5 Ways I Make Reading Easier For My Busy Brain…
Does anyone else find it ridiculously hard to switch off and focus on, well, anything? If so, hi. We could probably be best friends. Even sitting down to write this blog took effort. Not because I didn’t want to write it, but because my brain loves doing absolutely everything except the one task directly in front of me.
If you’re here, it will come as no shock that I love reading, listening to audiobooks and quite often doing both at once. But I also know that if I want to properly focus on a story, I need the right setup. Too much noise, too many interruptions, or one small inconvenience, and my concentration is out the window before I’ve even found the rhythm of the chapter.
Over time, I’ve ended up with my own little routine for making reading easier. Some of these are practical, some are slightly ridiculous, and all of them help.
Add in three animals who are permanently campaigning for my attention and settling down to read can start to feel like an event that needs military level planning.
If you’re here, it will come as no shock that I love reading, listening to audiobooks and quite often doing both at once. But I also know that if I want to properly focus on a story, I need the right setup. Too much noise, too many interruptions, or one small inconvenience, and my concentration is out the window before I’ve even found the rhythm of the chapter.
Over time, I’ve ended up with my own little routine for making reading easier. Some of these are practical, some are slightly ridiculous, and all of them help.
1. Wear comfortable clothing
I try to be in comfy clothes most of the time anyway, but they are especially important if I’m settling in for a proper reading session. At home, I want baggy trousers, oversized hoodies, Crocs, and my hair scraped back. Try not to picture it! But honestly, I do not want a waistband digging into me, a sleeve annoying me, or one rogue strand of hair tickling my face every 5 minutes.
When I’m reading, elastic is fantastic! I genuinely do not think I’ve ever had a great reading session in jeans, and I’m not convinced it’s even possible.
2. Feed the animals first so they leave me alone
I love my pets dearly. I would do anything for them. I would also quite like them to sod off at times and stop staring at me the second I sit down. Even after walks, cuddles, playtime, and general fussing, they still somehow manage to act like they have been abandoned emotionally for at least six business days. Feeding them on time helps settle things a bit.
The cats usually eat, wash and fall asleep, because that’s what having no responsibilities looks like.
The dog is a different story. She often requires a follow up treat, preferably one that takes a while to chew, so I can buy myself a peaceful window of reading time.
Animals fed, watered, and mildly satisfied? Then I can move on.
3. Put on a weather ambience video
My brain and I are not always working as a team. One thing it absolutely cannot do is ignore an actual TV show playing in the background.
It doesn’t even matter whether I care about what’s on. I’ll still end up listening, half watching, getting annoyed that I’m distracted and then somehow making the whole thing worse for myself.
But complete silence is not ideal either. Sometimes it feels too quiet. Too quiet can strangely be just as loud as sound. That is where ambience videos come in. YouTube is full of them and I love a cosy living room setup with rain against big windows, maybe a fireplace with a dog or cat sleeping nearby, maybe a bit of thunder if I’m feeling fancy. It gives me background sound without demanding my attention, which is the very delicate balance my brain requires to focus.
4. Keep drinks and snacks within arm’s reach
This one is non-negotiable.
I am a prolific snacker and snacks require drinks. I am also, when comfortably settled, prolifically lazy! I’m not getting up every five minutes to fetch things! If I’m having a good reading session, I want my feet up, my back supported and all necessary supplies no more than one foot away. Ideally, the only reason I should have to move is because nature is calling.
Is this lazy? Yes. Is it effective? Also yes.
5. Tell my husband I’m unavailable
If you have a partner, family member, or just some nearby menace who loves to talk to you precisely when you are trying to focus, you will understand this one. Sometimes you simply have to announce, in a calm but firm manner, that you are entering reading mode and should not be disturbed unless the house is on fire.
Thankfully, my husband usually takes the hint. He has a PC to disappear to, which is very helpful for both of us. Most of the time, this system works beautifully.
Final thoughts
There’s no strict order to any of this. It happens in whatever sequence my mood decides in that moment. But if I skip too many of these little rituals, I might still get some reading done, I just won’t take any of it in.
For me, reading well is rarely about just picking up a book or putting my headphones on. It’s about setting myself up properly first.
And honestly, if that setup includes comfy clothes, fed pets, rain sounds, snacks, and telling people to leave me alone for a bit, I’m absolutely fine with that.
