I tried audiobooks to get past this issue and instead ended up clicking the back 30s button a ton to see what I zoned out on. It’s so annoying when you really enjoy books.
And this is why I, as an ADHD person, love Brain Leak. Two ADHD as hell hosts bullshiting about whatever random crap comes across their minds for an hour. Zone out for a minute? Literally doesn't matter lol. Absolute fluff podcast, so if you're looking for anything with actual substance, this ain't it, but they make me laugh for an hour when I'm doing chores.
I really hate reading large swaths of text because of that. It feels like writers get too wordy, and I just want them to get to the point, so I skip ahead.
yeah, this really took me out of reading for a long time. Just base-level "reading" where you kind of process the words as an activity, without actually absorbing anything.
started medication recently, and hope that it'll help with this. i miss reading ;.;
I have a really hard time absorbing people speaking when i'm not interacting with them, and being understimulated and not knowing what to do with my hands when i am able to focus on audiobooks. I want to love them and podcasts, but they just aren't it for me D:
I'm glad they work so well for you and others, though!!
Oh my god this perfectly describes it. It's like the main reason I read so slowly because I don't realise I'm doing that other weird kind of reading where you process and register the word but no the group of words arranged in to meaning. Suddenly I realise that started happening several pages ago and have to go back and start over.
If I'm not really into what I'm reading the words are just words and I dont really absorb what is being said, if I am interested in what I'm reading however its the opposite and I don't even see words, just knowledge or if its a story I disappear into another world. It's one or the other and I can't force it. I think I must hit some kind of hyperfocus mode when I am able because usually when this happens it's hard to pull myself out of what I'm reading. I need to figure out how to turn that mode on manually. 😆
Same for me. It's either like trying to decipher an alien language or being fully immersed in another world. Very little in-between.
It sucks because my kids want me to read them books, and I do, but reading children's books out loud is extremely exhausting so I can never get through as many as they want at bed time.
The important thing is to learn that this is okay. Rereading the information you did track will only reinforce it making the new information easier to actively engage with
The only way to completely snap out of it for me sometimes is to start reading out loud or at least move my mouth with the words to reinforce them. Although it doesn't always work, I do realize quicker if I have no idea what's coming out of my mouth than if it's just in my head. It also forces my brain to slow down a bit.
Getting ready to greet someone I haven't met before (Hopefully! Oh fuck I'm not sure if I met this person before! What if I introduce myself and they're like "Uhm, yes, Hi, we met a month ago at the thing", I'll die from the shame! 😩).
Shake hands. I remembered my own name! Success! And they didn't look all weird like we met before! I'm the king of the world! 👑
Oh fuck. I didn't listen when they said what their name was 😭