How to Improve the Attention Span for Reading
We all love reading, but not all of us have the same concentration level. Almost every reader, at some point, struggles with a lack of attention and concentration and ends up having a pile of unread books on their shelves. When someone takes time out of their busy schedule to read, it shows they value reading and thoroughly enjoy it. It doesn’t feel good when that reading time is not utilized completely. If you are losing your focus after reading ten or twenty pages, it is still not that alarming; the problem occurs when your attention span comes down to ten or twenty lines. It means you are doing something wrong; something is not letting your mind settle down and focus on one thing at a time. It can be anything, your job, family, relationship, health, or anything else. But it is crucial to figure out how to increase your attention span so that you can start enjoying reading again. Here are a few effective ways to improve your focus while reading:
- Try to Maintain a Healthy Sleep Schedule: Insomnia and lack of enough sleep are common problems in modern times. If you are sleep deprived all the time, it is natural that you will lose your focus in everything you do. Reading demands undivided attention; therefore, reading while you have not gotten enough sleep is impossible. Sleeping becomes difficult once we become adults. We are busy throughout the day, and our brains keep working on various tasks, so when we try to sleep, the brain refuses to shut down. Our body gets tired, and keeping the eyes open becomes difficult, but the brain keeps working. There are a few tricks that improve the quality of sleep.
- The first trick is to avoid caffeine. It is okay to have a mug or two in the morning but strictly avoid caffeine in the afternoon or later; it will calm your nerves down and help you relax, which is very important to have a good sleep.
- Avoid screens before bed; spend less time with your mobile or pc before sleeping.
- Exercise daily to keep your muscles healthy and active; study shows that increasing physical activity helps with sleep quality.
- Meditate: Meditation is the cure for everything. Science proves that meditation improves both physical and mental health. It increases attention, focus, memory, and other cognitive abilities, such as reading comprehension and retention of information. Several people might have mentioned it before, and yes, it sounds a bit boring or difficult maybe, but it is just a simple breathing exercise. Do this for two weeks, and you will notice a change in your daily activities. It keeps you healthy, enthusiastic, and focused all day long.
- Listen to Music: Music is not a pastime activity; it is therapeutic. Different kinds of moods demand different types of music. While jogging or working out, you will listen to rock or metal to boost your power and energy, but before reading, listening to something soft is a good idea. Try classical music; it helps a lot. If you are not into Mozart or Beethoven, try some soft jazz. This type of music calms you down, increases your attention span, and sets the mood for reading.
- Learn to Let Go: It is okay to quit reading a book you are not enjoying. The fact that it is a bestseller or your friend enjoyed it must not bother you. We all have different tastes. Not just that, there is a right mood and time for every book. Maybe it is not the right time to read that particular book; you will probably enjoy it some other time. Whatever the reason might be, do not drag a read you are not enjoying. It wastes your time and makes you less interested in reading other books. Do not force yourself to read anything. Read what you like.
Numbers do not matter. Do not be bothered about how many books you have read. Read slowly; read one book a year if that’s what it takes but make sure you are reading it by heart and enjoying it. There is no substitute for reading, especially if you want to publish and print your own book. A good writer is an avid reader first. So, do everything you need to improve your reading concentration.
You spoke excellently on the issue. I love listening to music and same time the reading of books. As a reader and a writer, I make use of every moment, as important to me and do something that can make me feel happy, meditate, listen or make a joke. If it was to listen to music, same time I put my body to work by either exercising, mostly during the morning hours. I can be listening to music, while same time I could be holding a casual discussion with a colleague who might have come to briefly meet with me on an important issue. Meditation and music often get me in the right mind to start to picture a new world. It makes more stories to develop into my mind because I feel good.