I started reading books again and I am very happy about this decision. Not audio books. Old-fashioned, pen and paper books. In the past, I have been a big fan of audiobooks. I went through a phase listening to a book a week! Whenever I walked between class, I would be absorbing a book.
I am not against audiobooks. But after “hopping back on the reading physical book train,” I realize a few things. First and foremost, reading is an exercise of focus. It does not matter what you read, so long as you are away from technology and present in your absorption, you will find an interesting mental stimulus at work. I find, so often in the digital age, I am constantly being bothered by notifications and refreshes that I lose track of the present. Reading books, if anything, slows time down.
The common debate, whenever you bring up audiobooks vs physical books is some “smart person” points out, ” you never absorb the content of an audiobook.” I debate this claim, as audiobooks unlock a world of opportunity for you to learn as you are moving.
Reading physical books, while better, are best for when you are sitting around. Audiobooks are for on the go!
That being said, I am starting to find my rhythm in understanding that I prefer listening to podcasts, music, or calling a friend than I do listening to a book at 2.5x speed. It makes me happier!
And I also have found that I prefer reading an interesting book than I do scrolling through my twitter feed over and over.
Hopefully this balance is sustainable, as it is also important to bake in time to think! That is one reason I write, another avenue to express ideas and focus.
Also published on Medium.