This article covers what to do to make longer reading sessions more bearable, less tiring and less boring.
Here’s a sneak preview of what you’ll learn:
- How to deal with distractions
- Time optimization techniques
- Optimizing energy to avoid burnout
- High productivity hacks.
With that said; here’s how you can read longer without getting tired or bored:
Leverage objectives for better engagement
Having objectives should always be front and center when training to read for longer.
The important thing you need to keep in mind is that; your reading sessions are only as productive as the goals they help you accomplish.
Start by creating objectives that are specific, measureable and time-sensitive.
Specificity in this case is you knowing exactly what you want out of the reading session.
You should write these things down and have them close by when you read so that whenever you feel like giving up, you can look at them and remind yourself why you need to read.
Measurability of reading objectives in this case refers to the output or usefulness of information that you extract from reading.
Time-sensitivity in this case is having a set specific time to read and finish. This is important to keep you focused; knowing that you can only spend a certain allotted time on a book.
Find Motivation
Finding the motivation to read can help you overcome boredom and fatigue. This is why it’s essential that you try by all means to motivate yourself by:
- Reading what you like
- Joining a book club
- Having accountability partners and so forth.
Take on challenging endeavors
The quickest way to get bored is to read books that don’t intellectually engage you because you just won’t be interested enough to keep the attention needed to read for longer periods of time.
A great hack you can use to make yourself read longer is to take on challenging material in which you have some genuine interest.
This is different for everybody but the general principle is that you should read what you love until you love to read.
Avoid reading in your bed
The mistake most people make is that they put off reading for the entire day and only resort to reading when they get to bed at night.
Reading in bed of course does have its benefits but for someone looking to read extensively without getting bored and tired; reading in bed is just not the move.
This is especially true after a long day. The fact that your brain associates your bed with sleep makes productivity in bed difficult.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting up or not, avoid reading in bed if you want to stay engaged in reading for longer without fatigue and boredom creeping up on you.
If you’re stubborn and wish to read in bed despite my strenuous objection try installing some overhead lights for reading in your in order to make your room brighter during the day and less brighter after around 4pm.
Read after physical exercise
Physical exercise is important because it boosts our energy levels. This is the reason why it’s advisable to start out your day with some form of exercise.
Reading after physical exercise is a great hack for keeping your reading stamina up because it will improve your mental alertness.
Exercise increases the flow of blood to the brain delivering more oxygen and nutrients.
This heightened brain activity improves your overall focus and concentration making it easier to stay on task without experiencing fatigue or boredom.
Sleep like a baby, work like Elon
Poor sleep is linked to low productivity and various scientific studies have proven this to be fact.
For example a research carried out by Gallup in partnership with Casper proved that workers who typically get a poor night’s sleep (which was estimated to be 7% of the US workforce in 2022) report more than double the rate of unplanned absenteeism compared with other workers.
Why you may ask?
Well, the simple answer is that sleep deprivation depletes your energy and increases your overall stress level.
Another interesting study titled The Latest Sleep and Productivity Statistics In 2023 You Shouldn’t Ignore by Gitnux confirms that sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night increases your productivity by 20% while sleeping fewer than 5 hours decreases productivity by 29%.
Therefore; adequate sleep should be part of your daily routine if you’re to read longer and be more productive without suffering the effects of poor sleep such as fatigue and boredom.
Optimize your energy levels
Your energy is the all-in-one source that allows you to do pretty much everything.
To stay engaged in reading for longer periods of time without suffering the effects of boredom and fatigue; you need to optimize the deployment of your energy.
First and foremost; before diving into a reading session, ensure that your schedule is clear or that you at least have fewer things weighing on your mind.
Mental clarity is essential in keeping your attention focused.
You can engage in activities such as meditation or mindfulness that can help you gather your thoughts and directly aim them at getting some reading done.
Lastly, make sure your priorities are in order and that there’s some organization around your activities so that the stress of not doing some things doesn’t suck up your energy.
The next point is a technique by Cal Newport that you can use to conserve energy and make your reading sessions structured.
The time-blocking strategy for deep work
The time blocking strategy is a strategy popularized by Cal Newport in his exceptional book “Deep Work”. It is a productivity technique that involves scheduling specific blocks of time for focused, uninterrupted work.
Its overall aim is to maximize productivity and concentration by eliminating distraction and creating a structured approach to daily tasks.
Only you know the in’s-and-outs of your daily life and are in the best position to figure out which times you’re able to carry out focused work.
Create time blocks for reading that account for your everyday tasks such as work, engagements and any other tasks that need fulfilment in your everyday life.
Have a specific and consistent time that you read every day so that you create a habitual routine that can be woven in your standard operating procedure.
This way you’ll make your reading sessions easier to deal with than reading haphazardly without a consistent plan.
Active reading
Active reading is essential in making sure that you stay focused. There are several active reading strategies, but here are a hand-picked few that will make reading less tiring and less boring:
- Take note of important key points and highlight them or note down the page you can find them on.
- Take notes of points that are worth revisiting and from the onset seem important.
- Summarize each section and chapter after reading to test your comprehension and understanding.
These strategies will help you not only read more but keep you engaged in the process thereby reducing the likelihood of boredom or fatigue.
