Wednesday, September 26, 2012

How to Read with Distractions?

We've all been there...

Beloved book sits on the table practically shouting "Read me! Read me!" And yet...there's laundry to do, dishes to wash, dinner to make. Children. Schoolwork So your book cries little ink tears of loneliness as it is ignored.

Chores certainly aren't all that keep us away from our books. Like a serpent beguiling us with a shiny red apple, the Internet beckons, TV shows call, texts arrive. Before you know it, all your reading time has dripped, dripped, dripped away.

I'm currently in the throes of distraction-itis. I am about 130 pages into The Diviners by Libba Bray. It's great. I want to read it. But every time I get ready to crack it open, something calls my attention away. Granted, I am busy. I'm still trying to unpack, I have a ton of work-related paperwork to do, I need to clean up the house, etc. But I'm also wiling my time away by checking and rechecking Google Reader, reading my favorite gossip sites incessantly (Lainey Gossip and Gossip Cop), driving around my new town looking at all the cool little shops, watching reruns of Boy Meets World and HGTV, go to the library and check out more books, watch YouTube...the list goes on.

It frustrates me, because I want to read The Diviners. It's not a situation where I can't get into the book and should put it down. No - I just need to force myself to read.

How do you get rid of the distractions? Save tossing my computer out the window (although given that it's frozen about 20 times today, that might actually happen), how can I focus on the book I actually want to read?

23 comments:

  1. I have a 12 book subscription with Audible, and that means when life's really busy and I can't physically sit down and turn the pages of my book, I simply press play. The great thing is I have the books on my phone so listen to them while I'm commuting, or washing dishes. If someone needs to talk I simply press pause for a moment.

    Some of my other books languish when I'm busy, but at least I get to 'read' another.

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  2. I do the same thing as Katja with the distractions. Otherwise, I put the book down & attend to as many of the other things that I can so that I'll have some me time when I'm done.

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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  3. I read Lainey Gossip, too! It's cool that as well as celebrity gossip, she sometimes talks about YA books. Yep, I know exactly what you mean about the distractions. Some are necessary, like work, but some just aren't - like endlessly surfing online. Sometimes I spend more time checking out blogs, GoodReads, Amazon, etc. for new books than I do reading the ones I already have! Insanity! I third the audiobook suggestion. Also, sometimes I find it helps to leave the house and take a really long bus or train ride to nowhere. It means I actually can't do anything but read as I'm away from my chores, my laptop, etc.

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  4. I've found 2 solutions to that problem. First, I've started listening to audiobooks. I walk my son to school so I listen on the way home, while I'm doing chores and while I'm cooking dinner. This doesn't solve the problem for ARC's though.

    For ARC's I have decided to go to bed an hour earlier than I used to. I read for at least an hour in bed every night before I actually go to sleep. If I can read at other times throughout the day, great. If not, I know I can read at night. I know anything I miss on tv I can catch up on later on Hulu or dvr.

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  5. I live for the days I can get my kids to sleep and still have enough energy to stay up and read. Otherwise I'm pulled every which way. It really helps to read on the Kindle so I don't have to do the whole find a bookmark/find my place thing that happens every time someone needs me.

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  6. Luckily me, I live in NY so I take the train and read there. Distractions? what is that? I even read while walking! I'm waiting for amazon to come up with a waterproof device so I can read while taking a shower too :-)

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  7. I love this post! It is so true. One thing that has helped prevent mindless internet surfing take over my night is not turning on my laptop at all (as long as I don't have online "chores") after I get my kids in bed. That's the only guaranteed way I'll get some reading done some weeks before I start nodding off.

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  8. The internet is always my biggest distraction. And email. Since I work from home I'm always "on", meaning even at 9:00pm I feel compelled to check my work email and respond to clients, and that cuts into my reading time. Normally I just assign myself an hour of reading time if I'm getting super distracted. I'll say I'm going to read from 8-9, and then that usually leads to me reading longer:)

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  9. I've started forcing myself to put down the internet during my daughters quiet time (which is really just a 90 minute stretch where I lock her in my room with my iPad to watch Netflix, so I don't go absolutely insane with her 5 billion questions!)

    When I put my computer down and turn off the volume of my phone? I let myself just lounge on the couch with a book.

    (Seriously, the internet is my big problem. I keep refreshing twitter and facebook, hoping for something fascinating. Playing Angry Birds. Checking on my stupid Tiny Monsters on my iPad. I get NOTHING done, not even reading :( )

    -Jac @ For Love and Books

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  10. I often find myself in the same situation. I have a book that I am totally into, but I keep doing other things, and before I know it, I am going to bed.

    I don't really have a great solution. The only thing that has ever worked for me is to shut my computer, turn off my tv, and pick up my book. Sometimes that works (I get pulled into the book, and read all night), and sometimes it doesn't (I open up my computer a few minutes later, and end up watching TV or Youtube videos.). Sometimes it is hard for me to close my computer. I have to force myself.

    I keep holding out for a 28 hour day. Then all my problems would be solved :)

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  11. I totally know what you're talking about! I keep myself away from the internet (computer off) and read in a quiet place. I don't have that much time to read, so I try to savor every time (which sometimes turns out horribly since I get distracted).

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  12. Like many others, the computer is my biggest distraction. Since I sit in front of the computer all day at work, I'm already tired of the screen so when I come home I give myself one hour to check email, FB, and blog. Then I shut it down and pick up a book. I'm usually good since I can't find much to watch on TV.

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  13. This is my problem exactly! The only thing that I've found that works for me is I've forced myself to put down all electronics (other than my Kindle) no later than 7:30. I did this to help me sleep better, not to read more. But, one of the positive side effects is that I have read more. The only thing that vies for my attention other than reading after 7:30 is crocheting now. And, I can't crochet every night for a long time because of my Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. So, again, the default is reading. It's very helpful.

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  14. Reading is reading, I don't usually get distracted while reading to do anything but I do get distracted while doing something byy reading. See the difference? I think for me Skype and Youtube would probably be the two biggest distractors but it's not like watching a few new uploads takes thatt terribly long and usually the conversations in books are more interesting than my real ones on skype - no offense to anyone but it's not like we're discussing how to rebel against a future government or anything.

    Also, I usually get work and chores out of the way quick (well I try to atleast) using the ability to read without the guilty feeling that I'm supposed to do work hanging over my head as a motivator. Delayed gratification!

    Sorry, I know this doesn't terribly help :P

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  15. I schedule my time around reading to ensure that I get my reading done. I probably wouldn't get it done, otherwise. I only read for an hour a day these days, but that gets me to finish an average-length book in about a week and that's better than nothing.

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  16. Sometimes the distractions win. This month has been crazy-full of distractions for me and I haven't gotten much reading in, sadly. But usually, I can tune most stuff out. I hope this distraction-itis passes for you but sooN!

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  17. Hmm, usually I just do my chores as quickly as possible then get to my book. Sort of like a reward for myself. Do the dishes and you can read the book! LOL

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  18. I have a 1 year old and 3 year old so it's pretty hard to avoid distractions. So most of my reading is on the weekend when my husband is around more to help. Otherwise if I manage to stay awake it's after the kids bedtime. So I guess I just avoid the distractions. :o)

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  19. I have issues here, too. I'm a busy high school student, who happens to be a serious bookworm. I always set aside a time to read- right before bed! That way, there are no distractions. The house is quiet, and I'm the only one awake. It's so nice to be able to read in peace in quiet at night!

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  20. I listen to audiobooks while I commute to work. I read when I'm having breakfast and probably fifteen minutes before I sleep. Progress is slow but that's still considered progress. :)

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  21. You have to turn the television and internet off sometimes. You couldn't believe the amount of books I read when the power went out for Hurricane Isaac. I think I was reading two books a day...because even when the power came back up we had no cable or internet. YOu would be surprised the time suck that is. My house was even clean, I helped in the yard everything -- played with the kid. It just freed up so much time. So turn it off. LOL

    About Audiobooks -- awesome way to get the reading in while doing chores. Washing dishes, laundry etc. Not to mention the carpool line! Grocery shopping -- and ignore the people that want to talk to you. ;) I love my audible subscription but they also have tons via the library - you don't even have to go in, just download from their website.

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  22. Hi Alison!

    Thanks for hosting the Feature and Follow Friday Meme with Parajunkee. It helped me gain lots of followers!

    Also, thanks for stopping by my blog and following! c:

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  23. I'm running into the very same problem!

    I don't deal with distractions when it comes to reading. I do most of my reading during lunch time at work. One full hour of quiet time to get absorbed in my book.

    Where I run into the problem is when I come home to blog. I can't figure out where all of my time goes!

    - Jackie

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