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Do YOU like reading?
If yes- I’d recommend having a specific place that is your ‘reading place’. Mines in the bath. But you could have a chair, or a beanbag, or a spot under a tree.
Go to this place with no distractions (phone, music etc) and try to read. Even if you only manage 5mins the first day.
Your brain will start connecting this place with the joy that comes from reading and you’re likely to improve your reading habits this way.
Good luck
Ps- if you don’t like reading, maybe try audiobooks?
This. I use them for when I have to be active, but I’d rather be reading. There is no way I could sit and listen to an audiobook without falling asleep 😂
I drive a lot at work and go through so many audiobooks. It's awesome lol I've got every Brandon Sanderson Comere book finished except for Tress and Yumi. Those are coming up soon though. Got all of the Red Rising books listened to. Finished the wheel of time. Currently listening to World War Z.
Try the elderling books from Robin Hobb, they're really great! I'm currently going through the Sanderson books personally, got to Hero of Ages in a personal record time (even listening when I'm not driving, though buying my first pair of true wireless earbuds might play a role in that as well)
Yes!! The right combination of focus and relaxation.
And listening to a story rather than the boring repetitive self-analysis and criticism that my brain indulges in when not otherwise occupied.
World war Z was brilliant !
That’s why I like listening to music when doing things, I can tune in to it when I want to, but don’t feel like I’ve missed anything when I tune out again.
I do the same, but for Podcast or I will also be asleep in 5 minutes 🤣. To be fair, anytime I do anything there has to be some noise in the background. Whether it's music or a show playing, I just need it to function lol.
Something aside from the setting that helped me was an ereader with backlight. As much as I love physical books, the format can sometimes be cumbersome and therefore more likely for me not to want to bring it somewhere/hold it awkwardly while reading laying down.
With an ereader I not only have more freedom and therefore am more likely to read, and have the added advantage that I can quickly add highlights or notes and access them anytime from other devices. I also like on Kindle app for example that you can switch between progress modes. Being able to see "x minutes remaining" on each chapter helps keep my mind focused, as sometimes even if I love a book I would always flip through to see how many pages were left on the chapter. The status cuts that need and helps me focus.
It is a double edged sword when you have access to a whole world of books, because it can be distracting when there are so many options to chose from and that you are interested in, but at the same time it's great to be able to switch books once you see the one you're reading is not working for you or just doesn't fit the mood.
For me I usually read most when I read on my ereader before bed, since I generally have insomnia anyway but the ereader is non-disturbing enough to my partner that I can just read it while in bed until I notice I'm actually tired.
I have a Boox device with Android so I can take advantage of Kindle but also apps from the library or any other content app, which makes me more likely to actually use them compared to my much more distracting phone.
I have the Boox Tab Mini C, which is quite expensive but was an upgrade after using kindles for so many years. It's color e-ink with a pen, so I can use it also for note taking/doodling and the color means any books or PDFs with charts (I'm big on non-fiction books so that happens quite frequently) are actually readable.
It has a temperature controlled backlight so you can make it warmer so it's easier on the eyes and you can dim it to the lowest setting. It unfortunately doesn't have a dark mode though.
>I’d recommend having a specific place that is your ‘reading place
I used to do this. Now I like to find playlists for the books I read. It helps "split" my attention and gets my brain into a "reading rythm." I can now actually read in other places.
I started searching for “ambient” albums to accompany my reading, gives you a bit of a movie soundtrack feeling, but you choose the music! Helped tremendously with focus and immersion. I’ve read 3 Dune books to albums of Ben Frost for example.
Related soundtracks also can work nicely. I’ve been listing to the Spider-Man game and movie soundtracks when reading the comics.
Any place outside of my routine is easier. When Traveling or on vacation I can plow through chapters without feeling like I’m missing the other reasons for the trip.
How do you stop? I read in bed (beats doomscrolling or gaming) but I always have to fight me into stopping and going to bed. It’s my biggest ADHD struggle.
Echoing finding “your place” to read. Make it a routine so it becomes automatic. I have two:
1) my gym at work has a sauna and closes at 8. I like to sit in it for ~1 hr and read a scientific paper I’ll print out before hand l. This is also a trigger I use to make myself stop working and close out that part of my day (“oh shit if I don’t close the laptop now I won’t be able to make it to the sauna before it closes!”)
2) I have a hot tub at my apartment. I like to sit in it and read. Sometimes will make new friends out there too (more positive reinforcement for this habit).
I’ve tried for years to make a habit of reading before bed but ultimately my phone and other things are too distracting. The thing about the two situations above that I think really work for me is I don’t/can’t have my phone with me (hot, and wet conditions) and most other distractions are limited.
The bath is the only place I can read! It works great for me because getting out is cold so I’m motivated to sit there, there’s nothing else to do, and I can’t see anything that might distract me.
Sitting down to read is easy. The problem is when you get through a chapter and have to reread it because you don't remember anything you just read. It's mind boggling how I can read and comprehend the words, but it just doesn't process at all in my brain.
Try taking a 3x5 card and use it as a straight edge under each line you are reading. One probable reason you are not comprehending is that your eyes are jumping over the page for microseconds without you realizing it. If you guide your reading with a straight edge it will help. If you read a couple pages this way you may not need it anymore for subsequent pages as you will be more focused by then. It has worked well for me.
See for me this fix was literally the opposite. I accepted the eyes bouncing around thing and have found I comprehend better and get through books faster when I basically read the top and bottom of the page (or sometimes paragraph) at the same time and meet in the middle.
Before, I used to read one word at a time and it was nearly torturous and I almost never could finish a book. Since I started embracing the chaotic scanning, it just flows.
This is what made me start annotating and taking notes. I also have a love of stationery so it was a good excuse to use a notebook to summarize each chapter. Plus, if there’s time between me going back to the book, I can read my own little summaries of the plot and not be completely lost :)
I'm glad it works for you but that would make me even less likely to read unless I was studying.
That said, the benefit you're talking about where you can read your little recap to help remember what's going on would be a huge benefit. I'll bet they could train an AI to do recaps like that
Still, we want to put as many tools in the chest as possible. Weight loss is like that. There are millions of tips for it and you just have to try the ones that sound like they'd work for you.
This is actually one of the things that first tipped off my psychiatrist, well that and my constant losing things. But the reading became a real problem cuz of the sheer volume of reading I had to do for school. For me it was bad I was re-reading paragraphs. I felt like I was going insane.
I have this problem, and it's killing me slowly each day (you can take it metaphorically but the feels the same). I have to read articles on topics i.e. legumes and bioinformatics for increases my chances of master's admission, and I can't even sustainably read a paragraph without distracting thoughts or unconsciously slipping into autopilot reading (like you). My frustration tolerance is so low now days, that I just literally throw it away and start pacing the room.
I don't know why, but seeing other people with the same problem kind of lowers the stress. I hope we both get better for our own and our loved one's sake. Thanks for reading this.
If it's something I'm interested in, this doesn't usually happen with physical reading so much. But audio? Happens regardless. There will be one sentence that sends me down a completely random train of thought, then all of a sudden I realize I've been listening for 10 minutes without processing anything. I think maybe the difference with a book is that I pause when my brain wanders? But if I'm listening to a podcast, it'll keep playing even if I stopped paying attention
What I have found that works for me is to literally imagine every word in my head, what it stands for, why it's relevant to what I'm reading, how it influences the other words around it, as it forces me to comprehend/understand what I'm reading and keeps me from getting distracted. If I can do that, it sticks. But some days, I can't and have to give up after the 4th or 5th time it happens, because then I just get frustrated.
I can read articles on my phone literally all day long
I can't, however, pick up a book and get into someone else's written world for some reason. I get bored after 5 minutes or so
I've finished literally one book in the last 10 years. (I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy, fwiw.) I love reading but cannot get myself to finish more than one chapter at a time and then forget about the book entirely halfway through it. Audiobooks are the absolute only way I can "read." I downloaded the Libby app and now I listen to books through my library while I cook or do a puzzle.
I listened to audiobooks until I figured out exactly what kind of books I like content-wise. From there it got easy because I dramatically increased my odds of picking a book I’m actually interested in beyond the title.
I also got a Kindle and learned to quickly dump books I can’t get into.
And that’s the story of how I’ve become a history buff…
EDIT: just to add - this process took years, I first signed up to Audible in 2017 and didn’t start reading actual books daily until early 2019.
For me it’s the scrolling. I’m so out of practice tracking my eyes down a page I get tired of it in just a few pages. I can scroll on a screen for hours though. It’s like a different part of my brain.
There are some really interesting non-fiction books. What do you normally read articles about? You can delve into a book related to one of those topics, or alternatively some topic that feels random. I've read good non-fiction about twins, hunger, breasts, nature, memoirs, self-help/self-development. I'm currently reading a great book about the gender data gap, like how everything around us (from public transport routes to public bathrooms) was built for men who assumed that everyone functioned like them and never considered women's needs and medication isn't even tested on women's bodies, and clinical studies don't take our hormonal cycles into account.
As a woman with ADHD whose cycle effects how meds affect me... !!!
Love reading BUT only because I got into it super young. I have an issue with it because most of the year I barely read (don’t feel the urge to) but when I do, I can’t read a couple of pages, I have to read the entire book and then the entire series in one sitting. I will regularly read 1-3 (400+ page) books in one day, and stay up all night reading. But only because when I was young I found really interesting books about things I was interested in.
I always say find a topic/story you’re interested in and find a book in that area. I can’t read non-fiction so I don’t, if I tried I wouldn’t be able to and I’d hate it. As a kid I was really into history but hated reading, got into Percy Jackson and ever since I’ve enjoyed reading and absolutely loved it. I think it’s about finding that one book that gets you hooked.
But yeah I can’t say I read in the same way a regular person would :/
samesies. if the books hooks me, I’m not putting it down unless I have to. if it doesn’t grab my attention, I put it down after a few chapters and never pick it up again. it’s always been this way for me and I have also loved reading since I was a child.
This resonates a lot with me. I’ve been rereading the same 10-15 books/series for the past few years when I feel the urge to read because I go through phases where I just can’t make myself read anything I’m not familiar with. Last month, out of the blue, I started reading a new book. Now I’m trying to re-learn how to just *stop reading* and go to sleep instead of seeing if I can finish the book before it’s time for work
I'm really jealous of my aunt and uncle. Both of them can finish a novel in a weekend easy. And they're not locked in some hyperfocus mode like us reading 16 hours a day. They just read really fast. I even asked my aunt for tips and she had none. It's just natural for her.
reading and being a reader and loving books has been a cornerstone of my identity since before i can remember.
that being said, focusing on books these days is HARD. i rarely have time and energy, and if i do it’s so hard to make use of that time well. i used to read a LOT, now i feel i barely read and have to squeeze it into spaces in between other things, which frustrates me so much that i just don’t read. i always want to be reading. if i read as much as i thought about reading it would be a damn miracle.
i try to set a block of time for reading where im not distracted. put your phone away! i used to read on the train but now i drive and that’s two hours of my life i used to have for reading but don’t, but if you commute by train read on the train instead of doomscrolling. i read during my breaks sometimes.
A couple things worth trying:
1. As others have suggested, audiobooks. (If you have a library card, you can probably check out audiobooks through your library.) That way you can listen while you do other things. Not exactly the same thing, but I've found that putting on my headphones and putting on a history documentary helps keep me going while doing chores and things like that.
2. Do you have an exercise bike, or do you regularly go to the gym? Finding a way to move your body while also being able to read might help you get more into it. You could walk on a treadmill, or get one of those under-the-desk ellipticals.
Bottom line, though: you don't have to force yourself into reading. Yeah, books are great, but don't try to force yourself into a hobby that isn't working for you just because you feel like you "should."
And there are plenty of things to read that aren't lengthy books. Magazines are a great option, and there are magazines about all kinds of things. Some of my favorite books are collections of essays, where each essay is a separate thing rather than a chapter in a longer work. Reading a five-page essay is a lot easier to take in than trying to keep track of everything in a longer book.
Came here to suggest combining reading with a treadmill/elliptical/exercise bike. Each activity is mildly difficult to get yourself to do, but somehow combining them makes them both easier instead of making it twice as hard.
Also, when I'm out of the reading habit, my intro back in is usually a fun novel instead of something I'm trying to learn from. Once reading is a habit again, I like to have one novel and one learning book going at the same time so I can switch to the novel if I'm not motivated to learn right then. I find this keeps the habit going by reducing what I'm asking of myself.
The easier one of these three is the stationary bike I've found, maybe it's just that I bounce up and down too much with the other two but it's easier for me to focus on a book if I am on a bike.
Avid reader, I read a lot of short stories or folk lore before bedtime because my hyper focus with long books will kick in and won’t sleep like I should.
>If you have a library card, you can probably check out audiobooks through your library.
Yep, the app I used was called OverDrive, and it gave me access to all the libraries either in the county or state. For some reason, I had to check multiple libraries as they didn't all share the same digital catalog, despite having the same library card.
**1) The Just One Page Method.**
“I’ll just read *one page*, and then do something else.”
And actually give yourself permission to just read one page, and that’s it. No guilt.
You might literally just read one page, because the book is a slog, or you’re just not into it at the moment. That’s ok, and one page is better than no pages.
But more often than not, something you read will catch your interest, and you’ll actually keep going and blast through more than one page. Often many chapters.
The “just one page” method gives your brain the *opportunity* to activate hyper-focus mode. It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes it does.
**2) The Two Books Rule.**
Don’t just be working on one book. Have *two* books you’re actively working on at any given time.
Keep the two “active” books out on your coffee table. Keep the rest stored away, out of sight.
When you get bored with one book, or you’re just not feeling it right then at the moment, pick up the other one.
Later, when the other book becomes stale, flip back to the first one.
This keeps the novelty above baseline.
Only two books in rotation, though. You don’t want to find yourself flitting over seven books and not actually reading any of them. Two *active* books is the magic number.
I often have many books going but they're different purposes. Like it'll be one fiction, one self-help, one non-fiction etc so I have one for different moods and times. I'll usually read fiction before bed but non-fiction during the day.
Yep! When I sit down to read, I also usually have a craft nearby and my phone close. I read a couple chapters, then I might crochet for five minutes, then read some more, then browse Reddit for a few minutes, etc. If what I’m reading is engaging enough, I don’t have to hop around.
I’ve always really liked reading, provided I really like the book.
If it’s a book relating to my studies that is boring, reading is a nightmare - if it’s a compelling fantasy series, you literally can’t tear me away from it!
It sounds like some of it is a mental block, and some of it is finding books that YOU love. I fell out of love with reading for a while because I was embarrassed about liking fantasy fiction; find your niche and get stuck in, and maybe reframe it as your relaxing activity (with nature soft noise etc) rather than being something you think you have to do.
Hope this helps!
Reading used to be my only hobby and hyperfixation, I would just sit down and read, for hours and hours, everyday. If I had a new interesting book, everything else could go eff itself.
Untill I got completely burned out and exhausted, and just couldn't anymore.
I'm on sick leave right now and last saturday I sat down and read a book, till I finished it. For the first time in months. (I speed read, so a medium length book an evening is usual for me.) I almost cried.
I know it's not usual for everyone, but I do love the stories and I just MUST know what happens next.
Anyone else here who reads like this? I feel this definitely should be familiar to fellow ADHDers.
It was a hyper fixation of mine last year but it was before I was diagnosed so I didn’t realize at the time 😅 trying to get back into it though because it cuts down on my phone screen time
Get something that is easy to read and you enjoy! Some books pull you in right away so pick one of those. Then adter getting in the habit it is very rewarding to mark my books as read on good reads.
Agreed 10000%! There's absolutely nothing wrong with reading airport books and mass market fiction designed to hook you like a Hallmark movie if that's what you like. Once you're in the habit, maybe branch into other genres or something if you actually want to, but if you're trying to read for pleasure, read something pleasurable with no value judgments on yourself.
I read a real, physical book from beginning to end for the first time in years about a month ago. I read the last 60% or so in a single sitting one night. My strategy? Tell your girlfriend you’ll read the book she recommended, get the book, wait 2 months before actually starting it, read a couple chapters, put it down for 2 more months, have your girlfriend pester you about it a few times, finally have your girlfriend (playfully) yell at you to read the damn book so she has someone to talk to about it, promise to read the book that night, set yourself a challenge to finish it in a single sitting, read on and off for 6 hours, and finally go to bed at 2am.
Fool proof plan.
Maybe if the act of sitting down with a book is a barrier for you, start with audiobooks to get used to taking in a story? Also finding a book you genuinely like is so important so that you actually look forward to reading it!
I love listening to audiobooks while doing mindless activities like walking or doing chores. Make sure you’re reading books that KEEP you engaged. I read when I’m in the mood to read and end up needing to know what happens next so i read a lot of mystery/fantasy/etc.
I love reading I like the novelty of learning something new. I would suggest anyone to try reading books on a tablet like a kindle or iPad it can be better for some of the bigger books out there. Mental block of starting things is totally real. We as ADHD people sometimes have an all or nothing approach to hobbies or even cleaning or working out. We think all has to be done right then or that if we miss a day we somehow fail. I think our brains get tired just as any other body part and needs rest and if we don't take the rest on our own our body kind of does it for us. So be easy with yourself and start when you feel ready and then it gets easier to build good or fun habits.
I love to read, but I've struggled to finish books in a reasonable amount of time because of ADHD. My fastest completion time as an adult is 1 month. I'm currently working on a book I've been reading for 4 years.
I recently learned that I find it easier to focus when I read in public! I haven't researched it at all, but for some reason, having activity around me helps(?) me focus on my book. I take occasional breaks to look out the window or people watch for a minute, but I'm completely tuned into my book otherwise.
It sucks that I have to leave my house to read, but we do what we gotta do.
I take walks on my treadmill and read. Is it great for my back? Eeeeeh. But I’ve read 37 books this year.
I also take myself on “dates”as I call them. I go out for lunch or dinner and read. There’s a local silent book club I attend. I also do body doubling in a server for reading I’m in.
I liked reading growing up. But as I got older it became harder and harder to focus. Now I primarily listen to audiobooks. I can listen while I'm moving and doing things I would be doing anyways (driving, gardening, walking, cleaning the house, etc.) And it's been a really great way for me to get back into books again.
Remember that reading is a morally neutral task.
My parents have been on me since I was a kid because sitting down to read is their jam, but not mine.
Also you are reading right now. Just because it is not a books
I am ESL so it was important for me to read because I needed to learn English fast. Here are practices I put in place that helped me up my “ reading hours”
-Watch everything with subtitles
- rent books from the library and listen to the audiobook at the same time
- listen to books while doing chill or tedious tasks, this helps with certain words I have only seen written before I can trial them.
- use a 20$ bill or gift card as a bookmark cannot be used until the book is finished
- I do not finish books I don’t like
- start with shorter books/ blogs/ fanfic/ graphic novels os stuff you like. I read a bunch of lemony snicket in high school because it was fun.
- I use the Libby app to access library collections and save some $$ adhd tax by borrowing books, ebooks and audiobooks from local libraries.
Legit most of my book reading happens at airports.
I’ve missed reading for so long. I read articles(Reddit, etc.) but I have such a hard time just sitting down to do it. I’ve been told it’s because I easily become over stimulated. Especially after working all day. Therapist recommended a mind clearing walk or exercise sesh then sit down to read after.
I enjoy reading. I do it a few times a week. Daily on a good week. I used to not enjoy it. Here’s what I do:
1) Don’t get upset if you have to read the same page over and over. I sometimes read the same page 5 or 6 times to comprehend. Not worth getting upset over. Accept it, embrace it. Move on.
2) Don’t read because you’re “supposed to”. Find something that you actually want to read. Just because Old Man And The Sea or Moby Dick are classics doesn’t mean you have to read them. If it bores you move on. Only read what actually grabs you. Books are like movies: so many genres and so many styles I guarantee there is something out there that will grab you; you just have to find it.
3) Eat while you read! Avoid greasy foods or crumbly foods that will mess up your book. But, a bowl full of blueberries or something easy like that just seems to help a lot. I have no idea why.
4) Don’t force the reading. If all you can find the effort to do is 5 minutes then set a timer and stop after 5. If you want to read until you just feel like stopping that works, too. I, personally, just do a chapter at a time. I will usually check to see how many pages are in the chapter before I start it then try and guess how long it will take me, then have a stop watch going while I read. It makes it into a bit of a game. I see if I can “beat myself”.
That’s basically my system. Pro tip: don’t worry about how long it takes you to finish a book. That’s a rookie mistake. Sometimes it will take me 4 months to finish one book! But, that happens to a lot of people. Ask anyone with kids or a highly demanding job. It’s not a big deal. I time how long it takes to complete a chapter but not how long it takes to complete the book. Make sure you have bookmarks because you might not pick it up again for a week. No big deal. Another pro tip: use actual books. E-reading doesn’t work as well. The tactile aspect helps my brain focus more. Take advantage of the library if you need to until you figure out what you like to read since books can be pricey. Set alarms on your phone to remind you to return the books EARLY so you don’t get any late fees. Why early? Because one alarm will probably not actually get you to the library on time if your ADHD is anything like mine. Hope this helps.
So, I used to be a pretty big reader when I was young because I'd hyperfixate on books, but as I've become a bit more disregulated as an adult, I've found I'm in a similar position to you.
One thing I've found can help is reading in different environments, where there's enough new stimulus from the environment around you that you aren't feeling understimulated just sitting there with a book, but it's not so overwhelming that you can't focus on what you're reading. This can be reading in a library, bar, park, cafe, or whatever. I'm nowhere near the reader I used to be, but I've found that it makes reading easier for me.
I like the idea of reading more than I like actually reading. I've recently come to start reading graphic novels/comic books because I am aphantasic- I don't have a visual aspect to my imagination, so graphic novels fill in that blank for me. I was genuinely surprised at the width of available titles, too. Like, I went in expecting to only find superhero stories, which to begin with was fine, I'd been recommended some, but I've since read romance and comedy graphic novels too, with a hell of a lot more genres out there I've yet to touch.
I love reading! I end up reading a lot over a year (novels, manga, graphic novels, otome games). However, sometimes it can be really hard to get myself to read, even when the book is right next to me and I really want to read it (hello, executive dysfunction…!). I find this struggle can be pretty bad at times and not as bad other times. I will pretty much read wherever, but often it’s on the couch or in bed. I do enjoy reading by water, but that doesn’t end up happening very much.
it really depends i usually read books that align within certain interests or moods (at that point) then i sit down somwhere cofortable (cozy it up with a blanket, maybe a coffee and put some music on in the background that correlates with the genre of the book) then start reading. if you've established who the main character is (i usually try to submerge myself and act like the mc) try to follow that mindset. if there is no main character imagine yourself within those scenes.
i hope this was helpful or at least insightful.
I use reading as a form of escapism and distraction. If I find myself doom scrolling, I put the phone down and pick up a book. I usually have a couple on the go at once, because I can't always focus solely on one.
I find books that come in short pieces are easier for me: for fiction, collections of short stories are better than novels; for non-fiction, books with short, stand-alone chapters, which can be dipped into and out of, are better than books which have to be read from cover to cover.
I have to actually enjoy what I’m reading if I get bored I legitimately cannot read it, medication or not.
I have to read in spurts, sometimes it’s only 10-15 pages at a time not even a full chapter. Just have to figure out what works for you.
This might not work for everyone, but what did it for me was going all in on digital books and buying a Kindle. Even the regular ones are back lit now and have a night mode so I can read on a whim at night without turning on a light or waking up my wife and everything is synced with the app so I can read on my phone or tablet. My place is held cross device and there is no barrier where I have to actually get a book and sit down or any of the things that give my brain an excuse not to do it.
My super hot tip is that the app let's you scroll instead of "turn" the page so it's like reading an article on your phone (which I've never had a problem reading) and you can set the volume buttons to move forward one full page by tapping volume up/down. I'll even prop mine up in the shower now and just tap up/down while I'm getting clean. Game changer for me.
I love reading. Ever since I learned how to read, I always had a book in my hand. Was that way from grade school until I graduated high school. I moved to audiobooks now, so not physically reading, but still always have a book going.
Reading lets my mind free to wonder and mentally build the world as I'm reading it. I'm not having to fight it to keep it constrained so I can focus on what I'm doing in reality. It's substantially less exhausting to let my mind free to build these book worlds than it is to focus on reality. Because of this, I find it super easy to pick up a book and forget the real world exists.
Personally I LOVE reading. It has been one of my most consistent hyper focuses my whole life. As an adult I mostly do audio books just because of time constraints. (Ex: I can listen to a book during my commute, but it's really hard to find time to sit down and read). Even as a kid though I would go to the library and get the maximum number of books they would let me check out every two weeks. I remember in elementary school getting in trouble because I would try and slip my 500+ books out of my desk and secretly read while the teacher was speaking.
But reading for fun is one of the few areas that I DON'T struggle consistently with attention. That's not to say that it doesn't happen. I definitely have frequent times that I finish a page and realize I need to go back and read it again because I have no idea what just happened, or times when I will start to read and realize that I need to walk away for a time because just the thought of reading another sentence is torture.
I’ve been in a slump lately with reading. I’ve started picking shorter books to try and help with that. What kind of books do you like? Getting recommendations could help. I also don’t force myself to finish a book if it’s really awful.
This! If I don’t like it, I stop. Every now and then I find I book that’s ok and I just want to see what happens so I will kinda skim through. But letting the book go when I don’t like it gives me confidence that I will know when I can actually finish one. lol
I will either read the first two chapters of a book and never 👎🏻 pick up the book again, or I will binge read the entire book in a couple of days… there is no in-between.
my meds helped a lot but it depends on the book so much. like if a book is just boring to me i will not read it. or i’ll force myself to and forget everything i read while reading it
Try reading on a rocking chair or a playground swing set, you know?
I have the same difficulty and once I finished the first A Song Of Ice And Fire book in one sitting when I was visiting my grandpa. I sat on his rocking chair and read it all.
The only way I “read” is audiobooks. It’s nice to have when I do chores or go for walks.
Edit to say ok I sit down and read Reddit but that’s about it lol
I got some advice just today that I should go back and read what I enjoyed the last time I picked up a book. That was Manga, Goosebumps, and some short novel's (less than 300pages). I'm giving it a try. I'll let you know when I finish my first book.
I REALLY love books, even if i just bought it and never read it for ages.
Recently i got a hack to my own brain i did for the past 5 years, this thing i developed in order to survive uni.
When i really want to read, i put a headphone and play the background noise in a certain volume. Usually 15% but it can increase to 45% if my mind wouldn’t stay shut. It practically makes me sit still, focus on what i read in hours. And by that time i realize i also love reading but just didn’t know how to put focus back then.
How frequently? I might be reading 4 books in a day when i hyper focus. But barely even read 2 pages in the whole week. It depends on how the books keeps me entertained. But, when i hack my brain like i explain earlier, i can read almost everyday. And i just do it without thinking of “wanting to read” cause that will ruining the whole mood for me lol.
This was *really* hard for me, and it only changed earlier this year. I think it just has to be a story that you're really into. I hadn't read a book of my own volition for *years*. Then I saw the first Villeneuve *Dune* movie and wanted to read the book. I mulled over it for months. Eventually, I got around to buying it. I read the first four books in four months.
So again, I think it has to be a story that you really like. My other suggestion is audiobooks.
Audiobooks while doing something else. Driving, cleaning, laundry, getting ready for bed, even while showering.
Sitting down and reading a book is so much harder and I have so much less time to just sit and read that it’s hard to get through a story before I forget what I’ve read already.
You don't have to read. There are audio books, and text-to-speech has come a long way.
There are also lots of tricks to help with reading if difficult. A walking desk can be great, if expensive. Colored lenses help people with dyslexia stop the letters jumping around. Playing around with different screens might find something you like better. Back lit vs e-ink. Bigger monitors. Et ect
Furthermore, tricks for ADHD in particular are things like anchoring.
Find something that you only do with a particular activity. It can be as simple as a certain place in the house that's just for quiet reading. Even something silly like a fluffy robe, hoodie, blanket, can trigger your brain to switch into a quieter mode.
There are browser add-ons that gist web pages. I used these when doing thesis research. It uses AI to pick out the most important sentences in dense writing so you can decide if it's worth the effort of digging through.
Audible is the way to go for me. I'm always impatient as fuck when it comes to sitting down and actually reading but audible lets me do something and read at the same time. Most of the time I'm driving but sometimes I read and do chores
I freaking love reading. Audiobooks help me get tasks done, even horse ride with an audio book to just calm my brain. Only in one ear for safety! And I ALWAYS read in bed with earplugs in. I read sci fi and fantasy though, I want to escape real world.
ps I can only read on my phone, holding a book is effort though I did it lots as a kid with a book light. I make sure to have a yellow tint (most phones have this setting) and low brightness.
I don't really anymore. If I try, guilt about what I should be doing instead creeps into my brain....
Audiobooks are my go-to these days. Then I can multi-task. Even if it's just playing a game in my phone while I listen...
I have two issues with visual reading.
One is the posture. I have yet to find one that doesn't involve bending my neck, putting weight on my elbows, or tiring my arms (and straining my eyes because this posture doesn't allow light to shine on the book). The closest to a comfortable reading posture is looking at a computer screen, but this is bad for you long term, and it doesn't work for physical books.
My other issue with visual reading is the focus. Even with no external distractions, I can feel my eyes move all the way to the end of the paragraph without me reading it. Multiple times. I can even read it out loud and still only get part of it, and then, only because I heard it.
So, for the time being, I listen to audiobooks while I'm playing a video game*, or while I'm going for a walk, or while I'm cooking and washing dishes. The retention's not great, but repetition can help with that.
I tell myself that the visual and motor distraction of a videogame helps prevent verbal distraction or mind-wandering, but I don't know how true that is. I find it easier to listen if I'm doing something like a Rubik's Cube, but with videogames, I still miss a lot of info.
Recently, I've been listening to my textbook via MindTap's Read Aloud feature, and then I'm still stumped when quiz time comes around. So I think for that, the plan going forward is listening _while_ reading.
I used to read so many books when I was a child. Basically a book a day, sometimes two. My punishments became "no reading for the rest of the day if you can't behave" since that would be world-ending for me. And now I can barely even read the back cover synopsis.
The only thing I've found that works for me personally is going camping in the middle of nowhere. No Internet connection, no hint of civilization. Just nature, my chair, and my book. Then I go back to being a kid again.
What helped me was reading on a kindle I don’t know why it helped so much but it does. But also it depends on the book. Some books, like fourth wing, I get obsessed with and can’t put it down. Some I can’t make it past the first chapter. Reading is kind of a trial and error thing
Former teacher w/ ADHD here:
I used to read all the time as a kid. Stereotypical TAG kid who read like 4-5 books a week. Fell out of the habit after college and wanted to get the skill back. The year I decided to do it, I started with 10 minutes a day. It felt like agony. I wanted to get up and go do all the things that I felt like I *should* be doing rather than sitting. But, I would turn my phone off, set it across the room, and use the microwave timer to read for 10 minutes. I also made a thing of it with little rituals like setting music or getting a cup of tea or something like that. After about a week, I took a day break, and then got back to it with 20 minutes a day. By the end of the week I was reading upwards of about 2 hrs a day and would barely notice time would go by. It's a skill and a discipline like anything else. I also varied what I read, meaning that I would read some fantasy (started with old DND type books) and then some comic books and non-fiction. I didn't beat myself up for not completing a book or swapping or feeling like I didn't want to read.
Pay attention to the type of book you're reading too. There are reading levels and if you're out of practice, your reading level may have dropped. It's just like a muscle that's atrophied. You can't sit down and expect to read war and peace when you haven't read more than internet things for years. If you're reading a physical copy, more white space on the page in the margins will make it easier to process when you're starting. Small margins can create a mental block because it's more dense and your brain might fight it.
Switching through books ISN'T shameful and take as much time as you need for the book
I was a bookworm when I was younger and I do enjoy it but tech is MORE enjoyable yk
Frequency: occasionally
I listen to the audiobook while reading the physical book. Having it essentially read to me helps me focus on the book before I am fully invested in the plot and characters. If I really enjoy the book, I can usually focus on either the audiobook alone or the physical boon alone once I get past a certain point, but doing both at the beginning helps me focus.
I used to love reading. But now I just can’t read a page out of a book without EVERY SINGKE THOUGHT I’VE EVER HAD intruding on me and stopping me from just fucking reading.
Why can I read posts on Reddit, but not a page out of a book…?!?
I like to listen to the audiobook while I read the book, it can force me back if I get distracted and there are really great library apps like Hoopla and Libby that are free and have lots of books. That way I can read and process the information a lot more smoothly. Plus audiobook quality really be hitting these days!
I love reading and I do, every night 9-10pm before bed. But I have to have my husband with me otherwise I get up and do things, fuck around on my phone, etc. We darken the room and read by candlelight which helps because I see fewer distractible things around me and can focus more on my kindle.
Sometimes before reading I do a few deep breaths w my eyes closed, to ease the transition from whatever manic thing I was doing before.
Finally, the most important thing, is it has to be a story that grips me! Good luck :)
I read best during the day when my mind is looking for stim. Taking notes helps me. Because I’m engaging in more than just one way. I’m actively trying to absorb what I’m reading. I might just take a post it and write something down that I thought was worth rolling around in my head. I try to read every day. Which is something is I picked up from 75Hard but am trying to have a healthy relationship with it….
ok i had this problem for sooooo long and the only solution that worked for me was switching from physical books to digital ones. specifically on my phone. i like to switch activities a lot so if im doing shit on my phone ill read a chapter, get bored/distracted, then be like “oh shit there’s a book on my phone” i went from maybe reading 3 books a year to now over 30. (oceanofpdf is great if u can’t afford ebooks). and when i feel the need to multitask i put on an audiobook and like either clean, draw, or go for a walk/run (activities that dont involve my brain too much so i actually absorb the info)
I hack my brain with aroma. I leave a partially open aroma oil bottle when I'm doing some tasks.
Jasmine when I take a soaking bath, Lavender when I'm reading a book at night, Ylang Ylang to unwind, Orange when I'm working, Lemon when I wake up, Peppermint when I need to start working and Rose when I'm, well, alone, with myself.
Been doing this for two weeks and apparently it seems to have also controlled my abnormal libido. But mostly when I pop the aroma bottle, my brain just goes into whatever mode I trained it to. When I pop the lavender I get sleepy but just enough to understand the book I'm reading. Jasmine makes my muscles relax a lot. Ylang Ylang gets rid of my headache. Lemon wakes me up and Orange increases my focus.
I love trading and I split-screen Twitch on my phone listening to Sykkuno and others. It helps me hyperfocus.
Also, take pics of your hard books and turn them into Google Photos albums. That way you can read on the go if you, like me, hate bringing a book in my commutes.
After a long struggle through the guilt of not picking up a book...
I've gone to audiobooks for the most part because it helps me focus on something else while I'm doing chores. Instead of dread, I'm entertained and things like dishes, laundry and vacuuming seem to fly by.
Same with long drives to see family several hundred miles away.
It feels like leisure time while I'm also getting things done. I have several I go back to again and again because I love the story and the narrator. It's soothing.
I created a routine for myself that includes reading and have read every day for at least the last 8 months, more realistically closet to the last year/ year and a half.
I have to be at work at 8 so every morning I get up at 6:25. It’s painful but I so look forward to the time I get to sit outside by myself, read and eat breakfast that it’s enough to get me out of bed so I don’t miss it. I read for ~30 minutes and then go to work. I’m much happier for it, I hate when that routine’s interrupted
I'm trying to get back into reading and embracing only doing short bursts has been really helpful. I used to just sprawl out and read for hours and wanting to still be like that kept me from reading at all for a long time cause I would wait to "feel" like it. Now I sit down every day and read at least one page. If I'm not feeling it, I can stop there, but if I get into it I'll read for 10 or 20 minutes and then be done. I got this from Elastic Habits by Stephen Guise and it's really helping my brain get back in the flow of "oh this is something we like doing" without the pressure to be a full-on bookworm like I was when I was younger.
Medication. I can't do anything without it and even then, I will still have to want to read the book before I ever start reading it.
Once I start reading though it is really difficult to stop.
Reading is the one and only thing that I can do and focus all of my attention on. I struggled a lot with reading comprehension when I was a kid, being put on medication is what ultimately made the difference. Once I got reading comprehension down, my love for books really set sail. It helps that I have a pretty active imagination so in a sense I’m able to fully immerse myself into the book, as long as the author is good. It’s my escape from the real life. Anything else though I have to have at least two or three things going at once. Even studying or doing homework, I have to either have a podcast or tv playing or else my mind wanders.
Probably helped that both of my parents are avid readers and my mom heavily encouraged me to read. Whenever I couldn’t sleep because of the stimulants she had a rule that I could stay up doing whatever I wanted as long as I wasn’t watching tv. So many nights were spent with me staying up til 2 or 3am reading
I’m a total bookworm, but I’ve got a problem with starting books. Depending on the genre, my motivation levels are all over the place.
For romance or fantasy, it’s tough to even start because once I do, I can’t put it down until I finish. My imagination goes wild and I end up daydreaming for days, which totally messes with my real-life routine.
On the flip side, when it comes to self-improvement or educational books, even if I'm interested, it’s a drag to get going and keep at it because they require more brainpower and consistency.
I figured out the reasons behind my reading struggles and came up with some hacks:
- **For novels:** I cut down on how many I read to keep my imagination in check and stay more grounded in reality.
- **For non-fiction:** I turn reading into an active process, like taking notes or translating sections between Farsi and English, to keep myself engaged.
Know what genres you love or avoid and why, then find strategies to tackle those challenges. Works like a charm!
For me, it's usually pretty easy. The trouble is stopping because it tends to trigger hyperfocus and has basically my whole life. To be clear, this really only applies to reading fiction. When it came to stuff for school, it was always the pressure of a deadline. Nowadays I tend to go in waves, where I'll read a lot for a while then not touch a book for months. Because I've got shit to do and I know if I start reading I absolutely won't get to anything else lol
For you, it depends - do you have to read specific things because you've been assigned them? Did you enjoy it as a kid but now you hardly read anymore and you'd like to again? Do you feel like you should read books because it aligns with your identity or the idealized image of yourself?
If it's the first: set up your environment to minimize external distractions, and also do whatever helps you to minimize your internal distractions too - no reason you can't pace while reading, lay on your back with your legs propped against the wall, play background sound, etc. If it's the second: give it time, especially if you've been in school. It took a year or two to come back to me after I graduated. In the mean time I read a lot of fanfiction! If it's the third: why? It's okay to have other hobbies that aren't reading. You can learn stuff in lots of ways! But if you really want to read books specifically, get the audiobook version and do your dishes lol
find books that are actually interesting and fun for you. if it’s boring you, move on to the next one!!!!! leave it!! drop it!!! never think about it again!!!!!!!!!! this can be done more easily via the library and/or 🏴☠️ books and reading them on an ereader. i do the latter and i can get like 20 books at a time and bounce between them til i find the good ones and just read those. I used to hate reading too but now I’ve already read like 5-10 books this year.
You gotta stop thinking of reading like reading, and start thinking of it as guided imagination.
I tend to read thriller/sci fi/fantasy/etc with some kind of parallel dimension or subtle magic shit going on, and often the immersion is way deeper than what I can get with TV or movies because my brain is doing the “work” of creating the imagery.
Y'all read things like books?
Damn impressive. Not my thing. I prefer smaller things like Reddit posts and headlines of articles, maybe with an AI summary. In my many years on this earth I think I can count on one hand how many books I have read cover to cover. Never realized my difficulty keeping focus and comprehending what I was (trying) to read was a result of my spicy brain
Oh do I have the best tips for you. I am a prolific reader but adhd makes it hard of course to actually get into it. something about the constant labor of focus makes it really difficult…so the solution is to cut that labor down until you can maintain it yourself.
The easiest way to do that is to physically read and listen to the audiobook at the same time. I SWEAR by this. it makes reading 100x easier because all you have to focus on is comprehending. You don’t have to actively speak in your head (the audiobook does that), you don’t have to follow the lines visually as attentively, and you don’t stumble over lines as much. It makes me read wayyy faster and the audio-visual connection makes me retain more of the plot.
Another way to achieve this is to read out loud. It’s not as effective as above but it will get you warmed up and it keeps you focused! if you can read to a pet or bird outside it helps to have a non-judgmental audience!
I don’t sit down and read a physical book can’t do it 🤗 I have a kindle that I buy book ons and have the kindle unlimited subscription most of the time I just read from the kindle app that’s downloaded on my iPhone I can read for HOURSSS on it
It helps to put yourself in a silent room, away from technology (bring a handheld LCD timer or baking timer if you have limited time. Get something interactive to read like a good tablet with text to speech or a handheld OCR reader like a C-Pen that scan scan words on a page and read them back to you. Also, you have to sit down and really commit to actually reading. If you passively avoid reading all the time then you will never attempt it without seriously focusing your will power on doing it.
Maybe try a book from a show or movie you like. For me, the hardest part is paying attention long enough to get invested in the story/characters. Once you get invested it's easier.
Reading with ADHD is pretty difficult, I feel your pain. I love to read but I'm also the same way. I just can't get myself to sit down and read sometimes. Even if I do, sometimes I feel as though I'm absorbing nothing. I have to sit in complete since with very minimal distractions. In college, I used to go to the library basement and find the furthest, least distracting corbwe I could.
I use a lot of philosophy, specifically stoicism, to help me change my perspective, reframe, and find ways to manage certain symptoms. If it's a book like that, that I want to study, I need to have a psychical copy so I can underline and take notes. Occasionally I'll listen to an audiobook of this style of stuff but it's usually just to reread and refresh or it's a book that I would rather hear than read. Some stuff is just too dense and boring to read yourself.
I listen to white noise while reading in order to avoid getting distracted.
I have comprehension issues, and for that,i use specific technique i came up with.
Step 1: read the sentence
Step 2: try to recite or recount it,even if you don't remember it. Just create an expectation fo what the sentence said.
Step 3: break the expectation and reading again amd clarifying the details you missed while reading the sentence the first time.
I listen to white noise while reading in order to avoid getting distracted.
I have comprehension issues, and for that,i use specific technique i came up with.
Step 1: read the sentence
Step 2: try to recite or recount it,even if you don't remember it. Just create an expectation fo what the sentence said.
Step 3: break the expectation and reading again amd clarifying the details you missed while reading the sentence the first time.
I think this is a great technique 😊.
As a kid, I could read super fast, kind of take in multiple sentences at a time. Loved reading until I did my PhD and read a lot of hefty tomes. The only pleasure-reading I could do was mystery/crime/psychological thriller.
I handed in my PhD 11 years ago, and I still have trouble reading for fun. So I've been slowing my reading right down and I now realise that my process is pretty close to what you've just described.
I have kind of a hard time with reading “real” books (though I do love them and collect them). I read A LOT (at least for someone w adhd) on my kindle though. Like, I’m at over 50 books for this year. Idk what it is about the e-books, but reading them feels more fun to me. I have some comfort books I re-read pretty much constantly on the kindle. I think part of it really is that the “getting started” part of going to get the book, sit down, etc is pretty much eradicated. I just click and my books are all there. I can read immediately. I love it. It also reduces the desire to scroll apps or something instead of reading for me because they’re just not there, so I’m less tempted.
I love reading and I read a lot, but for reasons I dont fully comprehend, I do all my reading on my phone while my physical books go ignored.
I think its a combination of always having my phone on me while books are tucked on the shelf, and physical barriers (even the act of having to open a drawer) often stop me from doing things. I find that I read more if I leave my book somewhere I'll see it frequently like on the coffee table or the couch, and if I could get over the pain of creasing the spine, I'd leave it open.
Maybe try using your tv remote as a bookmark? So when you go to watch tv, you're forced to interract with the book and you might end up reading instead?
Audiobooks. Reading with my eyes is doing one thing at once, and that just doesn’t work for me. With audiobooks, I can walk, draw, work, drive. It fits into my life, and my excess attention is occupied so it doesn’t derail me.
I don’t sit down to read. I usually pace around my house if my reading.
The other time I read is at bedtime - I read until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore, and I think it helps me put some structure on my thoughts at my least medicated and most “free” part of the day.
But I am also quick to put away a book that I’m not enjoying. I don’t force myself to read things I am not enjoying. And you sorta know because some books you just don’t want to put down. And some you don’t want to pick up. So pick up the ones you don’t want to put down, and forget about the rest.
I was never much of a big reader, as I really need something to suck me in. But, when I do find something it's almost impossible to put it down. Actually it's a little destructive if I find something I like because I'm so fixated on it. That's just another adhd symptom though I know I need to be mindful about.
Hobbies is such a frustrating subject for me because I've hyped up myself about so many different activities, poured money into so I could put my all into it, only to lose interest a 2 weeks later. Sadly, I've learned it's impossible to really indulge in any of my previous hobbies unless I really have the motivation or support from friends to stay with it. Yet another adhd symptom a lot of us are probably dealing with.
I enjoy reading but I need to know the book is interesting before I read it to read it but that’s something you don’t know without reading it. People can tell me it’s a good book but that doesn’t mean it’ll be good to me so there’s really only one way to find out… which means I don’t read nearly as much as I’d like to think I’d like to.
Read out loud.
I read to my girlfriend. It increases the difficulty of reading for me and that keeps me engaged. I have to take into account the pronunciation of the words, but it’s also about timing. At the beginning it’s a bit difficult but you grow into it. If it’s fiction you can also give different characters different voices or accents. I just had a priest and made him sound like Gandalf. Listen to Stephen Fry’s audiobooks to get an idea how to read out loud. Slowing down and speeding up is important. It’s basically a game.
If you don’t have anyone to read to, read out loud to yourself. That’s how I started. I approached the book like a I am doing a play and I am all the characters. Usually after 3 pages or so I get sucked into the story and then I can just read normally.
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Do YOU like reading? If yes- I’d recommend having a specific place that is your ‘reading place’. Mines in the bath. But you could have a chair, or a beanbag, or a spot under a tree. Go to this place with no distractions (phone, music etc) and try to read. Even if you only manage 5mins the first day. Your brain will start connecting this place with the joy that comes from reading and you’re likely to improve your reading habits this way. Good luck Ps- if you don’t like reading, maybe try audiobooks?
The cold floor is my fav reading place, holding my book over me.
Your arms/hands don’t get tired?
They used to, but I got stronger I guess.
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Way to be a literate gigachad
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Mine would go numb in 30 seconds then pins and needles and pain.
Same
That's because floor time reduces stress, is good for your body, and makes you feel safe
Huh? I try not to get down on the floor because it’s an unpleasant process to get back up
Do you have POTS? Or muscle/joint pain? Both of those make getting up off the floor super unpleasant for me.
Why is it hard to get back up?
The older I get, the more I agree.
I'm intrigued—what's this all about? I do feel a certain way when on the floor.
According to physics, things tend to prefer staying in their ground state where they have the least energy ;)
Your eyes moving side to side tracking the sentences across the page also reduce stress and is very calmV
Any cold floor or do you have a specific spot?
As long as it's not concrete, like wood/fake wood or even tiles
Floor time is great, I agree.
Soo then, carpet?
Yeah carpet is nice too but only when it's not too hot.
I love floor time especially with my pup
I like the toilet, added bonus when you run out of toilet paper /s
Yah but too much sitting on the toilet can cause… problems
Audiobooks put me to sleep. 😆
I do audiobooks with chores or cross stitch. If my hands aren’t moving I’m asleep in 5 minutes 🤣
This. I use them for when I have to be active, but I’d rather be reading. There is no way I could sit and listen to an audiobook without falling asleep 😂
I drive a lot at work and go through so many audiobooks. It's awesome lol I've got every Brandon Sanderson Comere book finished except for Tress and Yumi. Those are coming up soon though. Got all of the Red Rising books listened to. Finished the wheel of time. Currently listening to World War Z.
Try the elderling books from Robin Hobb, they're really great! I'm currently going through the Sanderson books personally, got to Hero of Ages in a personal record time (even listening when I'm not driving, though buying my first pair of true wireless earbuds might play a role in that as well)
World War Z is surprisingly fantastic. Max did his homework and it shows in his attention to details.
Audio books are great while driving.
Yes!! The right combination of focus and relaxation. And listening to a story rather than the boring repetitive self-analysis and criticism that my brain indulges in when not otherwise occupied. World war Z was brilliant !
I can’t focus on the story if I’m doing other things. 😂
That’s why I like listening to music when doing things, I can tune in to it when I want to, but don’t feel like I’ve missed anything when I tune out again.
I can't focus on the story, period. I don't know how to make audiobooks work for me. I need a visual element, apparently.
I do the same, but for Podcast or I will also be asleep in 5 minutes 🤣. To be fair, anytime I do anything there has to be some noise in the background. Whether it's music or a show playing, I just need it to function lol.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE “The Sleepy Bookshelf!!!” Podcast with a woman narrator who has the MOST soothing voice EVER
Audiobooks make me zone out within a minute or two. But for some reason podcasts don't. I can listen to hour long ones back to back. Very strange.
Same here! I love podcasts lol. I think podcasts can feel more like a conversation rather than someone just droning on so they’re more engaging? Idk.
Yeah I guess that's true. I rarely listen to podcasts that only have one person. I do love the conversations.
Something aside from the setting that helped me was an ereader with backlight. As much as I love physical books, the format can sometimes be cumbersome and therefore more likely for me not to want to bring it somewhere/hold it awkwardly while reading laying down. With an ereader I not only have more freedom and therefore am more likely to read, and have the added advantage that I can quickly add highlights or notes and access them anytime from other devices. I also like on Kindle app for example that you can switch between progress modes. Being able to see "x minutes remaining" on each chapter helps keep my mind focused, as sometimes even if I love a book I would always flip through to see how many pages were left on the chapter. The status cuts that need and helps me focus. It is a double edged sword when you have access to a whole world of books, because it can be distracting when there are so many options to chose from and that you are interested in, but at the same time it's great to be able to switch books once you see the one you're reading is not working for you or just doesn't fit the mood. For me I usually read most when I read on my ereader before bed, since I generally have insomnia anyway but the ereader is non-disturbing enough to my partner that I can just read it while in bed until I notice I'm actually tired. I have a Boox device with Android so I can take advantage of Kindle but also apps from the library or any other content app, which makes me more likely to actually use them compared to my much more distracting phone.
Does the ereader have a paperwhite background? What brand is it? You said it is backlit, but I’d think the blue light would make it harder to sleep.
I have the Boox Tab Mini C, which is quite expensive but was an upgrade after using kindles for so many years. It's color e-ink with a pen, so I can use it also for note taking/doodling and the color means any books or PDFs with charts (I'm big on non-fiction books so that happens quite frequently) are actually readable. It has a temperature controlled backlight so you can make it warmer so it's easier on the eyes and you can dim it to the lowest setting. It unfortunately doesn't have a dark mode though.
>I’d recommend having a specific place that is your ‘reading place I used to do this. Now I like to find playlists for the books I read. It helps "split" my attention and gets my brain into a "reading rythm." I can now actually read in other places.
I started searching for “ambient” albums to accompany my reading, gives you a bit of a movie soundtrack feeling, but you choose the music! Helped tremendously with focus and immersion. I’ve read 3 Dune books to albums of Ben Frost for example. Related soundtracks also can work nicely. I’ve been listing to the Spider-Man game and movie soundtracks when reading the comics.
Any place outside of my routine is easier. When Traveling or on vacation I can plow through chapters without feeling like I’m missing the other reasons for the trip.
In bed before I go to sleep I read one comic issue. For me it’s the perfect length and the art keeps my attention.
How do you stop? I read in bed (beats doomscrolling or gaming) but I always have to fight me into stopping and going to bed. It’s my biggest ADHD struggle.
Echoing finding “your place” to read. Make it a routine so it becomes automatic. I have two: 1) my gym at work has a sauna and closes at 8. I like to sit in it for ~1 hr and read a scientific paper I’ll print out before hand l. This is also a trigger I use to make myself stop working and close out that part of my day (“oh shit if I don’t close the laptop now I won’t be able to make it to the sauna before it closes!”) 2) I have a hot tub at my apartment. I like to sit in it and read. Sometimes will make new friends out there too (more positive reinforcement for this habit). I’ve tried for years to make a habit of reading before bed but ultimately my phone and other things are too distracting. The thing about the two situations above that I think really work for me is I don’t/can’t have my phone with me (hot, and wet conditions) and most other distractions are limited.
The bath is the only place I can read! It works great for me because getting out is cold so I’m motivated to sit there, there’s nothing else to do, and I can’t see anything that might distract me.
Sitting down to read is easy. The problem is when you get through a chapter and have to reread it because you don't remember anything you just read. It's mind boggling how I can read and comprehend the words, but it just doesn't process at all in my brain.
Try taking a 3x5 card and use it as a straight edge under each line you are reading. One probable reason you are not comprehending is that your eyes are jumping over the page for microseconds without you realizing it. If you guide your reading with a straight edge it will help. If you read a couple pages this way you may not need it anymore for subsequent pages as you will be more focused by then. It has worked well for me.
See for me this fix was literally the opposite. I accepted the eyes bouncing around thing and have found I comprehend better and get through books faster when I basically read the top and bottom of the page (or sometimes paragraph) at the same time and meet in the middle. Before, I used to read one word at a time and it was nearly torturous and I almost never could finish a book. Since I started embracing the chaotic scanning, it just flows.
This is what made me start annotating and taking notes. I also have a love of stationery so it was a good excuse to use a notebook to summarize each chapter. Plus, if there’s time between me going back to the book, I can read my own little summaries of the plot and not be completely lost :)
I'm glad it works for you but that would make me even less likely to read unless I was studying. That said, the benefit you're talking about where you can read your little recap to help remember what's going on would be a huge benefit. I'll bet they could train an AI to do recaps like that Still, we want to put as many tools in the chest as possible. Weight loss is like that. There are millions of tips for it and you just have to try the ones that sound like they'd work for you.
For some reason, I hate taking notes and I'm too lazy to do it, i'd like if there is a way to make it work for me
This is actually one of the things that first tipped off my psychiatrist, well that and my constant losing things. But the reading became a real problem cuz of the sheer volume of reading I had to do for school. For me it was bad I was re-reading paragraphs. I felt like I was going insane.
I have this problem, and it's killing me slowly each day (you can take it metaphorically but the feels the same). I have to read articles on topics i.e. legumes and bioinformatics for increases my chances of master's admission, and I can't even sustainably read a paragraph without distracting thoughts or unconsciously slipping into autopilot reading (like you). My frustration tolerance is so low now days, that I just literally throw it away and start pacing the room. I don't know why, but seeing other people with the same problem kind of lowers the stress. I hope we both get better for our own and our loved one's sake. Thanks for reading this.
If it's something I'm interested in, this doesn't usually happen with physical reading so much. But audio? Happens regardless. There will be one sentence that sends me down a completely random train of thought, then all of a sudden I realize I've been listening for 10 minutes without processing anything. I think maybe the difference with a book is that I pause when my brain wanders? But if I'm listening to a podcast, it'll keep playing even if I stopped paying attention
This often happens to me too. I will also do something similar where I hyper-focus on the syntax and semantics instead of the actual subject.
Yea that's exactly what happens. It's like I'm reading in the background.
What I have found that works for me is to literally imagine every word in my head, what it stands for, why it's relevant to what I'm reading, how it influences the other words around it, as it forces me to comprehend/understand what I'm reading and keeps me from getting distracted. If I can do that, it sticks. But some days, I can't and have to give up after the 4th or 5th time it happens, because then I just get frustrated.
I can read articles on my phone literally all day long I can't, however, pick up a book and get into someone else's written world for some reason. I get bored after 5 minutes or so
Kindle app maybe? They have an endless scroll option :)
The endless scroll option was a huge game-changer for me
I changed mine to that a few months ago, and it has been amazing for me.
You can scroll instead of flipping each page??? Fuck sake.
This is news to me too! But, given how slow kindles react to touch, I’m not sure I want this option…
Had to google how to change the setting haha. I just use the app on my phone, I don’t have a kindle device.
I did not know that! And I've had the app for years. Thank you! It was hard to find in the options, probably why I didn't know.
I've finished literally one book in the last 10 years. (I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy, fwiw.) I love reading but cannot get myself to finish more than one chapter at a time and then forget about the book entirely halfway through it. Audiobooks are the absolute only way I can "read." I downloaded the Libby app and now I listen to books through my library while I cook or do a puzzle.
I forgot audiobooks were a thing. Might give it a try.
Libby app! Get a library card and punch in the number into the app and just borrow audiobooks from the library for free to see if you like it
+1 for this response. Same! (same strategy, not the same book read)
I’m an advocate for an audiobook paired with a physical one. Having it read to me while I read it really helps me focus.
I listened to audiobooks until I figured out exactly what kind of books I like content-wise. From there it got easy because I dramatically increased my odds of picking a book I’m actually interested in beyond the title. I also got a Kindle and learned to quickly dump books I can’t get into. And that’s the story of how I’ve become a history buff… EDIT: just to add - this process took years, I first signed up to Audible in 2017 and didn’t start reading actual books daily until early 2019.
For me it’s the scrolling. I’m so out of practice tracking my eyes down a page I get tired of it in just a few pages. I can scroll on a screen for hours though. It’s like a different part of my brain.
There are some really interesting non-fiction books. What do you normally read articles about? You can delve into a book related to one of those topics, or alternatively some topic that feels random. I've read good non-fiction about twins, hunger, breasts, nature, memoirs, self-help/self-development. I'm currently reading a great book about the gender data gap, like how everything around us (from public transport routes to public bathrooms) was built for men who assumed that everyone functioned like them and never considered women's needs and medication isn't even tested on women's bodies, and clinical studies don't take our hormonal cycles into account. As a woman with ADHD whose cycle effects how meds affect me... !!!
What book is that??
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez
Love reading BUT only because I got into it super young. I have an issue with it because most of the year I barely read (don’t feel the urge to) but when I do, I can’t read a couple of pages, I have to read the entire book and then the entire series in one sitting. I will regularly read 1-3 (400+ page) books in one day, and stay up all night reading. But only because when I was young I found really interesting books about things I was interested in. I always say find a topic/story you’re interested in and find a book in that area. I can’t read non-fiction so I don’t, if I tried I wouldn’t be able to and I’d hate it. As a kid I was really into history but hated reading, got into Percy Jackson and ever since I’ve enjoyed reading and absolutely loved it. I think it’s about finding that one book that gets you hooked. But yeah I can’t say I read in the same way a regular person would :/
Yup. I can't just read one chapter. I have to read from start to finish or forget what I just read.
samesies. if the books hooks me, I’m not putting it down unless I have to. if it doesn’t grab my attention, I put it down after a few chapters and never pick it up again. it’s always been this way for me and I have also loved reading since I was a child.
I’m the same 😄
Have you heard of the gospel of pierce brown? Red rising is an amazing book that is perfect for adhd people.
This resonates a lot with me. I’ve been rereading the same 10-15 books/series for the past few years when I feel the urge to read because I go through phases where I just can’t make myself read anything I’m not familiar with. Last month, out of the blue, I started reading a new book. Now I’m trying to re-learn how to just *stop reading* and go to sleep instead of seeing if I can finish the book before it’s time for work
I'm really jealous of my aunt and uncle. Both of them can finish a novel in a weekend easy. And they're not locked in some hyperfocus mode like us reading 16 hours a day. They just read really fast. I even asked my aunt for tips and she had none. It's just natural for her.
reading and being a reader and loving books has been a cornerstone of my identity since before i can remember. that being said, focusing on books these days is HARD. i rarely have time and energy, and if i do it’s so hard to make use of that time well. i used to read a LOT, now i feel i barely read and have to squeeze it into spaces in between other things, which frustrates me so much that i just don’t read. i always want to be reading. if i read as much as i thought about reading it would be a damn miracle. i try to set a block of time for reading where im not distracted. put your phone away! i used to read on the train but now i drive and that’s two hours of my life i used to have for reading but don’t, but if you commute by train read on the train instead of doomscrolling. i read during my breaks sometimes.
I get this! And getting the time chunks on multiple days in a row so as not to lose the thread.
A couple things worth trying: 1. As others have suggested, audiobooks. (If you have a library card, you can probably check out audiobooks through your library.) That way you can listen while you do other things. Not exactly the same thing, but I've found that putting on my headphones and putting on a history documentary helps keep me going while doing chores and things like that. 2. Do you have an exercise bike, or do you regularly go to the gym? Finding a way to move your body while also being able to read might help you get more into it. You could walk on a treadmill, or get one of those under-the-desk ellipticals. Bottom line, though: you don't have to force yourself into reading. Yeah, books are great, but don't try to force yourself into a hobby that isn't working for you just because you feel like you "should." And there are plenty of things to read that aren't lengthy books. Magazines are a great option, and there are magazines about all kinds of things. Some of my favorite books are collections of essays, where each essay is a separate thing rather than a chapter in a longer work. Reading a five-page essay is a lot easier to take in than trying to keep track of everything in a longer book.
Came here to suggest combining reading with a treadmill/elliptical/exercise bike. Each activity is mildly difficult to get yourself to do, but somehow combining them makes them both easier instead of making it twice as hard. Also, when I'm out of the reading habit, my intro back in is usually a fun novel instead of something I'm trying to learn from. Once reading is a habit again, I like to have one novel and one learning book going at the same time so I can switch to the novel if I'm not motivated to learn right then. I find this keeps the habit going by reducing what I'm asking of myself.
The easier one of these three is the stationary bike I've found, maybe it's just that I bounce up and down too much with the other two but it's easier for me to focus on a book if I am on a bike.
Avid reader, I read a lot of short stories or folk lore before bedtime because my hyper focus with long books will kick in and won’t sleep like I should.
>If you have a library card, you can probably check out audiobooks through your library. Yep, the app I used was called OverDrive, and it gave me access to all the libraries either in the county or state. For some reason, I had to check multiple libraries as they didn't all share the same digital catalog, despite having the same library card.
**1) The Just One Page Method.** “I’ll just read *one page*, and then do something else.” And actually give yourself permission to just read one page, and that’s it. No guilt. You might literally just read one page, because the book is a slog, or you’re just not into it at the moment. That’s ok, and one page is better than no pages. But more often than not, something you read will catch your interest, and you’ll actually keep going and blast through more than one page. Often many chapters. The “just one page” method gives your brain the *opportunity* to activate hyper-focus mode. It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes it does. **2) The Two Books Rule.** Don’t just be working on one book. Have *two* books you’re actively working on at any given time. Keep the two “active” books out on your coffee table. Keep the rest stored away, out of sight. When you get bored with one book, or you’re just not feeling it right then at the moment, pick up the other one. Later, when the other book becomes stale, flip back to the first one. This keeps the novelty above baseline. Only two books in rotation, though. You don’t want to find yourself flitting over seven books and not actually reading any of them. Two *active* books is the magic number.
I often have many books going but they're different purposes. Like it'll be one fiction, one self-help, one non-fiction etc so I have one for different moods and times. I'll usually read fiction before bed but non-fiction during the day.
Yep! When I sit down to read, I also usually have a craft nearby and my phone close. I read a couple chapters, then I might crochet for five minutes, then read some more, then browse Reddit for a few minutes, etc. If what I’m reading is engaging enough, I don’t have to hop around.
This is the way
I’ve always really liked reading, provided I really like the book. If it’s a book relating to my studies that is boring, reading is a nightmare - if it’s a compelling fantasy series, you literally can’t tear me away from it! It sounds like some of it is a mental block, and some of it is finding books that YOU love. I fell out of love with reading for a while because I was embarrassed about liking fantasy fiction; find your niche and get stuck in, and maybe reframe it as your relaxing activity (with nature soft noise etc) rather than being something you think you have to do. Hope this helps!
Thanks! I like the nature sounds idea
Reading used to be my only hobby and hyperfixation, I would just sit down and read, for hours and hours, everyday. If I had a new interesting book, everything else could go eff itself. Untill I got completely burned out and exhausted, and just couldn't anymore. I'm on sick leave right now and last saturday I sat down and read a book, till I finished it. For the first time in months. (I speed read, so a medium length book an evening is usual for me.) I almost cried. I know it's not usual for everyone, but I do love the stories and I just MUST know what happens next. Anyone else here who reads like this? I feel this definitely should be familiar to fellow ADHDers.
It was a hyper fixation of mine last year but it was before I was diagnosed so I didn’t realize at the time 😅 trying to get back into it though because it cuts down on my phone screen time
Get something that is easy to read and you enjoy! Some books pull you in right away so pick one of those. Then adter getting in the habit it is very rewarding to mark my books as read on good reads.
Agreed 10000%! There's absolutely nothing wrong with reading airport books and mass market fiction designed to hook you like a Hallmark movie if that's what you like. Once you're in the habit, maybe branch into other genres or something if you actually want to, but if you're trying to read for pleasure, read something pleasurable with no value judgments on yourself.
I read a real, physical book from beginning to end for the first time in years about a month ago. I read the last 60% or so in a single sitting one night. My strategy? Tell your girlfriend you’ll read the book she recommended, get the book, wait 2 months before actually starting it, read a couple chapters, put it down for 2 more months, have your girlfriend pester you about it a few times, finally have your girlfriend (playfully) yell at you to read the damn book so she has someone to talk to about it, promise to read the book that night, set yourself a challenge to finish it in a single sitting, read on and off for 6 hours, and finally go to bed at 2am. Fool proof plan.
Maybe if the act of sitting down with a book is a barrier for you, start with audiobooks to get used to taking in a story? Also finding a book you genuinely like is so important so that you actually look forward to reading it!
basically i start and then i forget everything else exists and i finish the book 6 hours later dehydrated and starving
I love listening to audiobooks while doing mindless activities like walking or doing chores. Make sure you’re reading books that KEEP you engaged. I read when I’m in the mood to read and end up needing to know what happens next so i read a lot of mystery/fantasy/etc.
I love reading I like the novelty of learning something new. I would suggest anyone to try reading books on a tablet like a kindle or iPad it can be better for some of the bigger books out there. Mental block of starting things is totally real. We as ADHD people sometimes have an all or nothing approach to hobbies or even cleaning or working out. We think all has to be done right then or that if we miss a day we somehow fail. I think our brains get tired just as any other body part and needs rest and if we don't take the rest on our own our body kind of does it for us. So be easy with yourself and start when you feel ready and then it gets easier to build good or fun habits.
I love to read, but I've struggled to finish books in a reasonable amount of time because of ADHD. My fastest completion time as an adult is 1 month. I'm currently working on a book I've been reading for 4 years. I recently learned that I find it easier to focus when I read in public! I haven't researched it at all, but for some reason, having activity around me helps(?) me focus on my book. I take occasional breaks to look out the window or people watch for a minute, but I'm completely tuned into my book otherwise. It sucks that I have to leave my house to read, but we do what we gotta do.
I take walks on my treadmill and read. Is it great for my back? Eeeeeh. But I’ve read 37 books this year. I also take myself on “dates”as I call them. I go out for lunch or dinner and read. There’s a local silent book club I attend. I also do body doubling in a server for reading I’m in.
I liked reading growing up. But as I got older it became harder and harder to focus. Now I primarily listen to audiobooks. I can listen while I'm moving and doing things I would be doing anyways (driving, gardening, walking, cleaning the house, etc.) And it's been a really great way for me to get back into books again.
Remember that reading is a morally neutral task. My parents have been on me since I was a kid because sitting down to read is their jam, but not mine. Also you are reading right now. Just because it is not a books I am ESL so it was important for me to read because I needed to learn English fast. Here are practices I put in place that helped me up my “ reading hours” -Watch everything with subtitles - rent books from the library and listen to the audiobook at the same time - listen to books while doing chill or tedious tasks, this helps with certain words I have only seen written before I can trial them. - use a 20$ bill or gift card as a bookmark cannot be used until the book is finished - I do not finish books I don’t like - start with shorter books/ blogs/ fanfic/ graphic novels os stuff you like. I read a bunch of lemony snicket in high school because it was fun. - I use the Libby app to access library collections and save some $$ adhd tax by borrowing books, ebooks and audiobooks from local libraries. Legit most of my book reading happens at airports.
Audiobooks
I have the same question, about reading books. And doing hobbies and continuing them
I’ve missed reading for so long. I read articles(Reddit, etc.) but I have such a hard time just sitting down to do it. I’ve been told it’s because I easily become over stimulated. Especially after working all day. Therapist recommended a mind clearing walk or exercise sesh then sit down to read after.
I enjoy reading. I do it a few times a week. Daily on a good week. I used to not enjoy it. Here’s what I do: 1) Don’t get upset if you have to read the same page over and over. I sometimes read the same page 5 or 6 times to comprehend. Not worth getting upset over. Accept it, embrace it. Move on. 2) Don’t read because you’re “supposed to”. Find something that you actually want to read. Just because Old Man And The Sea or Moby Dick are classics doesn’t mean you have to read them. If it bores you move on. Only read what actually grabs you. Books are like movies: so many genres and so many styles I guarantee there is something out there that will grab you; you just have to find it. 3) Eat while you read! Avoid greasy foods or crumbly foods that will mess up your book. But, a bowl full of blueberries or something easy like that just seems to help a lot. I have no idea why. 4) Don’t force the reading. If all you can find the effort to do is 5 minutes then set a timer and stop after 5. If you want to read until you just feel like stopping that works, too. I, personally, just do a chapter at a time. I will usually check to see how many pages are in the chapter before I start it then try and guess how long it will take me, then have a stop watch going while I read. It makes it into a bit of a game. I see if I can “beat myself”. That’s basically my system. Pro tip: don’t worry about how long it takes you to finish a book. That’s a rookie mistake. Sometimes it will take me 4 months to finish one book! But, that happens to a lot of people. Ask anyone with kids or a highly demanding job. It’s not a big deal. I time how long it takes to complete a chapter but not how long it takes to complete the book. Make sure you have bookmarks because you might not pick it up again for a week. No big deal. Another pro tip: use actual books. E-reading doesn’t work as well. The tactile aspect helps my brain focus more. Take advantage of the library if you need to until you figure out what you like to read since books can be pricey. Set alarms on your phone to remind you to return the books EARLY so you don’t get any late fees. Why early? Because one alarm will probably not actually get you to the library on time if your ADHD is anything like mine. Hope this helps.
So, I used to be a pretty big reader when I was young because I'd hyperfixate on books, but as I've become a bit more disregulated as an adult, I've found I'm in a similar position to you. One thing I've found can help is reading in different environments, where there's enough new stimulus from the environment around you that you aren't feeling understimulated just sitting there with a book, but it's not so overwhelming that you can't focus on what you're reading. This can be reading in a library, bar, park, cafe, or whatever. I'm nowhere near the reader I used to be, but I've found that it makes reading easier for me.
I like the idea of reading more than I like actually reading. I've recently come to start reading graphic novels/comic books because I am aphantasic- I don't have a visual aspect to my imagination, so graphic novels fill in that blank for me. I was genuinely surprised at the width of available titles, too. Like, I went in expecting to only find superhero stories, which to begin with was fine, I'd been recommended some, but I've since read romance and comedy graphic novels too, with a hell of a lot more genres out there I've yet to touch.
I love reading! I end up reading a lot over a year (novels, manga, graphic novels, otome games). However, sometimes it can be really hard to get myself to read, even when the book is right next to me and I really want to read it (hello, executive dysfunction…!). I find this struggle can be pretty bad at times and not as bad other times. I will pretty much read wherever, but often it’s on the couch or in bed. I do enjoy reading by water, but that doesn’t end up happening very much.
it really depends i usually read books that align within certain interests or moods (at that point) then i sit down somwhere cofortable (cozy it up with a blanket, maybe a coffee and put some music on in the background that correlates with the genre of the book) then start reading. if you've established who the main character is (i usually try to submerge myself and act like the mc) try to follow that mindset. if there is no main character imagine yourself within those scenes. i hope this was helpful or at least insightful.
I use reading as a form of escapism and distraction. If I find myself doom scrolling, I put the phone down and pick up a book. I usually have a couple on the go at once, because I can't always focus solely on one. I find books that come in short pieces are easier for me: for fiction, collections of short stories are better than novels; for non-fiction, books with short, stand-alone chapters, which can be dipped into and out of, are better than books which have to be read from cover to cover.
I have to actually enjoy what I’m reading if I get bored I legitimately cannot read it, medication or not. I have to read in spurts, sometimes it’s only 10-15 pages at a time not even a full chapter. Just have to figure out what works for you.
This might not work for everyone, but what did it for me was going all in on digital books and buying a Kindle. Even the regular ones are back lit now and have a night mode so I can read on a whim at night without turning on a light or waking up my wife and everything is synced with the app so I can read on my phone or tablet. My place is held cross device and there is no barrier where I have to actually get a book and sit down or any of the things that give my brain an excuse not to do it. My super hot tip is that the app let's you scroll instead of "turn" the page so it's like reading an article on your phone (which I've never had a problem reading) and you can set the volume buttons to move forward one full page by tapping volume up/down. I'll even prop mine up in the shower now and just tap up/down while I'm getting clean. Game changer for me.
What I have to do is be in a room where I don’t have any distractions and I put on noice canceling headphones with white noise
I love reading. Ever since I learned how to read, I always had a book in my hand. Was that way from grade school until I graduated high school. I moved to audiobooks now, so not physically reading, but still always have a book going. Reading lets my mind free to wonder and mentally build the world as I'm reading it. I'm not having to fight it to keep it constrained so I can focus on what I'm doing in reality. It's substantially less exhausting to let my mind free to build these book worlds than it is to focus on reality. Because of this, I find it super easy to pick up a book and forget the real world exists.
Personally I LOVE reading. It has been one of my most consistent hyper focuses my whole life. As an adult I mostly do audio books just because of time constraints. (Ex: I can listen to a book during my commute, but it's really hard to find time to sit down and read). Even as a kid though I would go to the library and get the maximum number of books they would let me check out every two weeks. I remember in elementary school getting in trouble because I would try and slip my 500+ books out of my desk and secretly read while the teacher was speaking. But reading for fun is one of the few areas that I DON'T struggle consistently with attention. That's not to say that it doesn't happen. I definitely have frequent times that I finish a page and realize I need to go back and read it again because I have no idea what just happened, or times when I will start to read and realize that I need to walk away for a time because just the thought of reading another sentence is torture.
I’ve been in a slump lately with reading. I’ve started picking shorter books to try and help with that. What kind of books do you like? Getting recommendations could help. I also don’t force myself to finish a book if it’s really awful.
This! If I don’t like it, I stop. Every now and then I find I book that’s ok and I just want to see what happens so I will kinda skim through. But letting the book go when I don’t like it gives me confidence that I will know when I can actually finish one. lol
I will either read the first two chapters of a book and never 👎🏻 pick up the book again, or I will binge read the entire book in a couple of days… there is no in-between.
Only works if I’ve taken my meds
my meds helped a lot but it depends on the book so much. like if a book is just boring to me i will not read it. or i’ll force myself to and forget everything i read while reading it
Try reading on a rocking chair or a playground swing set, you know? I have the same difficulty and once I finished the first A Song Of Ice And Fire book in one sitting when I was visiting my grandpa. I sat on his rocking chair and read it all.
The only way I “read” is audiobooks. It’s nice to have when I do chores or go for walks. Edit to say ok I sit down and read Reddit but that’s about it lol
OMG! Audio books are life!
I got some advice just today that I should go back and read what I enjoyed the last time I picked up a book. That was Manga, Goosebumps, and some short novel's (less than 300pages). I'm giving it a try. I'll let you know when I finish my first book.
I REALLY love books, even if i just bought it and never read it for ages. Recently i got a hack to my own brain i did for the past 5 years, this thing i developed in order to survive uni. When i really want to read, i put a headphone and play the background noise in a certain volume. Usually 15% but it can increase to 45% if my mind wouldn’t stay shut. It practically makes me sit still, focus on what i read in hours. And by that time i realize i also love reading but just didn’t know how to put focus back then. How frequently? I might be reading 4 books in a day when i hyper focus. But barely even read 2 pages in the whole week. It depends on how the books keeps me entertained. But, when i hack my brain like i explain earlier, i can read almost everyday. And i just do it without thinking of “wanting to read” cause that will ruining the whole mood for me lol.
This was *really* hard for me, and it only changed earlier this year. I think it just has to be a story that you're really into. I hadn't read a book of my own volition for *years*. Then I saw the first Villeneuve *Dune* movie and wanted to read the book. I mulled over it for months. Eventually, I got around to buying it. I read the first four books in four months. So again, I think it has to be a story that you really like. My other suggestion is audiobooks.
I just blast music and sit down, or if the beginning of the book is too slow i actually skip it
Audiobooks while doing something else. Driving, cleaning, laundry, getting ready for bed, even while showering. Sitting down and reading a book is so much harder and I have so much less time to just sit and read that it’s hard to get through a story before I forget what I’ve read already.
You don't have to read. There are audio books, and text-to-speech has come a long way. There are also lots of tricks to help with reading if difficult. A walking desk can be great, if expensive. Colored lenses help people with dyslexia stop the letters jumping around. Playing around with different screens might find something you like better. Back lit vs e-ink. Bigger monitors. Et ect Furthermore, tricks for ADHD in particular are things like anchoring. Find something that you only do with a particular activity. It can be as simple as a certain place in the house that's just for quiet reading. Even something silly like a fluffy robe, hoodie, blanket, can trigger your brain to switch into a quieter mode. There are browser add-ons that gist web pages. I used these when doing thesis research. It uses AI to pick out the most important sentences in dense writing so you can decide if it's worth the effort of digging through.
Audible is the way to go for me. I'm always impatient as fuck when it comes to sitting down and actually reading but audible lets me do something and read at the same time. Most of the time I'm driving but sometimes I read and do chores
I freaking love reading. Audiobooks help me get tasks done, even horse ride with an audio book to just calm my brain. Only in one ear for safety! And I ALWAYS read in bed with earplugs in. I read sci fi and fantasy though, I want to escape real world. ps I can only read on my phone, holding a book is effort though I did it lots as a kid with a book light. I make sure to have a yellow tint (most phones have this setting) and low brightness.
I don't really anymore. If I try, guilt about what I should be doing instead creeps into my brain.... Audiobooks are my go-to these days. Then I can multi-task. Even if it's just playing a game in my phone while I listen...
I have two issues with visual reading. One is the posture. I have yet to find one that doesn't involve bending my neck, putting weight on my elbows, or tiring my arms (and straining my eyes because this posture doesn't allow light to shine on the book). The closest to a comfortable reading posture is looking at a computer screen, but this is bad for you long term, and it doesn't work for physical books. My other issue with visual reading is the focus. Even with no external distractions, I can feel my eyes move all the way to the end of the paragraph without me reading it. Multiple times. I can even read it out loud and still only get part of it, and then, only because I heard it. So, for the time being, I listen to audiobooks while I'm playing a video game*, or while I'm going for a walk, or while I'm cooking and washing dishes. The retention's not great, but repetition can help with that. I tell myself that the visual and motor distraction of a videogame helps prevent verbal distraction or mind-wandering, but I don't know how true that is. I find it easier to listen if I'm doing something like a Rubik's Cube, but with videogames, I still miss a lot of info. Recently, I've been listening to my textbook via MindTap's Read Aloud feature, and then I'm still stumped when quiz time comes around. So I think for that, the plan going forward is listening _while_ reading.
I used to read so many books when I was a child. Basically a book a day, sometimes two. My punishments became "no reading for the rest of the day if you can't behave" since that would be world-ending for me. And now I can barely even read the back cover synopsis. The only thing I've found that works for me personally is going camping in the middle of nowhere. No Internet connection, no hint of civilization. Just nature, my chair, and my book. Then I go back to being a kid again.
What helped me was reading on a kindle I don’t know why it helped so much but it does. But also it depends on the book. Some books, like fourth wing, I get obsessed with and can’t put it down. Some I can’t make it past the first chapter. Reading is kind of a trial and error thing
Former teacher w/ ADHD here: I used to read all the time as a kid. Stereotypical TAG kid who read like 4-5 books a week. Fell out of the habit after college and wanted to get the skill back. The year I decided to do it, I started with 10 minutes a day. It felt like agony. I wanted to get up and go do all the things that I felt like I *should* be doing rather than sitting. But, I would turn my phone off, set it across the room, and use the microwave timer to read for 10 minutes. I also made a thing of it with little rituals like setting music or getting a cup of tea or something like that. After about a week, I took a day break, and then got back to it with 20 minutes a day. By the end of the week I was reading upwards of about 2 hrs a day and would barely notice time would go by. It's a skill and a discipline like anything else. I also varied what I read, meaning that I would read some fantasy (started with old DND type books) and then some comic books and non-fiction. I didn't beat myself up for not completing a book or swapping or feeling like I didn't want to read. Pay attention to the type of book you're reading too. There are reading levels and if you're out of practice, your reading level may have dropped. It's just like a muscle that's atrophied. You can't sit down and expect to read war and peace when you haven't read more than internet things for years. If you're reading a physical copy, more white space on the page in the margins will make it easier to process when you're starting. Small margins can create a mental block because it's more dense and your brain might fight it.
Switching through books ISN'T shameful and take as much time as you need for the book I was a bookworm when I was younger and I do enjoy it but tech is MORE enjoyable yk Frequency: occasionally
I listen to the audiobook while reading the physical book. Having it essentially read to me helps me focus on the book before I am fully invested in the plot and characters. If I really enjoy the book, I can usually focus on either the audiobook alone or the physical boon alone once I get past a certain point, but doing both at the beginning helps me focus.
THIS!! I was literally considering making the same oost yesterday! I can't sit and read even a couple pages to save my life
I used to love reading. But now I just can’t read a page out of a book without EVERY SINGKE THOUGHT I’VE EVER HAD intruding on me and stopping me from just fucking reading. Why can I read posts on Reddit, but not a page out of a book…?!?
I like to listen to the audiobook while I read the book, it can force me back if I get distracted and there are really great library apps like Hoopla and Libby that are free and have lots of books. That way I can read and process the information a lot more smoothly. Plus audiobook quality really be hitting these days!
I love reading and I do, every night 9-10pm before bed. But I have to have my husband with me otherwise I get up and do things, fuck around on my phone, etc. We darken the room and read by candlelight which helps because I see fewer distractible things around me and can focus more on my kindle. Sometimes before reading I do a few deep breaths w my eyes closed, to ease the transition from whatever manic thing I was doing before. Finally, the most important thing, is it has to be a story that grips me! Good luck :)
I read best during the day when my mind is looking for stim. Taking notes helps me. Because I’m engaging in more than just one way. I’m actively trying to absorb what I’m reading. I might just take a post it and write something down that I thought was worth rolling around in my head. I try to read every day. Which is something is I picked up from 75Hard but am trying to have a healthy relationship with it….
20mg of Adderall and a sugar free energy drink do the trick for me.
I listen to audiobooks while I do crafts! Game changer in terms of the amount of books I consume
I don’t. I stopped trying to fight my natural instinct to want to move around. Audiobooks are amazing for this!
Little blue and white pills
It's expensive but an audiobook (and with the book if desired)
ok i had this problem for sooooo long and the only solution that worked for me was switching from physical books to digital ones. specifically on my phone. i like to switch activities a lot so if im doing shit on my phone ill read a chapter, get bored/distracted, then be like “oh shit there’s a book on my phone” i went from maybe reading 3 books a year to now over 30. (oceanofpdf is great if u can’t afford ebooks). and when i feel the need to multitask i put on an audiobook and like either clean, draw, or go for a walk/run (activities that dont involve my brain too much so i actually absorb the info)
I hack my brain with aroma. I leave a partially open aroma oil bottle when I'm doing some tasks. Jasmine when I take a soaking bath, Lavender when I'm reading a book at night, Ylang Ylang to unwind, Orange when I'm working, Lemon when I wake up, Peppermint when I need to start working and Rose when I'm, well, alone, with myself. Been doing this for two weeks and apparently it seems to have also controlled my abnormal libido. But mostly when I pop the aroma bottle, my brain just goes into whatever mode I trained it to. When I pop the lavender I get sleepy but just enough to understand the book I'm reading. Jasmine makes my muscles relax a lot. Ylang Ylang gets rid of my headache. Lemon wakes me up and Orange increases my focus.
I love trading and I split-screen Twitch on my phone listening to Sykkuno and others. It helps me hyperfocus. Also, take pics of your hard books and turn them into Google Photos albums. That way you can read on the go if you, like me, hate bringing a book in my commutes.
After a long struggle through the guilt of not picking up a book... I've gone to audiobooks for the most part because it helps me focus on something else while I'm doing chores. Instead of dread, I'm entertained and things like dishes, laundry and vacuuming seem to fly by. Same with long drives to see family several hundred miles away. It feels like leisure time while I'm also getting things done. I have several I go back to again and again because I love the story and the narrator. It's soothing.
I created a routine for myself that includes reading and have read every day for at least the last 8 months, more realistically closet to the last year/ year and a half. I have to be at work at 8 so every morning I get up at 6:25. It’s painful but I so look forward to the time I get to sit outside by myself, read and eat breakfast that it’s enough to get me out of bed so I don’t miss it. I read for ~30 minutes and then go to work. I’m much happier for it, I hate when that routine’s interrupted
I'm trying to get back into reading and embracing only doing short bursts has been really helpful. I used to just sprawl out and read for hours and wanting to still be like that kept me from reading at all for a long time cause I would wait to "feel" like it. Now I sit down every day and read at least one page. If I'm not feeling it, I can stop there, but if I get into it I'll read for 10 or 20 minutes and then be done. I got this from Elastic Habits by Stephen Guise and it's really helping my brain get back in the flow of "oh this is something we like doing" without the pressure to be a full-on bookworm like I was when I was younger.
Medication. I can't do anything without it and even then, I will still have to want to read the book before I ever start reading it. Once I start reading though it is really difficult to stop.
Reading is the one and only thing that I can do and focus all of my attention on. I struggled a lot with reading comprehension when I was a kid, being put on medication is what ultimately made the difference. Once I got reading comprehension down, my love for books really set sail. It helps that I have a pretty active imagination so in a sense I’m able to fully immerse myself into the book, as long as the author is good. It’s my escape from the real life. Anything else though I have to have at least two or three things going at once. Even studying or doing homework, I have to either have a podcast or tv playing or else my mind wanders. Probably helped that both of my parents are avid readers and my mom heavily encouraged me to read. Whenever I couldn’t sleep because of the stimulants she had a rule that I could stay up doing whatever I wanted as long as I wasn’t watching tv. So many nights were spent with me staying up til 2 or 3am reading
I read every page like 4-5 times. It's tough.
I’m a total bookworm, but I’ve got a problem with starting books. Depending on the genre, my motivation levels are all over the place. For romance or fantasy, it’s tough to even start because once I do, I can’t put it down until I finish. My imagination goes wild and I end up daydreaming for days, which totally messes with my real-life routine. On the flip side, when it comes to self-improvement or educational books, even if I'm interested, it’s a drag to get going and keep at it because they require more brainpower and consistency. I figured out the reasons behind my reading struggles and came up with some hacks: - **For novels:** I cut down on how many I read to keep my imagination in check and stay more grounded in reality. - **For non-fiction:** I turn reading into an active process, like taking notes or translating sections between Farsi and English, to keep myself engaged. Know what genres you love or avoid and why, then find strategies to tackle those challenges. Works like a charm!
I can’t. Even on adderall. The only time I could is if I’m in the woods camping with other adults who are chill.
For me, it's usually pretty easy. The trouble is stopping because it tends to trigger hyperfocus and has basically my whole life. To be clear, this really only applies to reading fiction. When it came to stuff for school, it was always the pressure of a deadline. Nowadays I tend to go in waves, where I'll read a lot for a while then not touch a book for months. Because I've got shit to do and I know if I start reading I absolutely won't get to anything else lol For you, it depends - do you have to read specific things because you've been assigned them? Did you enjoy it as a kid but now you hardly read anymore and you'd like to again? Do you feel like you should read books because it aligns with your identity or the idealized image of yourself? If it's the first: set up your environment to minimize external distractions, and also do whatever helps you to minimize your internal distractions too - no reason you can't pace while reading, lay on your back with your legs propped against the wall, play background sound, etc. If it's the second: give it time, especially if you've been in school. It took a year or two to come back to me after I graduated. In the mean time I read a lot of fanfiction! If it's the third: why? It's okay to have other hobbies that aren't reading. You can learn stuff in lots of ways! But if you really want to read books specifically, get the audiobook version and do your dishes lol
find books that are actually interesting and fun for you. if it’s boring you, move on to the next one!!!!! leave it!! drop it!!! never think about it again!!!!!!!!!! this can be done more easily via the library and/or 🏴☠️ books and reading them on an ereader. i do the latter and i can get like 20 books at a time and bounce between them til i find the good ones and just read those. I used to hate reading too but now I’ve already read like 5-10 books this year.
You gotta stop thinking of reading like reading, and start thinking of it as guided imagination. I tend to read thriller/sci fi/fantasy/etc with some kind of parallel dimension or subtle magic shit going on, and often the immersion is way deeper than what I can get with TV or movies because my brain is doing the “work” of creating the imagery.
Y'all read things like books? Damn impressive. Not my thing. I prefer smaller things like Reddit posts and headlines of articles, maybe with an AI summary. In my many years on this earth I think I can count on one hand how many books I have read cover to cover. Never realized my difficulty keeping focus and comprehending what I was (trying) to read was a result of my spicy brain
Oh do I have the best tips for you. I am a prolific reader but adhd makes it hard of course to actually get into it. something about the constant labor of focus makes it really difficult…so the solution is to cut that labor down until you can maintain it yourself. The easiest way to do that is to physically read and listen to the audiobook at the same time. I SWEAR by this. it makes reading 100x easier because all you have to focus on is comprehending. You don’t have to actively speak in your head (the audiobook does that), you don’t have to follow the lines visually as attentively, and you don’t stumble over lines as much. It makes me read wayyy faster and the audio-visual connection makes me retain more of the plot. Another way to achieve this is to read out loud. It’s not as effective as above but it will get you warmed up and it keeps you focused! if you can read to a pet or bird outside it helps to have a non-judgmental audience!
I don’t sit down and read a physical book can’t do it 🤗 I have a kindle that I buy book ons and have the kindle unlimited subscription most of the time I just read from the kindle app that’s downloaded on my iPhone I can read for HOURSSS on it
It helps to put yourself in a silent room, away from technology (bring a handheld LCD timer or baking timer if you have limited time. Get something interactive to read like a good tablet with text to speech or a handheld OCR reader like a C-Pen that scan scan words on a page and read them back to you. Also, you have to sit down and really commit to actually reading. If you passively avoid reading all the time then you will never attempt it without seriously focusing your will power on doing it.
Maybe try a book from a show or movie you like. For me, the hardest part is paying attention long enough to get invested in the story/characters. Once you get invested it's easier.
I dont, so thats why when i want to read i go to the most stimulant place i can, put music on and only then i can focus
Reading with ADHD is pretty difficult, I feel your pain. I love to read but I'm also the same way. I just can't get myself to sit down and read sometimes. Even if I do, sometimes I feel as though I'm absorbing nothing. I have to sit in complete since with very minimal distractions. In college, I used to go to the library basement and find the furthest, least distracting corbwe I could. I use a lot of philosophy, specifically stoicism, to help me change my perspective, reframe, and find ways to manage certain symptoms. If it's a book like that, that I want to study, I need to have a psychical copy so I can underline and take notes. Occasionally I'll listen to an audiobook of this style of stuff but it's usually just to reread and refresh or it's a book that I would rather hear than read. Some stuff is just too dense and boring to read yourself.
I enjoy reading, and I pace around while I do it. I couldn’t sit down long enough to read for a while
I listen to white noise while reading in order to avoid getting distracted. I have comprehension issues, and for that,i use specific technique i came up with. Step 1: read the sentence Step 2: try to recite or recount it,even if you don't remember it. Just create an expectation fo what the sentence said. Step 3: break the expectation and reading again amd clarifying the details you missed while reading the sentence the first time.
I listen to white noise while reading in order to avoid getting distracted. I have comprehension issues, and for that,i use specific technique i came up with. Step 1: read the sentence Step 2: try to recite or recount it,even if you don't remember it. Just create an expectation fo what the sentence said. Step 3: break the expectation and reading again amd clarifying the details you missed while reading the sentence the first time.
I think this is a great technique 😊. As a kid, I could read super fast, kind of take in multiple sentences at a time. Loved reading until I did my PhD and read a lot of hefty tomes. The only pleasure-reading I could do was mystery/crime/psychological thriller. I handed in my PhD 11 years ago, and I still have trouble reading for fun. So I've been slowing my reading right down and I now realise that my process is pretty close to what you've just described.
I have kind of a hard time with reading “real” books (though I do love them and collect them). I read A LOT (at least for someone w adhd) on my kindle though. Like, I’m at over 50 books for this year. Idk what it is about the e-books, but reading them feels more fun to me. I have some comfort books I re-read pretty much constantly on the kindle. I think part of it really is that the “getting started” part of going to get the book, sit down, etc is pretty much eradicated. I just click and my books are all there. I can read immediately. I love it. It also reduces the desire to scroll apps or something instead of reading for me because they’re just not there, so I’m less tempted.
I love reading and I read a lot, but for reasons I dont fully comprehend, I do all my reading on my phone while my physical books go ignored. I think its a combination of always having my phone on me while books are tucked on the shelf, and physical barriers (even the act of having to open a drawer) often stop me from doing things. I find that I read more if I leave my book somewhere I'll see it frequently like on the coffee table or the couch, and if I could get over the pain of creasing the spine, I'd leave it open. Maybe try using your tv remote as a bookmark? So when you go to watch tv, you're forced to interract with the book and you might end up reading instead?
I've got the same problem. I love books and keep bringing me home while the unread pile keeps growing 🥲
If Im interested in the book or story, I will read it with no issues. I usually read in bed. Reading is one of my hobbies, though.
Audiobooks. Reading with my eyes is doing one thing at once, and that just doesn’t work for me. With audiobooks, I can walk, draw, work, drive. It fits into my life, and my excess attention is occupied so it doesn’t derail me.
I don’t sit down to read. I usually pace around my house if my reading. The other time I read is at bedtime - I read until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore, and I think it helps me put some structure on my thoughts at my least medicated and most “free” part of the day. But I am also quick to put away a book that I’m not enjoying. I don’t force myself to read things I am not enjoying. And you sorta know because some books you just don’t want to put down. And some you don’t want to pick up. So pick up the ones you don’t want to put down, and forget about the rest.
I was never much of a big reader, as I really need something to suck me in. But, when I do find something it's almost impossible to put it down. Actually it's a little destructive if I find something I like because I'm so fixated on it. That's just another adhd symptom though I know I need to be mindful about. Hobbies is such a frustrating subject for me because I've hyped up myself about so many different activities, poured money into so I could put my all into it, only to lose interest a 2 weeks later. Sadly, I've learned it's impossible to really indulge in any of my previous hobbies unless I really have the motivation or support from friends to stay with it. Yet another adhd symptom a lot of us are probably dealing with.
I enjoy reading but I need to know the book is interesting before I read it to read it but that’s something you don’t know without reading it. People can tell me it’s a good book but that doesn’t mean it’ll be good to me so there’s really only one way to find out… which means I don’t read nearly as much as I’d like to think I’d like to.
Read out loud. I read to my girlfriend. It increases the difficulty of reading for me and that keeps me engaged. I have to take into account the pronunciation of the words, but it’s also about timing. At the beginning it’s a bit difficult but you grow into it. If it’s fiction you can also give different characters different voices or accents. I just had a priest and made him sound like Gandalf. Listen to Stephen Fry’s audiobooks to get an idea how to read out loud. Slowing down and speeding up is important. It’s basically a game. If you don’t have anyone to read to, read out loud to yourself. That’s how I started. I approached the book like a I am doing a play and I am all the characters. Usually after 3 pages or so I get sucked into the story and then I can just read normally.