I agree with tut that increasing speed might help. Sometimes if I listen at default speed, I find my attention drifting off mid-sentence just because it’s going so slowly. (Conversely, at higher speed, when my attention does drift off briefly, I sometimes miss a full sentence or two and have to rewind slightly.)
If that doesn’t work, I don’t really have many other ideas. Maybe you could try other repetitive mechanical actions to see if they coexist well with audiobooks. For example, maybe cooking, drawing, or exercising might work (if you do any of those). In general, I find it easy to not miss anything in an audiobook so long as I’m simultaneously doing something that does not also involve words.
I don’t walk often; if I did it wouldn’t be an issue. Also, I’m skeptical increased speed would help. If I’m not doing anything else while listening, my attention drifts away, which I don’t think would be assisted by increasing the speed. The lack of related physical action is the main issue; I find it enormously difficult to not fidget away any focus I had.
Why do you want to use audiobooks? The usual reason is so that you can learn or enjoy a good story while you are doing other stuff. If that’s the case for you, then do that stuff and your lack of physical motion is solved. If you have another reason, have you considered taking up walking just to enjoy your audiobooks and for exercise? How about knitting? Woodcarving? Keeping ones body occupied is not an unexplored problem.
As for speeding up, I was a lot more sceptic that it would help me concentrate on videos before I tried it.
I’ve found myself totally unable to focus on audiobooks/podcasts for any length of time except while walking. Any advice for me and others like me?
I agree with tut that increasing speed might help. Sometimes if I listen at default speed, I find my attention drifting off mid-sentence just because it’s going so slowly. (Conversely, at higher speed, when my attention does drift off briefly, I sometimes miss a full sentence or two and have to rewind slightly.)
If that doesn’t work, I don’t really have many other ideas. Maybe you could try other repetitive mechanical actions to see if they coexist well with audiobooks. For example, maybe cooking, drawing, or exercising might work (if you do any of those). In general, I find it easy to not miss anything in an audiobook so long as I’m simultaneously doing something that does not also involve words.
1 Listen while walking (ie if it’s the only time it works, and if you walk often, then just use the opportunity when you have it)
2 Try listening at a higher speed when doing simpler things
I don’t walk often; if I did it wouldn’t be an issue. Also, I’m skeptical increased speed would help. If I’m not doing anything else while listening, my attention drifts away, which I don’t think would be assisted by increasing the speed. The lack of related physical action is the main issue; I find it enormously difficult to not fidget away any focus I had.
Why do you want to use audiobooks? The usual reason is so that you can learn or enjoy a good story while you are doing other stuff. If that’s the case for you, then do that stuff and your lack of physical motion is solved. If you have another reason, have you considered taking up walking just to enjoy your audiobooks and for exercise? How about knitting? Woodcarving? Keeping ones body occupied is not an unexplored problem.
As for speeding up, I was a lot more sceptic that it would help me concentrate on videos before I tried it.