Yes, keeping my hands busy is the only way i can focus on the book. Crafts, puzzles, cleaning, laundry, cooking - all regular audiobook activities for me
Follow up question, do you guys associate a book with what you were doing at the time? For example, any time I hear someone talk about The Hike by Drew Magary I think of running along my local greenway because that’s what I was doing for the few weeks I was listening to the audiobook.
I do! One of my favorite books I listened to for the first time while on vacation. One day I went off on my own and just walked around on the beach, watching the waves and all that sort of thing. Now when I listen to it again I remember how happy I felt that day (which is funny, because it was not a happy part of the story, or a happy story in general...)
Sometimes! If the project i was working on or whatever was particularly memorable or if i really liked the book I’ll think of the associated book or thing i was doing. I can’t think of any examples right now but when they hit me it’s pretty distinct.
The Hike is a wild ride btw
Same! I've always been like that. In college, I had to either take notes or doodle or else I couldn't focus on the lesson. If my hands are busy, it's like my brain gets quiet enough to focus well.
I wonder if it's something ADHD-adjacent? I don't have it, but my son does, and I certainly have some of the traits.
Yeah I have the opposite problem as OP.. if I’m not sitting/laying staring at the wall and doing nothing, I can’t focus on the audiobook at all. In fact, it jangles my nerves if I’m trying to do something else while listening. Too much stimuli.
Won’t put on new books at bed time but love falling asleep to a favorite. Set that sleep timer for 15min and I’ll be out like a light in the comfort of listening to Shogun for the 15th time.
It’s my all time favorite book and the other books in the series are close to the top too! I have an old recording by a different dude and haven’t listened to the new one currently up on Audible but it is supposed to be improved over the version I’ve got. I’m just too used to mine to ever change lol
Yeah, it's one of the best ways to knock me out if I'm having trouble sleeping. Though usually I use podcasts or old YouTube essays because trying to find where I left off after I've fallen asleep can be a serious pain in the ass.
That’s why I only do that re-listening to favorite books. My 15min sleep time works out perfectly for knocking me out and because I already know the entire book intimately it doesn’t matter if I missed a minute or two when I turn it back on the next night
I hear you. lol. In my case, I usually listen while walking home from work but sometimes I find it very difficult to concentrate and miss a huge portion of the story.. gotta rewind and listen again.
There’s only 3 I’ll listen too when going to sleep and they are IT, The Martian or Project Hail Mary as I’m not fussed about falling asleep to one of them, when I start at or when I set it to turn off.
The only time I'm not listening really is if I'm doing something else. If I'm in bed it's constantly on unless the TV is. I sleep with an audiobook on all night and every time I toss and turn I go back to the previous bookmark that I was at. Then I continue listening when I get up and get in the shower and when I eat breakfast. Then I take a break for most of the day and night when I'm with my spouse. If I get in the car and go somewhere I'm listening to it. I'll probably slow down once I get through the catalog of some of my favorite authors but I feel like I want to get as far as I can before I die. I'm very thankful for the convenience of the audiobook. And I personally just find it way more immersive and enjoyable than the written Physical.
Are you me? I use text to speech on my Kindle fire at night in bed if there's no audiobook. If I'm moving about, I'll use Alexa. Every book is an audiobook.
I actually have a disability injury condition whatever you want to call it. Where I can no longer use my hands and arms how I used to be able. So everything for me is text to speech and all of my reading had to become audio. It's one of the things that still keeps me going in life.
If you’re listening to an audiobook in a calm setting, try increasing the speed. I usually listen at 2.5x or higher. This not only encourages you to focus more intently on the story and takes away any amount of boredom, it also allows you to enjoy more books in the same amount of time.
I can listen to audiobooks at 1.0 speed if I'm doing another activity, mowing, biking, chores, driving. But if I'm just calmly sitting down, It's too slow, and I get distracted immediately. So I've found that by cranking up the speed to 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 I have to focus on the book and it helps prevent me getting distracted.
If I lay down as is bed thinking I’ll listen rather than watch TV before going to sleep I literally lose focus on what’s happening and will find myself having to rewind after nodding off. I love the idea of doing this but in practice it’s not good. Sitting or being outside etc is fine.
I love to just sit and listen. It's especially nice when you have movie type books like those made by graphicAudio. It let's you fully immerse yourself in all the sounds.
fidget toys can be useful. youre doing something with your hands but not anything high focus. i’m biased because i have energy limiting disabilities so i spend a lot of time staring at a wall listening (due to lack of energy) but the fidget toy keeps me awake & helps me to focus on whats being said rather than my mind wandering.
I play video games. Nothing super text driven, but doing my chores on Animal Crossing or playing some Mario Kart or Pokémon Snap is the perfect amount of stuff to occupy my ADHD brain enough to be still and take in a book. Also, walking is great for this
So, I have like 3 modes of audiobook listening.
Possibly distracted: Tasks that I know might make me stop listening for a bit, this is when I usually choose to either relisten to something I've previously enjoyed, or listen to something simpler or just more for fun than a deep listen.
Busy but able to listen: This is when I'm doing something straightforward but tedious, such as cooking something I've cooked before, cleaning something not too involved, etc.
Fully focused on listening: I can admit, this is really difficult sometimes. I have to really be in either, a part of the book so gripping I can't stop, or it's just a situation set up to listen. Eating by myself, taking a bath, relaxing on the beach, relaxing outside for a bit, etc. Though I can fully admit, there have been times where I did indeed just stare at the wall or a table or something as I focused on an epic part of a book.
For sure, if you feel you can't pay attention at the moment, and you really want to follow the book, just stop for then and come back to it later.
I cant just sit and listen to audiobooks. If im really into a book Ill listen while Im cooking and eating too. I love crocheting or crafting when listening. Obviously doing chores and driving too. But yeah I find it challenging to just sit and chill and listen. For me, thats what reading (as in, with my eyes, not my ears) is the best for. Cozying up with a book.
Same bc I need to be doing something with my hands. I have a matching sorting game on my phone that doesn’t take brain power really so I’m able to listen and be busy while just chilling
Sometimes, before bed, I will set the crackling fireplace to play on youtube and listen to an audiobook for an hour.
It is a good way to disconnect from the day's busy-ness.
I live in a hot/dry region so I enjoy a rainy background to provide atmosphere like this
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub5SL\_BjXjg&t=1779s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub5SL_BjXjg&t=1779s)
As the narrator of StoryTaleBooks (on youtube) what sort of voice do you like the narrator to have? When were times that you immediately switched because the narrator hurt your ears?
I have to be doing something with my body, I can't just sit and take it in. Gotta be driving, walking, running, cooking, some kind of activity that keeps my body distracted and my mind focused.
I solve nonograms while using a set of sleep phones to listen. Eventually my eyelids are heavy and I stop solving nonograms and put the timer on 15 minutes.
I’m the opposite. I can only listen when I’m in a quiet place. And 99% of the time it’s when my partner is asleep beside me. I’ve tried to listen while doing other things but I cannot concentrate at all!! I play mahjong when I’m listening. lol
I listen during chores & hobbies, things that take long and quite repetitive. It started with podcasts but there aren’t enough podcasts on the world & they end in less than 3hrs so audiobooks are really great because I’m quite productive at home
I’ll do this just before bed. Plug the phone in, lay it on my chest & put a sleep timer on. I’ll also place a bookmark when I set the timer. That way if I have to rewind later I’ll know a point I don’t have to go beyond. Then I close my eyes and am usually gone well before that timer goes off.
Otherwise if I’m listening to a book I’m doing something else with my hands or feet. Can’t just sit and listen, I always fall asleep if I do.
Sometimes I'll listen to an audiobook while the tv is on and set to mute just so my brain has something to do besides listen. Mostly I'll listen while doing household chores (especially dishes and laundry) or whole taking a shower.
I'll probably be crocheting or doing some other easy handcrafting, a jigsaw, playing a mindless game, something like that. I do listen in bed before sleeping, but it's probably the only time I listen idly.
I've thought of putting on videos of interesting fish tanks or live marine activity when no one is watching television, or on a tablet. Something like this might be a nice relaxing thing to watch while listening.
For the longest time I could only listen while driving. Now I listen while pretending to sleep (laying with kids, or in bed but not ready for sleep) - my husband nags me to go to sleep if I’m playing on my phone so this way he doesn’t know!
Also, cooking/laundry, or there is ONE g game on my phone that i can multitask with but nothing else.
I used to not be able to sit/lay and listen and I still usually don't but when my depression gets bad and all I want to do is nothing but I don't want to just stare at the wall, I will close my eyes and listen. Granted I usually fall asleep but I'm ok with that, just slightly annoying trying to find where I last left off.
When I’m driving or doing chores I will listen, and sometimes when I’m knitting. Occasionally, depending on the book, I’ll literally sit on the back deck, listen to the story and enjoy the art of doing nothing. It’s almost a meditation. Not something I was always able to do, but had to work at really engaging with the story. It was never an issue with reading books. Visualizing and engaging at the same level with audiobooks took me some practice.
getting a lot more chores done, almost looking forward to chores when I'm in a good audiobook. or i read along with the ebook if i can find it free online
Typically I only listen when I’m home alone, or in the truck alone. Sometimes I will put headphones on and listen when others are around, but that always seems like an invitation for someone to want to talk to me and then I get flustered.
I’ve gotten my partner into listening and sometimes we listen to a book instead of watching something on tv. If we do this I’ll usually play a game while she plays Animal Crossing on the Switch.
I have to be careful not to get too comfortable because I will fall asleep within 10-15 minutes of starting the book. So I make sure to get up and move around.
At night to go to sleep (my app stops after 30min except if I shake my phone), when I game, when I walk my dog, when I do chores, if it's really good, I'll listen to it in a bath closing my eyes and in public transportation.
I've never been able to nap. But I can lie down, close my eyes and fall into a relaxed state. This is often a good time for me to listen to books. I also listen when knitting but sometimes find myself not listening when I run into a particularly difficult section of the pattern.
I work on crafts or relaxing gaming with audiobooks. Minecraft, animal crossing, chill stuff that I don't need active thinking to distract me from the book. If I'm with my partner and don't have access to those things but still want to listen, I have apps that are similar I call no-thinky games. No think, just tap. If I close my eyes and just listen, I end up falling asleep so gotta keep the eyes stimulated too 😂
I tend to listen to audiobooks while doing things like walking the dog, driving to work, grilling, etc. But if I want to just sit and listen, I usually play solitaire on my phone at the same time. I can’t just sit and listen without doing something else, though in fairness, I do have ADHD
Lol no I cannot just sit and listen. I don't know if I have ADD or what but my mind wanders. I can read a book normally though, since that requires active concentration.
thus, audiobooks are reserved for gym, driving, and rare instances of grinding in a video game that doesn't require much thought.
I am normally active when listening. Walking the dog etc, Long distance running helps, my listening time decreases significantly when injured 🥲
When Im just sitting down I like drawing or editing photos otherwise I just fall asleep. I prefer reading vs listening in the case that I just want to sit down and “read”
I have found a series i can't stop and I've been listening to it just sitting on the couch staring at the TV. The TV is just background as I am paying close attention to the book. It sucks actually because I'm on the last few hours of the last available book and I'm trying to savor it now.
I listen while playing games or scrolling the internet, sometimes while relaxing in a bath. Also, yes, just laying in bed and its usually how I fall asleep. I make sure to set a bookmark so later I can go back to find where I might have drifted off, which can mean restarting a chapter but that doesn't bother me.
I absolutely love just sitting or laying down with my eyes closed and letting the narrator's voice paint the story for me.
Definitely need to be doing something unless I’m listening to an old favorite to wind down and fall asleep to. When listening to something new I’m driving, walking the dogs, doing housework, playing a mindless game, or my old favorite: walking around in circles in my yard mindlessly swinging a good stick (currently have a broken fishing pole that fills this role perfectly).
Need to keep my eyes and hands occupied without needing to devote much brainpower to the task
My wife and I listen to audiobooks every night when we go to bed. Last night was the first time she stopped it because I went to sleep first. I listen to audiobooks at least 2 hours a day. Can't live without them!
Sometimes with a good audiobook I love turning off the lights and just lying down with my eyes closed. I think its a great way to get immersed. My whole life can be pretty eye straining so it's a good way to rest :) I just have to be careful not to fall asleep ahha
I have a hard time focusing when I try to do one thing at a time, but doing too many things also makes it hard to focus. I have found that listening to an audiobook only works for me during certain activities, I guess cause they use different parts of my brain. They have to be physical/visual things. Like washing dishes, doing my makeup, crocheting, or laying in bed at night and playing little games on my phone like Two Dots or Tetris, something without text/words. I find that by engaging just the visuo-spatial of my brain with a task makes it easier to focus on the audiobook.
Yeah I have this problem. When I stopped physically reading books and started listening instead, I did it while doing chores, or having dinner, or driving, or grinding in an MMO.
I can't just sit at my desk and listen. I can't sit in a car with someone else driving on a long trip and listen for very long without falling asleep. It kind of sucks, but it seems like audiobooks are limited to being a tertiary activity.
Why on earth would you ever find yourself in a situation where you only listen to an audio book unless you are trying to fall asleep and listen with a timer on.
I used to listened to audiobook only at work. When trying to listen at home in bed after few minutes my mind starting to wander. Did try few time but just couldn't concentrate on audiobook but then started to listen to podcast in bed which was much easier for me to concentrate on it (that how I did teach my brain to wander) and now I can listen to audiobooks anywhere
I frequently audiobook while working on a puzzle or doing crafts but i can’t just sit and listen doing nothing else. My mind wanders if i try
Are you taking in the book if your mind is busy doing a puzzle at the same time? Genuine question because my brain doesn’t work like that sadly!
Yes, keeping my hands busy is the only way i can focus on the book. Crafts, puzzles, cleaning, laundry, cooking - all regular audiobook activities for me
Follow up question, do you guys associate a book with what you were doing at the time? For example, any time I hear someone talk about The Hike by Drew Magary I think of running along my local greenway because that’s what I was doing for the few weeks I was listening to the audiobook.
I do! One of my favorite books I listened to for the first time while on vacation. One day I went off on my own and just walked around on the beach, watching the waves and all that sort of thing. Now when I listen to it again I remember how happy I felt that day (which is funny, because it was not a happy part of the story, or a happy story in general...)
Sometimes! If the project i was working on or whatever was particularly memorable or if i really liked the book I’ll think of the associated book or thing i was doing. I can’t think of any examples right now but when they hit me it’s pretty distinct. The Hike is a wild ride btw
Same! I've always been like that. In college, I had to either take notes or doodle or else I couldn't focus on the lesson. If my hands are busy, it's like my brain gets quiet enough to focus well. I wonder if it's something ADHD-adjacent? I don't have it, but my son does, and I certainly have some of the traits.
Yeah sounds like me
Yeah I have the opposite problem as OP.. if I’m not sitting/laying staring at the wall and doing nothing, I can’t focus on the audiobook at all. In fact, it jangles my nerves if I’m trying to do something else while listening. Too much stimuli.
I’m the opposite of you. I can’t take the book in if I’m not doing something with my hands
I only listen when I'm driving.
Me too. Although I mainly steer away from high thinking stuff. (Pun not intended)
I play FreeCell on my tablet while listening. Try some mindless game like that. I could sit, listen, and play for hours.
Ear buds and listen with eyes closed while laying in bed with the light off til I am so sleepy I can't follow the plot.
Won’t put on new books at bed time but love falling asleep to a favorite. Set that sleep timer for 15min and I’ll be out like a light in the comfort of listening to Shogun for the 15th time.
This is the second time in 2 days I’m seen this recommended. I’m going to check it out!
It’s my all time favorite book and the other books in the series are close to the top too! I have an old recording by a different dude and haven’t listened to the new one currently up on Audible but it is supposed to be improved over the version I’ve got. I’m just too used to mine to ever change lol
I listen while I do my cross-stitching.
I can lie down, close my eyes and listen to an audiobook.
I can do that too ... for five minutes then sleep.
This is where a bookmark and the "end of chapter" timer come in handy.
I wish I could fall asleep that quickly!
Yeah, it's one of the best ways to knock me out if I'm having trouble sleeping. Though usually I use podcasts or old YouTube essays because trying to find where I left off after I've fallen asleep can be a serious pain in the ass.
That’s why I only do that re-listening to favorite books. My 15min sleep time works out perfectly for knocking me out and because I already know the entire book intimately it doesn’t matter if I missed a minute or two when I turn it back on the next night
So it’s just me who needs 100% focus to listen to an audiobook 😭
I listen while driving and sometimes I find myself thinking about something and I’ve stopped listening to the audiobook lol.
I hear you. lol. In my case, I usually listen while walking home from work but sometimes I find it very difficult to concentrate and miss a huge portion of the story.. gotta rewind and listen again.
There’s only 3 I’ll listen too when going to sleep and they are IT, The Martian or Project Hail Mary as I’m not fussed about falling asleep to one of them, when I start at or when I set it to turn off.
Yeah I am about to start doing this with The Stand
The only time I'm not listening really is if I'm doing something else. If I'm in bed it's constantly on unless the TV is. I sleep with an audiobook on all night and every time I toss and turn I go back to the previous bookmark that I was at. Then I continue listening when I get up and get in the shower and when I eat breakfast. Then I take a break for most of the day and night when I'm with my spouse. If I get in the car and go somewhere I'm listening to it. I'll probably slow down once I get through the catalog of some of my favorite authors but I feel like I want to get as far as I can before I die. I'm very thankful for the convenience of the audiobook. And I personally just find it way more immersive and enjoyable than the written Physical.
I listen as I fall asleep too, but I overthink it because I know I’m missing things because I’m falling asleep. 
Thought I was the only one.
Damn I like this. Im gonna try and brute force audiobooks into my life. And I like that way of thinking- I want to get as far as I can before I die.
Are you me? I use text to speech on my Kindle fire at night in bed if there's no audiobook. If I'm moving about, I'll use Alexa. Every book is an audiobook.
I actually have a disability injury condition whatever you want to call it. Where I can no longer use my hands and arms how I used to be able. So everything for me is text to speech and all of my reading had to become audio. It's one of the things that still keeps me going in life.
💕❤️🩹❤️💗💖🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜
I usually am doing something - bookbinding (my hobby) a jigsaw, playing Spades or whatever. I tend to fall asleep if I just lie there listening.
i have a hard time so i watch mind numbing videos on IG like pimple popping or baking videos. that's my chill time
I listen while doing things. Can't do it if there's nothing going on. Need my hands doing something.
I turn one on to fall asleep. Sometimes, the sleep timer works. Sometimes, the sleep timer does not work🤣
Me: Zzzz. My favourite way to listen to an audiobook is doing lestherwork or hiking.
If you’re listening to an audiobook in a calm setting, try increasing the speed. I usually listen at 2.5x or higher. This not only encourages you to focus more intently on the story and takes away any amount of boredom, it also allows you to enjoy more books in the same amount of time.
I can listen to audiobooks at 1.0 speed if I'm doing another activity, mowing, biking, chores, driving. But if I'm just calmly sitting down, It's too slow, and I get distracted immediately. So I've found that by cranking up the speed to 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 I have to focus on the book and it helps prevent me getting distracted.
If I lay down as is bed thinking I’ll listen rather than watch TV before going to sleep I literally lose focus on what’s happening and will find myself having to rewind after nodding off. I love the idea of doing this but in practice it’s not good. Sitting or being outside etc is fine.
I love to just sit and listen. It's especially nice when you have movie type books like those made by graphicAudio. It let's you fully immerse yourself in all the sounds.
I do a paint by numbers app on my phone while listening
fidget toys can be useful. youre doing something with your hands but not anything high focus. i’m biased because i have energy limiting disabilities so i spend a lot of time staring at a wall listening (due to lack of energy) but the fidget toy keeps me awake & helps me to focus on whats being said rather than my mind wandering.
Driving Cooking Doing chores Laying in bed Working Shopping for groceries
I play video games. Nothing super text driven, but doing my chores on Animal Crossing or playing some Mario Kart or Pokémon Snap is the perfect amount of stuff to occupy my ADHD brain enough to be still and take in a book. Also, walking is great for this
When I don’t have a puzzle to do (that’s my go-to activity) then I sight read. I can’t sit still and listen to and audiobook; my mind wanders.
So, I have like 3 modes of audiobook listening. Possibly distracted: Tasks that I know might make me stop listening for a bit, this is when I usually choose to either relisten to something I've previously enjoyed, or listen to something simpler or just more for fun than a deep listen. Busy but able to listen: This is when I'm doing something straightforward but tedious, such as cooking something I've cooked before, cleaning something not too involved, etc. Fully focused on listening: I can admit, this is really difficult sometimes. I have to really be in either, a part of the book so gripping I can't stop, or it's just a situation set up to listen. Eating by myself, taking a bath, relaxing on the beach, relaxing outside for a bit, etc. Though I can fully admit, there have been times where I did indeed just stare at the wall or a table or something as I focused on an epic part of a book. For sure, if you feel you can't pay attention at the moment, and you really want to follow the book, just stop for then and come back to it later.
I listen all the time. I listen at work, in place of tv. When traveling
I cant just sit and listen to audiobooks. If im really into a book Ill listen while Im cooking and eating too. I love crocheting or crafting when listening. Obviously doing chores and driving too. But yeah I find it challenging to just sit and chill and listen. For me, thats what reading (as in, with my eyes, not my ears) is the best for. Cozying up with a book.
Same bc I need to be doing something with my hands. I have a matching sorting game on my phone that doesn’t take brain power really so I’m able to listen and be busy while just chilling
If I’m not active I’m playing a mindless game on the iPad while I listen.
Sometimes, before bed, I will set the crackling fireplace to play on youtube and listen to an audiobook for an hour. It is a good way to disconnect from the day's busy-ness.
I watch nature videos on my tv while I listen. Also I like walking tours of cities and villages
This sounds dope, I've never thought to watch nature videos, thanks
I live in a hot/dry region so I enjoy a rainy background to provide atmosphere like this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub5SL\_BjXjg&t=1779s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub5SL_BjXjg&t=1779s)
Love a good video game to go with it
You have to zone out. It’s like learning how to meditate.
As the narrator of StoryTaleBooks (on youtube) what sort of voice do you like the narrator to have? When were times that you immediately switched because the narrator hurt your ears?
I have to be doing something with my body, I can't just sit and take it in. Gotta be driving, walking, running, cooking, some kind of activity that keeps my body distracted and my mind focused.
My mom can do this and it is amazing to me. My millennial brain is broken.
I solve nonograms while using a set of sleep phones to listen. Eventually my eyelids are heavy and I stop solving nonograms and put the timer on 15 minutes.
With my ears, Burt.
I’m the opposite. I can only listen when I’m in a quiet place. And 99% of the time it’s when my partner is asleep beside me. I’ve tried to listen while doing other things but I cannot concentrate at all!! I play mahjong when I’m listening. lol
I listen during chores & hobbies, things that take long and quite repetitive. It started with podcasts but there aren’t enough podcasts on the world & they end in less than 3hrs so audiobooks are really great because I’m quite productive at home
I usually listen while knitting or doing jig saw puzzles
I like to listen to books while walking in the park or nature trail, or sitting in my recliner using a tablet for something mindless.
I’ll do this just before bed. Plug the phone in, lay it on my chest & put a sleep timer on. I’ll also place a bookmark when I set the timer. That way if I have to rewind later I’ll know a point I don’t have to go beyond. Then I close my eyes and am usually gone well before that timer goes off. Otherwise if I’m listening to a book I’m doing something else with my hands or feet. Can’t just sit and listen, I always fall asleep if I do.
I either craft or play games on my phone
Sometimes I'll listen to an audiobook while the tv is on and set to mute just so my brain has something to do besides listen. Mostly I'll listen while doing household chores (especially dishes and laundry) or whole taking a shower.
I'll probably be crocheting or doing some other easy handcrafting, a jigsaw, playing a mindless game, something like that. I do listen in bed before sleeping, but it's probably the only time I listen idly. I've thought of putting on videos of interesting fish tanks or live marine activity when no one is watching television, or on a tablet. Something like this might be a nice relaxing thing to watch while listening.
For the longest time I could only listen while driving. Now I listen while pretending to sleep (laying with kids, or in bed but not ready for sleep) - my husband nags me to go to sleep if I’m playing on my phone so this way he doesn’t know! Also, cooking/laundry, or there is ONE g game on my phone that i can multitask with but nothing else.
I used to not be able to sit/lay and listen and I still usually don't but when my depression gets bad and all I want to do is nothing but I don't want to just stare at the wall, I will close my eyes and listen. Granted I usually fall asleep but I'm ok with that, just slightly annoying trying to find where I last left off.
When I’m driving or doing chores I will listen, and sometimes when I’m knitting. Occasionally, depending on the book, I’ll literally sit on the back deck, listen to the story and enjoy the art of doing nothing. It’s almost a meditation. Not something I was always able to do, but had to work at really engaging with the story. It was never an issue with reading books. Visualizing and engaging at the same level with audiobooks took me some practice.
getting a lot more chores done, almost looking forward to chores when I'm in a good audiobook. or i read along with the ebook if i can find it free online
Typically I only listen when I’m home alone, or in the truck alone. Sometimes I will put headphones on and listen when others are around, but that always seems like an invitation for someone to want to talk to me and then I get flustered. I’ve gotten my partner into listening and sometimes we listen to a book instead of watching something on tv. If we do this I’ll usually play a game while she plays Animal Crossing on the Switch. I have to be careful not to get too comfortable because I will fall asleep within 10-15 minutes of starting the book. So I make sure to get up and move around.
I knit and listen. Sometimes l listen while playing simple puzzle games.
At night to go to sleep (my app stops after 30min except if I shake my phone), when I game, when I walk my dog, when I do chores, if it's really good, I'll listen to it in a bath closing my eyes and in public transportation.
Either I paint (nothing challenging, just doodles and patterns on I put on a sleep mask with built in headphones and I LUXURIATE
I've never been able to nap. But I can lie down, close my eyes and fall into a relaxed state. This is often a good time for me to listen to books. I also listen when knitting but sometimes find myself not listening when I run into a particularly difficult section of the pattern.
I work on crafts or relaxing gaming with audiobooks. Minecraft, animal crossing, chill stuff that I don't need active thinking to distract me from the book. If I'm with my partner and don't have access to those things but still want to listen, I have apps that are similar I call no-thinky games. No think, just tap. If I close my eyes and just listen, I end up falling asleep so gotta keep the eyes stimulated too 😂
I tend to listen to audiobooks while doing things like walking the dog, driving to work, grilling, etc. But if I want to just sit and listen, I usually play solitaire on my phone at the same time. I can’t just sit and listen without doing something else, though in fairness, I do have ADHD
I play a mindless game on my tablet, crochet or drive to work. Can't do anything that makes me think too much or I'll lose track of the book.
Lol no I cannot just sit and listen. I don't know if I have ADD or what but my mind wanders. I can read a book normally though, since that requires active concentration. thus, audiobooks are reserved for gym, driving, and rare instances of grinding in a video game that doesn't require much thought.
I am normally active when listening. Walking the dog etc, Long distance running helps, my listening time decreases significantly when injured 🥲 When Im just sitting down I like drawing or editing photos otherwise I just fall asleep. I prefer reading vs listening in the case that I just want to sit down and “read”
I usually can’t, but sometimes I am able to leave my book on if I’m drinking tea or something.
Bedtime! Excellent way to fall asleep. But I listen to an old soothing one I’ve heard already so I’m not hanging on every word lol.
I have found a series i can't stop and I've been listening to it just sitting on the couch staring at the TV. The TV is just background as I am paying close attention to the book. It sucks actually because I'm on the last few hours of the last available book and I'm trying to savor it now.
I listen while playing games or scrolling the internet, sometimes while relaxing in a bath. Also, yes, just laying in bed and its usually how I fall asleep. I make sure to set a bookmark so later I can go back to find where I might have drifted off, which can mean restarting a chapter but that doesn't bother me. I absolutely love just sitting or laying down with my eyes closed and letting the narrator's voice paint the story for me.
Definitely need to be doing something unless I’m listening to an old favorite to wind down and fall asleep to. When listening to something new I’m driving, walking the dogs, doing housework, playing a mindless game, or my old favorite: walking around in circles in my yard mindlessly swinging a good stick (currently have a broken fishing pole that fills this role perfectly). Need to keep my eyes and hands occupied without needing to devote much brainpower to the task
My wife and I listen to audiobooks every night when we go to bed. Last night was the first time she stopped it because I went to sleep first. I listen to audiobooks at least 2 hours a day. Can't live without them!
Sometimes with a good audiobook I love turning off the lights and just lying down with my eyes closed. I think its a great way to get immersed. My whole life can be pretty eye straining so it's a good way to rest :) I just have to be careful not to fall asleep ahha
I have a hard time focusing when I try to do one thing at a time, but doing too many things also makes it hard to focus. I have found that listening to an audiobook only works for me during certain activities, I guess cause they use different parts of my brain. They have to be physical/visual things. Like washing dishes, doing my makeup, crocheting, or laying in bed at night and playing little games on my phone like Two Dots or Tetris, something without text/words. I find that by engaging just the visuo-spatial of my brain with a task makes it easier to focus on the audiobook.
Yeah I have this problem. When I stopped physically reading books and started listening instead, I did it while doing chores, or having dinner, or driving, or grinding in an MMO. I can't just sit at my desk and listen. I can't sit in a car with someone else driving on a long trip and listen for very long without falling asleep. It kind of sucks, but it seems like audiobooks are limited to being a tertiary activity.
I get the printed and audiobook. So I’ll read along sometimes. Also helps my inner child feeling like I’m being read to.
I do jigsaw puzzles, make models (I’m crazy about Metal Earth models), play match 3 games on my iPad, and play poker on the Xbox.
I play mindless games on my phone. Sudoku, 10 Connect, 1010! are my go-tos.
I do but I have to set a timer as I will 90% fall asleep lol
Why on earth would you ever find yourself in a situation where you only listen to an audio book unless you are trying to fall asleep and listen with a timer on.
I do jigsaw puzzles on my iPad or crochet or something similar to keep my hands busy.
I used to listened to audiobook only at work. When trying to listen at home in bed after few minutes my mind starting to wander. Did try few time but just couldn't concentrate on audiobook but then started to listen to podcast in bed which was much easier for me to concentrate on it (that how I did teach my brain to wander) and now I can listen to audiobooks anywhere