. I find I like reading better than listening but it takes me some time to really begin to focus on the reading and not have my mind wander.
I feel like I've heard a dictionary say what I should already know. I knew the function, application and execution, but not the meaning itself. Thank you.
I am one of those who cannot stand not knowing a word. So, everytime that I encounter at word that I don't know, I have to look it up. And for someone who is not a native English speaker, there can sometimes be quite a bit of words you don't know.
What helped me a lot was cutting back on social media. Especially Tik Tok, which I deleted last year. It seemed to train my brain for constant new stimulation and was ruining my attention span. I found it very unhealthy for me. Now I’ve read a bunch of books recently and have been very happy
I'm surprised that no one has come up with a review style where they rate the book based on how many times and how often they reached for their phone while reading the book. It seems like a somewhat consistent way to identify quit moments or how engaging the material is overall.
I used to be able to multitask, but now I have found myself needing more to focus more and more restrictive to get stuff done, read books and moments of just your thoughts really helps to order thoughts when writing or being creative, quiet time just thinking about the specific creative thing really helped and not getting distracted. I used to work pretty well with music but nowadays have to turn it down a lot, so it is very quiet, same with twitch streamers or dance videos, and they can help me keep going and focus. Visual and Audio input into my brain also helps get the creative juices flowing like AMV, MMV and music videos with minimal going on in them. Using my phone and notepad usage became a must for when jotting down stuff. When I do that for reading it true can have time fly by even with games.
Another good practice is Trataka Meditation. Also, Andrew Hubermann has great videos on youtube for tips on focusing. Great tips merph, very insightful video
I have set up a reading focus mode on my iPhone, turning off all notifications apart from calls and messages from my wife and alerts from the baby monitor. Would highly recommend.
Have you ever read or heard of the manga called, Goodnight Punpun? The tagline is, "When slice of life slices back." It's kinda hard to define but it deals with a lot of serious issues intertwined with a coming of age story.
I have to tune out everything (maybe I'll put on lofi music). I constantly page count and get frustrated reading like it's a task (even if I enjoy the story). It takes me weeks to read a full novel sometimes
I try and have a page challenge per day. If it’s a long book, like way of kings, I try to do 250 pages a day that means in five days I finished. If it’s a 300 page book, I can do that in a day if I structure every three or four hours in my day to read 100 pages. I work from home so that’s a little bit easier sometimes then most people..
Thanks for the video Merphy! I finally got my copy of Tress, so I'm about to start reading that! I'll take the suggestion of leaving my phone in another room with it in airplane mode, and see how that goes. :)
Since I have 7 pets, I had to buy ear protectors, those squishy ones that you twist to fill the ear. But aside from that, I think I can apply your tips for focusing.
I’ve been catching up on the Blue Lock manga since I stopped reading it a couple years ago and the recent anime reminded me to pick it back up again. There’s a part in that series where they talk about the athletic Flow state. I play volleyball and have experienced the state a few times myself through that. Just without realising what it was, now that I think about it I guess I’d also have experienced it while reading too.
I absolutely love Ego’s principles as they can be applied to many different aspects of life, especially aspects that involve competition. Like I personally think his idea of flow, luck, and devouring your opponents/rivals can be applied to any type of competition, whether it’s athletics or academics or others.
I have diagnosed autism (PDD-NOS) and just recently started to use a different method of reading. I'm currently still reading the Wheel of Time series and, although it is (very) fun, I don't have the focus to read more than an hour and my reading speed itself is low too. It is not that I don't like reading, it just is a frustrating process for me to grasp. I did something that is in a bit of a legal gray area... I downloaded pirated PDF copies of the books to use the Text to Speech AI of Microsoft Edge. Now I can follow the story smoother, and much faster too. I read (in the paper book, mind you) alongside the text-to-speech. I used to spent three or four hard minutes on one page, now I do it in two. Also, I was already tested on dyslexia. I only have autism. It is merely my low working memory that causes me to read slow. I wish this was already in use when I was in school, it would have helped a lot to help me read more often.
I can give an example with a Bulgarian writer and his work "to Chicago and back" by the writer "Aleko Konstantinov" there is such an example, I think you will like it
For me, it’s just a problem with getting started with a reading session. I’ll sit down, read for a few minutes, get distracted by something and think, “I’ll come back to this later”. If, however, I’m able to get into that groove, I can just go and go without being distracted. But sometimes just getting started is a real struggle.
If you have trouble with focusing, then add this book to your TBR list... "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. Over 10 million copies sold and it's a New York Times Best Seller! 😁
I love these kinds of videos and always feel inspired to finally read more and I WANT to! But then I struggle all the time because of so many tasks and distractions 😩 I'm still grateful for this video and hope I'll finally be able to create new habits 😇
Look up the Immersive Reading tactic. Basically, it's having the audio play in the background as you read along with them. This helps for people who can't stand being in complete silence when they read because it feels like you're with someone Reading it with you. Additionally if the audio is Reading too slow you can speed up the audio to read a tad faster than your normal speeding is, if you are reading along you'll be surprised by how easy it is to stay understanding what's going on at that speed (x1.25 and x1.50 depending on the default speed of the audio reader). Lastly you get the best of both worlds of hearing how a name of a character is correctly pronounced and how it might be correctly spelt. Only doing one and not the other (reading/listenining) you only get one of those things. I feel this is the definitive way to knock out books
Two things that helped me: 1- If you are sleepy and can't understand the words (you know when you are reading and at the end of the sentence you notice that you just pass your eyes on the words?) GO TO SLEEP. There is nothing wrong with sleep and you are not losing ANYTHING. 2 - Read slow. Speed reading is a mood and experience killer. Speed reading is good for academic texts and non-ficiton. But for fiction is just a buzz kill. You lose all that aspect of "dreaming" and seeing things in your head. All in all, have fun, cause otherwise, why bother?
I recently started to get into reading again since my childhood. With my first book was so annoyed being a slow reader. I had re-read sentences and even whole pages at times. I pretty much wanted to finish as many books as I can in a short time, because I had to “catch up” or something. Now I figured out that reading slowly actually helped me to understand and enjoy reading a lot more.
6:10 Edit: I see you had a thought for a similar use case! OG message: 3:20 I just heard about this issue that I see you have had, where you wanted to keep a record to share with your Reading Buddy. I can relate to this! I recommend a notepad to put your thoughts, like a steno pad or even a journal. You will only get distracted by doodling... It can be very cool to look back on your physical "book log" instead of (only being able to) scroll through messages sent to a buddy :)
1) remove distractions
2) keep a note book near you so that you can write down your thoughts
3) create a routine
Thank you. This vid is 15 min long and I want to get back to my reading. XD
(darn... ended up watching it anyway)
@@ulengrau6357 haha 😆 I guess I failed at my mission...
@@johnmanole4779 No, I watched the video and couldn't stop thinking about reading my book so I didn't really get what she was saying most of the time, so you helped me lol
How about read what you're interested in? If the materials dry or im not interested i can't read it.
Doesn't that seem pretty contradictory though?
I just turn on no disturb mode and plant a tree in forest app
@@britneynicolewrites yeah, its an app where you plant a tree in your ever expanding land from variety of trees. Its addictive, so you will plant more trees to get coins and the more time you spend offline the more you get. If you close the app from the background, the tree would get withered. Plus if you score 2500 coins, you can plant an actual tree, which is done by the company.
I’ve been wanting to use that app but they only allow you to login through Facebook, correct? I don’t have a Facebook account :/
@@phxmiller well i logged in through my email
@@muhammedshibin621 what’s the name of the app? I need this sooo badly
@@masyerano9050 Forest app
“Forget about the rest of the world while reading”. That’s the power of reading.
In Addition to Your wonderful Tips, I also wanna recommend to watch a Video called "BOOKSTORES: How to read more Books in the Golden Age of Content" by Max Joseph, were Max is not only visiting the most beautiful Bookstores in Western Europe and America but also meeting a lot of interesting People, that helped him to find out how to get more Time & Focus on Reading again. A true Masterpiece of Educational Content & also the biggest Loveletter to Reading Books, I probably could ever remember. 😁✌
Omg yes! That video is so so wonderful 😊
For those, like me, that need the information a bit more detailed step by step within each step but still compressed.
1) Stop multitasking/limit distractions (tech not needed in another room/on silent)
2) "Meditative reading", allowing the mind to wander. // (word and task vomit before reading to curb the connections starting to work during reading time.) keep a notebook nearby for anything else that might come up.
3) Unlocking "flow state". (eliminate distractions/do the above mentioned = creating a ritual signals to your brain that sensory trigger means focus mode = habit formed (over time/consistency).)
Good luck, you got this! I believe in you!
What helped me this month was cutting off IG/TikTok/Twitter/Reddit from my life. Last month I only read ONE BOOK and one manga saga so I knew things had to change for me, but that was difficult since I primarily read on my phone. If something important in pop culture has happened, my friend's gonna text me. Otherwise I have never felt more alive after cutting off social media completely.
Interesting, Leonie from Book Leo just made a video about focus and attention span (and how it's not really true, that we have shorter attention spans that we used to). This is a perfect combo, with yours talking less about the reasons, and more about "here is what you can do about it".
I commented on her video haha, it’s a crazy coincidence that we both got fixated on this topic at the same time!
Haha yes! I also thought this was a nice coincidence 🙂 Although... perhaps Leonie and Merphy had a secret, candlelit meeting at Booktube Manor where they planned this. A transatlantic collaboration
it is also not the firts time this happens! they had the idea of the impact of social media in reading almost at the same time 2 months ago. either they are incredibly in sync or they are indeed collaborating behind our backs! 😂
Sometimes I think Book Leo is just trying to make herself feel better about just not being interested in some of the stuff she's read through the years. It's okay for tastes to change throughout our lives, so it's been a real journey seeing how this is just as true for big YT readers who have made a "job" out of reading.
For me, my 'escape' has always been my horse. There is nothing more relaxing for my mind then taking my horse for a long slow ride thrugh the mountain paths. But even just being around my horse automatically makes my feel at ease, even though several of the tasks I need to do are fysically hard (heavy lifting, shoveling, moving full wheelbarrows, etc).
When I read I have found that I need some low volume sound to really relax into a book. Ambiance sounds/music or even just my fav band playing on a low vol. in the background helps me alot
Another tip I'd like to add: "Read what you like"
In my case, I tend to read a book faster if I like it (it's my genre, the writing style fits with me, a book I genuinely want to read for a long time).
Great video. Some of the tips that are applicable to reading High Literature (Classics) can really apply here 1) SLOW DOWN. Feast on the words. Understand the words. Reread if needed or if you want. Take notes. (Almost any book worth reading at all is worth reading slowly and rereading, even if you are reading and comparing thoughts with other people... if the book is worth anything at all...that person will like to discuss it with you even AFTER they finished the book) 2) Break up your reading into bits that are digestible in small amounts and taking longer over all to read the book is a GREAT way to read a book.
Great Tips, one thing that helped me stay more focussed is to use the Pomodoro technique, not so much for the taking breaks part but more so just for starting a timer of ~30min and just saying to myself i will just keep reading until it rings. That frees my mind from constantly thinking after each passage or chapter about whether i should stop and maybe check messages for a moment. Just read until it rings and then stop at the next best point.
This is a wonderful idea I will definitely try this
I do this too when I just want to read for a set time, it really helps.
I have also been putting on Reading Sprints live or old replay ones when I have more down time like the weekend. I read when the timer is on and do house hold tasks when they talk. This way I am productive as well as enjoying reading.
just started my adhd meds. gonna increase my 2023 reading goal
Ability to focus is largely a trained talent. Removing distractions when you are reading is one thing, but to emphasize her larger point, we all need to reduce the distractions the rest of the time as well.
That constant stimulation becomes an addiction. Break that addiction . . . I say while eating breakfast listening to this UA-cam video. (We all have to improve.)
I have a rather productive writer friend. When I text her, I prepare for a many hour wait for a response. Sometimes a day or two. Why? Because she turns off her phone for huge blocks of time. And she says that she will probably only answer on days that have a T in their name. Her phone is off Monday, Wednesday, Friday. :)
For working folks, that's tough to do during the work day, but we can all learn from her practice.
Something that's important to note: Childrens'/YA literature is designed for a child's shorter attention span! They're designed to be short, to draw you in, and to keep you hooked. Not that adult fiction doesn't do that; but it isn't as concerned with making sure you're concentrating (it kind of assumes you already are). It's not that the internet is ruining our brains or anything; it's that adult lit doesn't make the effort to actively draw our attention, the way that social media or childrens' lit does. I often hear people say that it's way easier to reread their childhood faves rather than read new books, and that's probably a big part of the reason why!
yess i feel like this is the easiest way to get back into reading as an adult and then slowly build up to more "boring" and by that i mean complex books or things with less hand holding that you have to really pay attention to, starting with old classics or super dense reads make it impossible, i started getting back into books with the handmaids tale which was roughhhh so then i went back down to the maze runner boks and had a way better time.
Thanks, because my brain is busy ALL. THE. TIME. and I've tried everything to calm it down and i think this is the reason why i like to read on my phone than looking at a book at a bookstore.
Merphy, you have no idea how much I needed this video. I have been so unfocused. And there are so many books I have bought and want to consume. Thanks!
Thank you for this video. My ability to sit and just read, fiction, non-fiction, study…all of it…seems to be nearly obliterated. The routine part is something I’ve been working on to create a kind of spiritual/ritual space in my life. Put everything away from the day, light incense, meditate for 10 min. But I really haven’t applied the same thing to studying/reading. So thank you again for that reminder that routine is important to create the headspace needed for any kind of concentration.
Wonderful tips here! Very cool how things like "flow state" seem to come up in our lives in clusters, almost like the universe is trying to tell us something!
I can agree with this A LOT!! I read on my kindle (dark mode) for a couple hours every night. I have much better focus because I'm in the dark and I don't look at my phone. I can get very immersed into the story. I'm definitely going to put my phone in another room and turn on a special ring tone for my kids if/ when they text.
I really appreciate that my commute to work on public transit gives me structured reading time every day at the same time. But yeah, at home, it’s SO hard to just focus on reading with everything else happening
I usually get distracted with stuff at home when I try to read there, but I take a bus to and from work so I do most of my reading there now. I’m getting through books faster now reading them there since I don’t have the home distractions. 😂
So I guess my advice is just, go out of the house to read if possible. Whether it’s a park, cafe or just your backyard.
Remove yourself from the distractions rather than removing the distractions.
Yes! The timing of this is perfect!! I'm just now starting to try to get back into reading and step away from the video games. 😅
I have not finished a book so far in 2023 (highly unlike me - I normally read at least 25-30 books per year). Going to use these tips. Thanks!
I actually can enter flow state reading if i put a timer and have a notebook.
Timer allows me to not worry about reading too much time, what can worry me if i have other things to do.
And notebook to not forget some ideias.
Doing both, its amazyng
This video is definitely helping me! Im addicted like crazy to my phone, and sometimes that takes away from when I’m reading. I’m definitely gonna do better at removing distractions when I read. Thanks for this video!
just earlier today I was annoyed with myself how unfocused I have become, especially while reading. And of course I did other things while watching this video ... But good timing for that! I need to find a way that works for me 🙂
Sweet thumbnail Merphy...so cozy now I want some hot chocolate and some low lofi music in the back ground.
This was wonderful! I will definitely mention this next time someone says they have trouble focusing / can't read.
Reading while listening to the audiobook is an incredible way to not lose focus.
Merphy, this was so helpful. I'm not on most social media apps but can still get distracted by my phone.
Will definitely be implementing things you mentioned in this video. More focus is always welcomed. 😊
Another perfectly timed video! I told myself I would read last night and doom scrolled for an hour, so this video was a sign for me to reset my priorities!
I love these kinds of "how to be a better reader" videos. Keep making them! ❤
I meant to comment on this sooner. This is a great video with great advose that I desperately need to implement. Keep up the great work! 👏🏾👏🏾🤩👏🏾👏🏾
Need more video like this! Love your videos related to books but these kinda videos help too
Merphy, this is great! I am a literature professor and I have been giving my students tips to improve their focus, since many of them love reading but find it hard to focus for long periods of time. This video gave me a few new tips for them to try, thank you so much! 💕
Oh, thanks for the tips. I have hit a big slump lately because my brain has been taken over by grief. All the habits I had have gone out the window, including the ones that brought me comfort, like reading. I miss reading and I think my brain is ready to start again slowly. Those tips, and understanding more what is going on with my brain when I am reading or distracted, is just what I needed to help me find my way back to my books. I will give it a try.
I love Flow Theory by Csikszentmihalyi (never ask me to pronounce that name correctly 😅). His book changed my life so many years ago. Wonderful video essay, experiment, and tips! ❤
I pronounce it as "She sent me high"
Cheek-Scent-Me-High: Source- Hungarian
I ended up watching this video in thirty second bursts. Just in case you were wondering what my focus was like at the moment.
Great video! I can totally relate to the struggle of maintaining focus while reading, especially in today's digital age. Your tips on reducing multitasking and eliminating distractions like phones are spot on. I've also found that keeping a notebook nearby to jot down any thoughts or to-do lists that come up during reading helps me stay engaged with the book. And the concept of flow state while reading is fascinating! It's amazing how we can get so absorbed in a story that time seems to slip away. Thanks for sharing these valuable insights and practical techniques to enhance our reading experience!
I hated reading growing up cause in school they forced it on us so much. But now that im older i wanna get back into it
Very interesting that this became a social media issue mostly. Definitely guilty of filling any pauses with some kind of online stimuli
Today we demand instant gratification, and social media including TikTok feeds this. Reading demands focus, patience and will. Most people don't want this, then they have a mental break down , and start preaching mindfulness crap, which is just they same concept given a new term. Reading has so many benefits, if people only knew.
Writing notes by hand instead of in my phone has been a game changer immersion wise
Subtle background noise helps me focus when reading. I turn on my fan, or put on a music video, but have the volume turned down to whisper. Works for me.
I remember there was one summer in which I lost all focus. I could not read at all, mainly due to burnout from heavy studying I had done a month ago for important exams. I was also working seven days a week in a local shop from 7am until 7pm (with a break from 2pm until 4pm). Needless to say the teenage version of myself was convinced I was going to become a mindless zombie who would never feel motivated or energized to read ever again. During the middle of July the weather started improving and so when I came home for my 2 hour break, I would eat lunch, make myself an iced tea, cuddle up on the swing chair outside, and read IT by Stephen King. Within a month of repeating that exact routine every day, I managed to finish the brick of a book and all of that was definitely due to flow state. Thankfully I came to my senses and got a better job with not so insane hours but that summer was still one of the best reading summers I've ever had. I'm glad to have watched this video now so I can understand more about routines and flow state and I am excited to start incorporating that back into my life.
I love this video, Merphy, this is such a good reminder to check my compulsion to grab my phone.
Ooh, additional tip, if you put yourself in a life-threatening situation, your body will be more primed to remember in greater detail.
There are lots of studies showing that high-stress situations stimulate your mind significantly, so it would logically follow that if you wanted to read a book while skydiving for example, you would be able to focus quite intensely and remember it far more vividly.
Hope this helps 👍
lol Now I want to see a video of someone skydiving and reading. I think the mind would be too preoccupied on the "OH GOD IM GONNA DIE" part to be able to read, but maybe a seasoned skydiver would be able to pull it off? lol
Side note, if you listen to a song when in a life-threatening situation, the song will trigger PTSD, so would the book or poem end up triggering PTSD?
Is this why cheesy self helps books end up inspiring/motivating/changing a persons outlook on life? because they read it during a stressful time in their life?
Im intrigued now
Wonderfully timed video for me, as I’m currently reading Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention by Johann Hari. I cannot recommend this book enough (especially for those of you commenting about ADHD!)
Another tip to add to your list I picked up from this book, especially for those who aren’t already used to reading for long periods of time and find it difficult to focus even with the removal of distractions: start with shorter periods of time, say 10 minutes, and gradually increase. The portion of your brain that allows you to focus needs to be worked out like a muscle. If it has gotten out of the habit of being focused and monotasking, it won’t suddenly just be able to focus for an hour.
Also, exercise and getting enough consistent, deep sleep are absolutely key!
Thank you for mentioning the "buddy reads." I think I'll hafta do that more.
Merphy I really appreciate these videos. As someone who doesn't have as much time as they used to for reading, these help a ton!
Since I have been a child reading has always been the activity I wanted to do above everything else, so there are no distractions for me. When I read, I read and am lost for the rest of the world. But to avoid constant distractions I can only advice using the pomodoro technique, it makes it so easy to concentrate and focus on any task, not only reading, for a set amount of time and not to be distracted. I use it to stay focused on learning the Italian language and it works superbly.
Imagine when they put phones in our head, and it’s constantly buzzing.
That dystopia is coming.
Imagine coward's like you letting them instead of rising up
@@bohannon2692 easy for you to say sitting behind a screen 🤔
A piece of advice I picked up from Robin Walden:
Reading is like exercise. If you haven't been doing it, start easy. Read books far below your "reading level". Get used to the notion of reading (maybe with tween books) before moving on to German philosophers.
putting modes on my phone has been life changing for me. now i only have social media access a few times a day on my phone and it improved my reading and everything else significantly
At 8:10 you start talking about the flow state - fascinating! When I read books as a child or teenager I used to fall into this state so deeply, people around me could talk about me and make fun of me without me noticing at all. I kind of had to "wake up" out of this state to become aware of my surroundings.
In 2015, I started to write a novel, still working on it. And while writing, I experience this flow state, too. Then it feels like I'm not thinking out what I write, but rather receive or download it and the words flow through me. I love it.
And by the way, your playlist "Dear authors..." is great! Thank you for those videos. I watched a few channels run by writers (like Shaelin and Abbie Emmons, for example), but actually your videos about what readers like or dislike are much more helpful.
Now that I'm talking about this anyway, I'd like to ask you and the readers around here one thing: I found that some of my side characters might be more relatable, more interesting and more likable than the MC. 1. Is that a problem? 2. Any suggestions how to move the MC more into the limelight? Do more insights into the MC's emotions do the job?
Thank you for your work.
I love these types of videos! This is very helpful!
There is an older gentleman that is in my town who is 84 and he reads a book a day - he also reads the entire newspaper daily. His mind is as sharp as a 25 year old - he does read at the same time everyday- proving your point
These are good tips for any endeavor like if you want to study or learn some skill. It also helps if you learn speed reading, sometimes its hard to concentrate because book slows down or you are not that interested in that part. Lately I feel like I'm reading too much, reading used to be escapism for me during the school.
When I was starting to retrain myself to read instead of doom scroll, I found that having an app to track my reading was a good starting point. That way I didn’t have to be “where’s my phone” all the time cause it was in a different room but my phone was helping me to read instead.
You are so right about the keeping a notebook nearby so that you can write down stray thoughts. I do some of that with a note keeping app on my phone, but... yes, the responsible thing to do would be to actually have a physical notebook next to me, lol.
I've noticed that I have a lot of stray thoughts listening to my audiobooks or podcasts in the commute to and from work. in the morning, i absorb a lot more. but the commute home, my mind wanders almost the entire time. And I hear the narrator announce the next scene or chapter, and I have to back up to the previous scene, lol. So the only thing I would add here is: If your mind wanders during your commute or audiobook, pause the audiobook and let your brain process whatever stray information it needs to in order for you to focus better, when you next have to be reading or performing a task.
As a fan of reading who suffers from ADHD, this kind of stuff is even harder for me but your advice does help a bit! I find absolutely any noise at all (including people trying to talk to me, car sounds outside, etc) directly takes me out of whatever I am reading and I'll have to do a sort of double-take and reread a line or two before getting back into it. I need pretty much complete silence in order to read so even though I love it, it can be hard to read as much as I want to due to living with other people. I literally just thought of it as I am typing this, but maybe something like headphones might help.
Being able to sit down and focus on something after being distracted for a long time feels very refreshing and rewarding.
I started reading out loud to myself. I found the silence uncomfortable, something I'd never noticed as a kid/teenager; reading out loud helped to fill the void.
Think it is time I start reading more to build my focus. I tend to watch youtube before sleeping and it takes me hours to fall asleep. My mind races on about everything. I recently started listening to The Way of Kings on Audible, maybe I'll also pick up a paperback of another book for at home. I find I like reading better than listening but it takes me some time to really begin to focus on the reading and not have my mind wander.
I feel like I've heard a dictionary say what I should already know. I knew the function, application and execution, but not the meaning itself. Thank you.
I am one of those who cannot stand not knowing a word. So, everytime that I encounter at word that I don't know, I have to look it up. And for someone who is not a native English speaker, there can sometimes be quite a bit of words you don't know.
I enjoy these fact-based videos, Thanks Merphy. Hope there's more.
Thanks for doing this video recently I have been struggling with focusing on reading
What helped me a lot was cutting back on social media. Especially Tik Tok, which I deleted last year. It seemed to train my brain for constant new stimulation and was ruining my attention span. I found it very unhealthy for me. Now I’ve read a bunch of books recently and have been very happy
I'm surprised that no one has come up with a review style where they rate the book based on how many times and how often they reached for their phone while reading the book.
It seems like a somewhat consistent way to identify quit moments or how engaging the material is overall.
Fascinating video. For me, I cannot read in silence. I like to listen to music when I read.
I used to be able to multitask, but now I have found myself needing more to focus more and more restrictive to get stuff done, read books and moments of just your thoughts really helps to order thoughts when writing or being creative, quiet time just thinking about the specific creative thing really helped and not getting distracted. I used to work pretty well with music but nowadays have to turn it down a lot, so it is very quiet, same with twitch streamers or dance videos, and they can help me keep going and focus. Visual and Audio input into my brain also helps get the creative juices flowing like AMV, MMV and music videos with minimal going on in them. Using my phone and notepad usage became a must for when jotting down stuff. When I do that for reading it true can have time fly by even with games.
It helped me to listen to audio books with the book in my hands. And switch on and off. Eventually I was able to just read
Yes please! I love these videos that you do. I can't wait till you do more in the future hopefully.
Thank you so much for this video, these are great tips! Definitely going to try a few of these, maybe tonight!
Another good practice is Trataka Meditation. Also, Andrew Hubermann has great videos on youtube for tips on focusing. Great tips merph, very insightful video
The only time I feel fully immersed in reading is on my kindle at 2am when it’s pitch black and everyone is asleep 😭
I just got a new job with an hour commute both ways, I downloaded audible and plan on switching back and forth from audio to physical
thank you for that video, i think i really needed it just to realise that that's something i want to put in place in my life !
I have set up a reading focus mode on my iPhone, turning off all notifications apart from calls and messages from my wife and alerts from the baby monitor. Would highly recommend.
quality of your content.... chefs kiss
Have you ever read or heard of the manga called, Goodnight Punpun? The tagline is, "When slice of life slices back." It's kinda hard to define but it deals with a lot of serious issues intertwined with a coming of age story.
Gotta love how the video trying to teach me how to focus keeps interrupting my focus with ads
I have to tune out everything (maybe I'll put on lofi music). I constantly page count and get frustrated reading like it's a task (even if I enjoy the story). It takes me weeks to read a full novel sometimes
I try and have a page challenge per day. If it’s a long book, like way of kings, I try to do 250 pages a day that means in five days I finished. If it’s a 300 page book, I can do that in a day if I structure every three or four hours in my day to read 100 pages. I work from home so that’s a little bit easier sometimes then most people..
Thanks for the video Merphy! I finally got my copy of Tress, so I'm about to start reading that! I'll take the suggestion of leaving my phone in another room with it in airplane mode, and see how that goes. :)
Since I have 7 pets, I had to buy ear protectors, those squishy ones that you twist to fill the ear.
But aside from that, I think I can apply your tips for focusing.
“Do not disturb” is my go to. Earbuds in ear with low volume music just to outside noise won’t bother me
I’m impressed that much of this is still applicable to people with ADHD, at least to an extent.
Your bookshelf is stunning! Do you have a bookshelf tour video? I'd love to see it
I’ve been catching up on the Blue Lock manga since I stopped reading it a couple years ago and the recent anime reminded me to pick it back up again. There’s a part in that series where they talk about the athletic Flow state.
I play volleyball and have experienced the state a few times myself through that. Just without realising what it was, now that I think about it I guess I’d also have experienced it while reading too.
I absolutely love Ego’s principles as they can be applied to many different aspects of life, especially aspects that involve competition. Like I personally think his idea of flow, luck, and devouring your opponents/rivals can be applied to any type of competition, whether it’s athletics or academics or others.
@@yawsanevruh1116 Ego gets some really good speeches. I really like the luck one.
I have diagnosed autism (PDD-NOS) and just recently started to use a different method of reading.
I'm currently still reading the Wheel of Time series and, although it is (very) fun, I don't have the focus to read more than an hour and my reading speed itself is low too. It is not that I don't like reading, it just is a frustrating process for me to grasp.
I did something that is in a bit of a legal gray area... I downloaded pirated PDF copies of the books to use the Text to Speech AI of Microsoft Edge. Now I can follow the story smoother, and much faster too. I read (in the paper book, mind you) alongside the text-to-speech. I used to spent three or four hard minutes on one page, now I do it in two.
Also, I was already tested on dyslexia. I only have autism. It is merely my low working memory that causes me to read slow.
I wish this was already in use when I was in school, it would have helped a lot to help me read more often.
I can give an example with a Bulgarian writer and his work "to Chicago and back" by the writer "Aleko Konstantinov" there is such an example, I think you will like it
I'm more focused when on treadmill on tasks that are simple like consuming media.
For me, it’s just a problem with getting started with a reading session. I’ll sit down, read for a few minutes, get distracted by something and think, “I’ll come back to this later”. If, however, I’m able to get into that groove, I can just go and go without being distracted. But sometimes just getting started is a real struggle.
If you have trouble with focusing, then add this book to your TBR list... "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. Over 10 million copies sold and it's a New York Times Best Seller! 😁
I love these kinds of videos and always feel inspired to finally read more and I WANT to! But then I struggle all the time because of so many tasks and distractions 😩 I'm still grateful for this video and hope I'll finally be able to create new habits 😇
Look up the Immersive Reading tactic.
Basically, it's having the audio play in the background as you read along with them. This helps for people who can't stand being in complete silence when they read because it feels like you're with someone Reading it with you. Additionally if the audio is Reading too slow you can speed up the audio to read a tad faster than your normal speeding is, if you are reading along you'll be surprised by how easy it is to stay understanding what's going on at that speed (x1.25 and x1.50 depending on the default speed of the audio reader). Lastly you get the best of both worlds of hearing how a name of a character is correctly pronounced and how it might be correctly spelt. Only doing one and not the other (reading/listenining) you only get one of those things. I feel this is the definitive way to knock out books
Two things that helped me:
1- If you are sleepy and can't understand the words (you know when you are reading and at the end of the sentence you notice that you just pass your eyes on the words?) GO TO SLEEP. There is nothing wrong with sleep and you are not losing ANYTHING.
2 - Read slow. Speed reading is a mood and experience killer. Speed reading is good for academic texts and non-ficiton. But for fiction is just a buzz kill. You lose all that aspect of "dreaming" and seeing things in your head.
All in all, have fun, cause otherwise, why bother?
I recently started to get into reading again since my childhood. With my first book was so annoyed being a slow reader. I had re-read sentences and even whole pages at times. I pretty much wanted to finish as many books as I can in a short time, because I had to “catch up” or something. Now I figured out that reading slowly actually helped me to understand and enjoy reading a lot more.
Actually really helpful, thankyou.
6:10 Edit: I see you had a thought for a similar use case! OG message: 3:20 I just heard about this issue that I see you have had, where you wanted to keep a record to share with your Reading Buddy. I can relate to this! I recommend a notepad to put your thoughts, like a steno pad or even a journal. You will only get distracted by doodling... It can be very cool to look back on your physical "book log" instead of (only being able to) scroll through messages sent to a buddy :)