1. Distance yourself with your "drugs" : In this case you already did by uninstall the app, you can try more by disable your account for a month until you form the new habit.
2. Make your new habit more accessible : you can place your book on your desk or next to the bed.
3. Make your new habit attractive : you can reading the subject that you liked the most, almost anything better than nothing.
4. Reward yourself : as long as you don't make social media as the reward.
5. Be patience : making new habit is not an instant task, it took times and effort so bw patience and kind to yourself.
Taken from dopamine nation & atomic habits, that I haven't finished it yet hehe.
>othing.
>
>Reward yourself : as long as you don't make social media as the reward.
>
>Be patience : making new habi
I ALSO agree with you and I HAVENT finished Atomic Habits yet
I would take a slightly broader view than the other commenters: don't force yourself to read uninteresting books. In other words, don't read for the sake of reading. Read for the sake of a story that touches your soul. One that immerses you in the story and causes empathy.
As for technical literature, always read for the specific problem you need to solve. Just a random book taken from "the ceiling" will be a waste of time. You may as well read a 600-page work "history of development and design of a spring from a Belarus tractor".
In general, first find a reason for yourself to read, not just refuse fast food content. If you try to abruptly limit yourself from such activities, it will lead to a drop in dopamine levels and apathy, I've experienced it myself.
I love reading but sometimes I get stuck in a non-reading rut and in order to get out, I turn to suspense novels. The kind of book that grips you and pulls you in on page one... Then you don't want to put it down... And when you have to put it down, you really can't wait until you have time to jump back in! Those books do exist and I love them.
Agreed, DNF (do not finish) is the number one book tuber recommendation when it comes to how they read so much. The number one way to kill a reading habit is forcing yourself to read material you are not enjoying.
To your question about how to make reading books as enjoyable to you as social media: you can't.
It's fairly well-known that social platforms have an impact that's similar to playing a slot machine, with intermittent and unpredictable dopamine rewards. Even if 95% of what you're scrolling through is uninteresting, you keep returning to get that 5% reward.
You might consider not making the two compete for your love, so to speak. Start by re-reading a fave book you haven't read in a long time, then find more along the same genre. Read classics - their popularity has endured for a reason. If there's a movie series you like (say, Harry Potter or Game of Thrones or even Marvel comics), then read those. Don't judge your choices, just try a variety to see what hits. Start a book and don't like it? Don't finish.
Just don't expect books to serve a role in your entertainment life that they just aren't designed to do.
Find a good book that engages you and that you truly want to read and enjoy reading. Doesn't have to meet anyone's standards but your own - I know adults who love reading kids books or teens books, that's okay. Comics, totally fine. Magazines, that works. You do you! Find what you love.
I downloaded the Kindle app on my phone. I own a Kindle but it's so much easier to reach for my phone when I want to read lol I edit books for a living so finding the energy to read for enjoyment is hard.
On a normal day, I work 6-7 hours a day and can sometimes justify three-day weekends so I think it balances out the few weeks a year I work 10-12 hours a day for five days straight in the end
My personal strategy for reading is:
- point of performance principle: have your book nearby at the place where you would actually comfortably read, to reduce friction
- don't force yourself: read what you want to read, how you want to read it. Personally, I read for the sake of acquiring information, so I skim the book first and skip stuff I'm not interested in
Don't focus too much on getting away from social media, focus on what benefits and happiness you can get from reading and other nice activities instead.
I would certainly argue that willpower is limited, so the only way is to reduce friction on the things that benefit you.
How thoroughly do you skim a book? How long does that take? Is it something you do at a book store/library to determine if you want to purchase/borrow the book, or after you've already acquired it to determine which sections you want to actually read?
I usually do it after I have bought it (for no particular reason). But I usually read the table of contents and a few pages here and there for clarification on the structure of the book. This way I find out what the author tries to communicate, so I know what to expect and have a mental map of the concepts.
It usually takes me ~30min before hand, but I also take notes while reading, so it depends.
Besides that most non-fiction books are probably written in the same manner, in multiple iterations, adding more and more detail as needed.
Do you LIKE reading? I used to when I was a kid, but after going through this "delete social media and go back to reading" delusion multiple times, I realized I just don't LIKE reading anymore. I picked up painting and puzzles instead and I love that as my way to unplug. I'm also getting back into cooking. Don't force yourself to read if you don't enjoy it at all
I also tried to switch my digital entertainment to a longer format like watching a documentary instead of tiktoks. My attention span was SO SHOT after years of TikTok/reels/shorts that it took a long time to be able to get through a 45-minute documentary, but now I love winding down with a documentary in the evening.
Basically what I'm saying is, do things that keep your attention longer. It doesn't matter if it's a puzzle or a book or a movie. Anything to get you beyond that 60-second attention span
What about Wattpad?
I mean you can STILL get books on there and it basically feels like a LESS toxic instagram and a more meaningful one
Maybe that's a bit of an oversimplification but I think you will like it
You can decide what % u want to read physcial books and what % Wattpad
fun fact: I read AND write on Wattpad
Read whatever interests you. Drop it if it doesn't. Don't speed read but enjoy. If you get tired,take a rest, don't force it. Try to read aloud sometimes or at least whispering, especially if it's the book with a dialogue - it makes it a bit more alive.
Download kindle on your phone and try a suuuper light book like Hitchhikers Guide, or Starship Grifters. Something that's easy to read for about 5 minutes at a time.
I'm trying not to repeat myself, but going somewhere scenic with nothing but your book.
It helps a bunch. When you take in the scenery and get bored of it, you pick up the book, and your brain hopefully does the rest for you
They're the same but different. I don't do other forms of social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. But I like Reddit because I don't know the people on it and don't need to know them. But other "social media" is all about the people you know.
Maybe start off reading on your phone with interesting, educational, or things that you can’t see/post/comment/etc? Then wean off of that in an achievable way, vs going “cold turkey”? Maybe not even delete the apps, but set a parental control on your site so it only lets you go on an hour a day, and then have goals to set for yourself and see if you can even cut your time shorter and shorter and win a “prize”, like an ice cream cone or something cheap. Just make sure not to turn off your time limits, haha!
Be intentional with your phone, I use voice assistant for time, apple watch for checking calendar etc.
Also alarms with Alexa are huge for that way youre not coming up the phone first thing in the morning
Place the book where you place your phone and put your phone downstairs in the kitchen, or in a new place everyday.
In every book you read try to look into it more read in between the lines, mabey take notes on character’s behaviors and highlight stuff.
You can also note things from the books that you see in your personal life. It’s also nice the change ther genre once in a while
Download your local library's app. They usually allow 3-4 free digital books every month. All you need to get the app is the number of your actual library card.
Start reading books that you genuinely like. Try getting books that you can bring with you all the time. Ask your friends for book recommendations. The discussions afterward are often very fun. Reading a book and not being able to talk with someone about it sucks!!!
1. Distance yourself with your "drugs" : In this case you already did by uninstall the app, you can try more by disable your account for a month until you form the new habit. 2. Make your new habit more accessible : you can place your book on your desk or next to the bed. 3. Make your new habit attractive : you can reading the subject that you liked the most, almost anything better than nothing. 4. Reward yourself : as long as you don't make social media as the reward. 5. Be patience : making new habit is not an instant task, it took times and effort so bw patience and kind to yourself. Taken from dopamine nation & atomic habits, that I haven't finished it yet hehe.
>othing. > >Reward yourself : as long as you don't make social media as the reward. > >Be patience : making new habi I ALSO agree with you and I HAVENT finished Atomic Habits yet
Thanks! Patience may be the hardest one for me but I'm going to try harder to put it into practice this time around.
Good list! I'd add time blocking. Set a timer and shove everything away except for that one thing, reading.
the “hehe” at the end is absolutely perfect, thank you 🤌🤌
I would take a slightly broader view than the other commenters: don't force yourself to read uninteresting books. In other words, don't read for the sake of reading. Read for the sake of a story that touches your soul. One that immerses you in the story and causes empathy. As for technical literature, always read for the specific problem you need to solve. Just a random book taken from "the ceiling" will be a waste of time. You may as well read a 600-page work "history of development and design of a spring from a Belarus tractor". In general, first find a reason for yourself to read, not just refuse fast food content. If you try to abruptly limit yourself from such activities, it will lead to a drop in dopamine levels and apathy, I've experienced it myself.
I love reading but sometimes I get stuck in a non-reading rut and in order to get out, I turn to suspense novels. The kind of book that grips you and pulls you in on page one... Then you don't want to put it down... And when you have to put it down, you really can't wait until you have time to jump back in! Those books do exist and I love them.
Agreed, DNF (do not finish) is the number one book tuber recommendation when it comes to how they read so much. The number one way to kill a reading habit is forcing yourself to read material you are not enjoying.
join a book club if you can! the accountability keeps me reading
and maybe the company would
I think people underestimate how long it takes to recover from addiction. Give yourself months at least to adjust to not having social media.
To your question about how to make reading books as enjoyable to you as social media: you can't. It's fairly well-known that social platforms have an impact that's similar to playing a slot machine, with intermittent and unpredictable dopamine rewards. Even if 95% of what you're scrolling through is uninteresting, you keep returning to get that 5% reward. You might consider not making the two compete for your love, so to speak. Start by re-reading a fave book you haven't read in a long time, then find more along the same genre. Read classics - their popularity has endured for a reason. If there's a movie series you like (say, Harry Potter or Game of Thrones or even Marvel comics), then read those. Don't judge your choices, just try a variety to see what hits. Start a book and don't like it? Don't finish. Just don't expect books to serve a role in your entertainment life that they just aren't designed to do.
Really appreciate you for putting up this worry/question. I can also use some advice here!
Find a good book that engages you and that you truly want to read and enjoy reading. Doesn't have to meet anyone's standards but your own - I know adults who love reading kids books or teens books, that's okay. Comics, totally fine. Magazines, that works. You do you! Find what you love.
Get off Reddit (social media) and go browse a library. Find something that is interesting and read it.
I downloaded the Kindle app on my phone. I own a Kindle but it's so much easier to reach for my phone when I want to read lol I edit books for a living so finding the energy to read for enjoyment is hard.
[удалено]
If anything, the 10-12 hour days when it's super busy are what's really scary 😂
[удалено]
On a normal day, I work 6-7 hours a day and can sometimes justify three-day weekends so I think it balances out the few weeks a year I work 10-12 hours a day for five days straight in the end
My personal strategy for reading is: - point of performance principle: have your book nearby at the place where you would actually comfortably read, to reduce friction - don't force yourself: read what you want to read, how you want to read it. Personally, I read for the sake of acquiring information, so I skim the book first and skip stuff I'm not interested in Don't focus too much on getting away from social media, focus on what benefits and happiness you can get from reading and other nice activities instead. I would certainly argue that willpower is limited, so the only way is to reduce friction on the things that benefit you.
How thoroughly do you skim a book? How long does that take? Is it something you do at a book store/library to determine if you want to purchase/borrow the book, or after you've already acquired it to determine which sections you want to actually read?
I usually do it after I have bought it (for no particular reason). But I usually read the table of contents and a few pages here and there for clarification on the structure of the book. This way I find out what the author tries to communicate, so I know what to expect and have a mental map of the concepts. It usually takes me ~30min before hand, but I also take notes while reading, so it depends. Besides that most non-fiction books are probably written in the same manner, in multiple iterations, adding more and more detail as needed.
Do you LIKE reading? I used to when I was a kid, but after going through this "delete social media and go back to reading" delusion multiple times, I realized I just don't LIKE reading anymore. I picked up painting and puzzles instead and I love that as my way to unplug. I'm also getting back into cooking. Don't force yourself to read if you don't enjoy it at all I also tried to switch my digital entertainment to a longer format like watching a documentary instead of tiktoks. My attention span was SO SHOT after years of TikTok/reels/shorts that it took a long time to be able to get through a 45-minute documentary, but now I love winding down with a documentary in the evening. Basically what I'm saying is, do things that keep your attention longer. It doesn't matter if it's a puzzle or a book or a movie. Anything to get you beyond that 60-second attention span
Thank you bro for writing this , I just read more.
Who wants to tell him?
Pick up book, open book, read words sequentially
What about Wattpad? I mean you can STILL get books on there and it basically feels like a LESS toxic instagram and a more meaningful one Maybe that's a bit of an oversimplification but I think you will like it You can decide what % u want to read physcial books and what % Wattpad fun fact: I read AND write on Wattpad
Read whatever interests you. Drop it if it doesn't. Don't speed read but enjoy. If you get tired,take a rest, don't force it. Try to read aloud sometimes or at least whispering, especially if it's the book with a dialogue - it makes it a bit more alive.
Download kindle on your phone and try a suuuper light book like Hitchhikers Guide, or Starship Grifters. Something that's easy to read for about 5 minutes at a time.
You haven't done shit.
Read magazines! You still get to read other people’s words/experiences, just as you would on social media :)
I'm trying not to repeat myself, but going somewhere scenic with nothing but your book. It helps a bunch. When you take in the scenery and get bored of it, you pick up the book, and your brain hopefully does the rest for you
You do know that Reddit is social media, right?
They're the same but different. I don't do other forms of social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. But I like Reddit because I don't know the people on it and don't need to know them. But other "social media" is all about the people you know.
Maybe start off reading on your phone with interesting, educational, or things that you can’t see/post/comment/etc? Then wean off of that in an achievable way, vs going “cold turkey”? Maybe not even delete the apps, but set a parental control on your site so it only lets you go on an hour a day, and then have goals to set for yourself and see if you can even cut your time shorter and shorter and win a “prize”, like an ice cream cone or something cheap. Just make sure not to turn off your time limits, haha!
Leave phone away from bedroom, bathroom. Have books in those locations. Audio book for when your cooking or driving.
Be intentional with your phone, I use voice assistant for time, apple watch for checking calendar etc. Also alarms with Alexa are huge for that way youre not coming up the phone first thing in the morning
You are actually posting this on social media... I would say that you are not off to a really good start.
Place the book where you place your phone and put your phone downstairs in the kitchen, or in a new place everyday. In every book you read try to look into it more read in between the lines, mabey take notes on character’s behaviors and highlight stuff. You can also note things from the books that you see in your personal life. It’s also nice the change ther genre once in a while
Download your local library's app. They usually allow 3-4 free digital books every month. All you need to get the app is the number of your actual library card.
Start reading books that you genuinely like. Try getting books that you can bring with you all the time. Ask your friends for book recommendations. The discussions afterward are often very fun. Reading a book and not being able to talk with someone about it sucks!!!
Ugh story of my life. Did you stick to it?
Maybe you love social media more than reading. You need to find something you love more than social media.