Reading
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Keep your phone out of arm's reach, hide it in another room, or leave it at home when reading to prevent distraction.
- At first it feels difficult, but within two weeks it becomes the default.
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- Set your phone to Do Not Disturb or leave it out of reach, and read during times when you are alone, such as early morning, late night, or during commutes.1
Read a small, fixed number of pages first thing in the morning before daily urgencies begin.
It prevents the day's urgencies from getting in the way and is small enough not to be intimidating.
- This approach may become harder as you get older; balance is key.
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If you enjoy short stories and poems, try reading one literary magazine a month.
One person found this approach to be a lot of fun.
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Do not measure reading sessions by productive time; allow yourself to stop after a small amount (e.g., 8 pages) to remove pressure.
When you stop treating it as a focus test, you end up reading more without realizing it.
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Track how you spend your time for a week to identify time-wasters like scrolling, then replace them with reading.
Evaluating time-wasters allows you to replace them with reading.
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Choose books that genuinely interest you rather than reading topics you feel obligated to cover.
Read 'The Most Good You Can Do' by Peter Singer or 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield.
Both are good books and not overly long.
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Make time for reading by replacing social media usage rather than trying to find extra time.
You don't 'find' time; you make it, just as you do for social media.
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Read 4-5 pages every day to improve focus on important tasks.
It helped one person focus more on important tasks within a week.
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- Treat focus like a muscle; start small (e.g., 2 pages) and increase duration gradually.1
Avoid speed-reading novels if you value emotional resonance, as it diminishes the experience.
It is comparable to watching a movie at double speed.
- Based on personal preference for reading for its own sake without stress.
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Carry a book in your hand everywhere to read during free time or commutes instead of using your phone.
You'll find you start reading during free time or commute instead of using your phone.
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Do not force reading; let it come naturally and avoid viewing it as a task.
It is easier if you genuinely enjoy it.
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Read to old people, sick people, or kids.
It doubles your real-life karma.
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Read manga or comics to regain focus on text.
The artwork makes it easier to concentrate.
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Ask your local library for help setting up digital reading accounts.
They will walk you through it, which can be a game changer.
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Join a book club or read the same book as friends to build accountability and interest.
Book clubs work and provide socialization.
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Begin by revisiting beloved childhood books to reconnect with your passion for reading.
This can revive interest; doing so was healing and helped me recall my original love for the activity.
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Read in bed right before sleep while ensuring no phone access to eliminate distractions and create a wind-down routine.
Knowing everything else is done reduces distraction; reading until drowsy can feel euphoric.
- Effective for those easily distracted unless in this specific context.
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Meditate before reading to help with attention span and concentration.
It helps clear the mind and improve focus.
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Take a prolonged break from reading to let your brain enter a diffused state and regain interest.
The brain needs time in a diffused state after focused mode to recover interest.
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Read yourself to sleep every night to make it an automatic habit.
You'll do it without thinking.
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Force yourself to read initially, accepting that it will not compete with phone dopamine at first but will become more rewarding over time.
It becomes more rewarding over time.
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Use a backlit e-reader or a clip-on reading lamp to read in bed without disturbing partners.
These devices provide enough light for you to read while emitting very little light that affects others.
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Discuss what you have learned from books with family, friends, or colleagues.
It helps the information stick with you and is encouraging.
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Avoid repetitive productivity fluff and choose good books to maintain enjoyment and engagement.
Most productivity, self-help, and money books repeat themselves after chapter 3, making them boring for most of the book.
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Read physical books, podcasts, or audiobooks to gain meaningful content instead of scrolling.
These activities grant some sort of 'gain' overall.
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Read two books each day—one educational and one entertaining—to ensure you always have a book to continue if you finish a good one.
prevents the reading habit from dying when you finish a good book and cannot find another immediately
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If you want variety and sharper engagement with plot twists, alternate reading fictional mystery novels with non-fiction philosophical books.
It opens your mind to new ideas and leaves you in a 'blank state' so that thriller plot twists hit harder.
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Stop treating reading like a chore that must be finished to restore intrinsic motivation.
Removing the pressure allowed one person to look forward to reading again.
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Revisit childhood favorite books to get hooked again through nostalgia.
Nostalgia might get you hooked.
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Read immediately upon waking.
Your brain may absorb information better at this time.
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Start now rather than waiting for tomorrow, which rarely works.
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Underline passages that resonate with you to maintain focus while reading.
It helps maintain focus.
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Set up a distraction-free environment to avoid losing visualization and context.
Distractions cause you to lose visualization with the text and require rereading due to context switching.
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Read whatever piques your immediate interest and put down books you do not enjoy.
Reading with inclination makes a stronger impression; reading without it splits attention between fixing focus and processing content.
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Borrow books from the library instead of buying them to create a limited-time deadline that encourages finishing.
having a limited time invites you to actually read and finish the book
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Take notes and highlight important aspects while reading to aid memorization.
It helps with memorization.
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Set a timer and install a browser extension to block social media during your free time.
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Choose books that genuinely interest you rather than reading topics you feel obligated to cover.
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Create a reward system for reading to promote consistency through pleasure.
Pleasure promotes consistency.
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Practice reading regularly to improve your concentration naturally.
Concentration improves as you read more.
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Try reading comic books or graphic novels as an accessible entry point.
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Change the format of content consumption to podcasts, lectures, or films if reading feels tedious.
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Read book summaries or plots online before buying or borrowing to ensure interest.
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Read All Systems Red by Martha Wells.
It is a fast-paced series about a snarky, awkward, and relatable robot who hacks itself but avoids murder because it is distracted watching TV shows.
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