Help me get good at reading again
 

Ever since I got onto the Internet I have read less and less books. It's pretty sad. My attention span is so short that when I try to read a book, I just can't read for more than 5-10 minutes before getting distracted and wanting to do something else. I just can't sit still and focus on reading. Any advice?

try reading something your intersted in 'right now' instead of things that may interest you because thats what you'd like to see yourself reading, or what you used to read before.

what kind of books are you into?

Agreed!

The internet does make us bounce around a great deal. Little snippets of this and that.

You might start out by reading newspapers and move on to books. Start with something like USA TODAY. Then, consider things that might be interesting. Do you find fiction or reality more interesting? There are some great authors out there but you might need to challenge your brain to do something is hasn't done for a while.

Get a library membership and spend some time there. You can check out all sorts of books and then decide what you like. Try enough and all of a sudden you'll be reading again and having a great time. Finding a good, comfortable place to read is also important. And finally, read a novel for 15-20 minutes before bed nstead of TV. You'll probably sleep much better and your mind will slow down with one subject.

Personally I read for about 30 mins each night before I go to bed, and I also tend to have an "easy" book to read in the bathroom - which I can just skip through 10 pages or so each morning while I'm taking a dump.

Possibly no one else wanted to know that.

I went for a long time of hardly reading anything at all - till about a year ago I started making an effort again.

It was actually the Harry Potter books that got me into starting again. A girl I worked with was obsessed with them, and around the time The Half Blood Prince came out she got me to read them, so I had to start at 1 and work through to catch up... after that I started to read again, then got a library card last year and started to read a lot more.

I've found since I'm the computer, I can easily read e-books, so maybe you should try that for a while..

I'm on the computer a lot so I find it easier to read off of the computer.. probably a bad habit, but it works...

However, I do read my real books less frequently now.

I'll echo the library recommendation--I usually start at the new arrivals rack and see what catches my fancy there. I also frequent a number of used bookstores in town.

I just always make sure I have 1) a comfortable place to get lost in a book, and 2) a book to get lost in. I take self-regimented breaks from the computer to go read. Getting out of the house with a book is also a great idea--I like to go read in coffee shops, the pizza place I frequent, and the park. At the coffee shop, I also read the paper. I wouldn't recommend USA Today as thingstodo did, because the quality of reporting and news is not the best. There are better regional and local papers to be found. Personally, I read my local paper, my statewide paper, and the NYTimes every day, and the weekly newspaper from the biggest town in the area once a week.

It could be that you just haven't found a book to hold your interest.

I go through slumps where I don't read. Then there are other times that I'm reading multiple books because I find interesting ones.

If you think Internet is the reason, take a break from it. Nothing says you have to go on-line everyday. You'd be surprised how much extra time one has when the computer is just turn off. It can help you be more productive and sleep better too.

Seconded. I tend to read several books and systematically pick my way through them, but only during Non-Fiction phases. Otherwise in slumps I read in the bathroom. It's a good way to make sure you read regularly (ba-dum-cshhhhh)

Seconded. My productivity and sleep patterns are governed by the Internet.

...and TFP


Point taken on the library idea, but what if someone doesnt have the time to go to a Library?

i know that when i was back home i rarely had a chance to go to the library. all my reading was done through books i bought.

this especially became the case when i started my own construction company. my reading was almost zero when it came to books. but i was still addicted to news feeds and would read them religiously.

as for e-books, i could never get into them. i love the feel of turning a page not knowing whats round the corner so to speak.

Sometimes it can be really tough to destress and allow yourself to get lost in a good book. Sounds as though you've got to find a way to declutter your mind.

Some yoga exercises, or relaxed focused breathing can help. Also, you might consider actually scheduling the time into your day so that when it's 9:00 (or whatever) you can almost condition yourself to fall into the appropriate mode.

Perhaps you should take some time for yourself and make time to slow down and hit the library. Your body and your mind might be telling you something. Might be worth it to listen to your body!