3 Tips to Stay Focused While Reading (I guess...)

Having problem to stay focus while reading? Not only books but you also find hard to just read a 4-page short story 500 words of article, or even a mere half of page online news? Well, I do have it too sometimes. 

But I do reading books, so I guess I can share you 3 tips that work for me.

1. Find your purpose

What I mean here is try to find your motivation and to what purpose do you read. You need a clear purpose so nothing on tips 3 can shut down your willingness to read. There are several things that you can do to achieve this first tips, they are:

• Do you really need to read this book? 
• Do you want to read this book?
• Do you want to finish this book?
• Do you want to know the end of this book that bad?
• Do you commit not to stop though the book is boring?
• Do you think you'll find a lesson/insights after reading this book?
• Do you think those lessons and insights will be beneficial or open up your mind?

If most of your answers is yes, it means you're clear to go. Stick to your purpose and commitment. 

2. Find the chosen one

When we're talking about reading, there are some things that will lessen our interest to keep going on reading it. Don't you worry about that because even a bookworm faces that phase too sometimes. It can also lead to a 'reading slump'. So, make sure after you've done with the first tips, you have to consider these matters:

• What title of book do I want to read?
• What genre do I want to read?
• Do I like the cover of this book?
• Is the story / content interesting enough for me?
• Who is the author?
• What background of story does the book carries?

Lastly the most important question to yourself is 'Will I be comfortable to read physical book or e-book?".  If you spend your day in front of the screen most of the time, better to avoid reading e-book. Let your eyes and brain rest. 

Overall, all choice is on your hands. Find your chosen one, so all the commitment is all yours. 

3. Find the disruption

Analyze your disruptions and surroundings. Are you the type of person who is hard to focus while your surrounding remains busy? Are you in a crowded room, house or place? Can you go somewhere else? If you can't, let's try to tackle this. 

• Find the quieter room
• If you can't, play music on your earphone
• Choose much less distracting music. Try not to choose your favorite playlist so you won't sing along. 
• Alternatively, you play other languages music that's not the same with the language of the book you're reading or you can choose the calming or relaxing melody playlist.
• Choose your best spot so you can stay focus without thinking that your back hurts and you want to move. Couch, bed, chair, on the floor, on a train, and many more just easily choose your best spot!
• If you like to read while snacking that's okay! But it becomes your distraction, better put that away or eat them before you start reading. 
• Put away your gadgets. Or at least setting them on focus mode for minimum 30 mins. 

Are you still focused reading this though? I try to make it as simple as I could, in case you'll lose your focus already. Lastly, you need to make reading as your habit. The more you are reading, the more you get used to it and catch the point of the book / text easily. All of these are based on my personal opinion and experience, so it might work on you or it won't. Happy reading anyway!