Reading with ADHD can be a nightmare. Your eyes (and mind!) often wander around the page, condemning you to re-read the same sentence multiple times. But those of us with ADHD still enjoy a good story. So here are some tips to make sure we can all get the most out of the many exciting books the world has to offer.
Focusing with Sound
ADHD makes concentrating on one thing for a longer amount of time incredibly difficult. A few ways to mitigate this is to remove distractions and/or to create a reward system for different tasks. To remove outside distractions when reading, try wearing noise canceling headphones. This will make it less likely for outside stimuli to sidetrack you and your thoughts won’t wander as much.
Another way of doing this would be to use an ambient noise generator. Because it produces constant ambient sound, it won’t be as distracting as an unpredictable environment. It also has the added bonus of promoting focus, as the noise itself can prevent you from getting bored.
Anti-Distraction Apps
The forest app can help prevent boredom by turning reading into a fun game. The longer you leave the app open, the more a tree will grow. This rewards you for leaving your phone alone and can satisfy a brain craving visual stimuli that a book might lack. Leaving the app to check messages or Instagram means the tree will die, so your phone won’t be a source of distraction while reading. Cold Turkey is another app that works similarly, blocking access to your chosen apps. So no more switching from Youtube to TikTok to Instagram while trying to focus on a novel!
You could argue that the idea is great, but blocking certain apps on your phone just means you’ll just switch to your laptop or IPad. Apps like Freedom can help with that. Instead of just blocking sites on one device it works on multiple devices. It is also more advanced than Cold Turkey in that it allows you to schedule productive sessions as well as breaks. This helps create a more structured, balanced routine.
Physical Tools
Physical tools like fidget spinners, stress balls, or even a skateboard under your desk (trust me on this one) can help release excess energy. With your hands or feet occupied, it might be easier to concentrate on the words in front of you.
Another handy tool is a reading ruler. It is a colored ruler that you place over text. Do you tend to lose your position on a page or get distracted or bored by a sea of black and white? A reading ruler might help keep you focused on one sentence and block out the rest of the page. Your brain knows what to focus on and a pop of color on the page makes it easier to stay engaged. It can come in many different shapes and colors, so find one that you like the look of.
Browser Extensions
For those of us reading online, whether it is articles or fiction, there are many useful browser extensions that make the process easier. Some of the most convenient ones are Postlight Reader and BeeLine Reader. Postlight Reader ensures that there is no extra information on the screen that could be distracting. Things like sidebars and ads can be removed to focus on the important text, without visual distractions.
BeeLine Reader makes it easier for your eyes to move from one sentence to the next. In order to do that, the text is in a color gradient that guides the eyes through the text, sentence by sentence. This helps minimize jumping from the top of the page to the bottom or losing your place altogether. A very neat system and definitely worth a try!
Organizational Tools
ADHD can make it harder for you to organize your thoughts. So you can use organizational tools to do it for yourself. Having a massive TBR can seem incredibly intimidating. Without a clear plan of where and how to start, it can be too easy to put it off.
Tools like Trello and Todoist can break a big goal down into manageable tasks. Trello is very visually satisfying, providing different formats for your plans. From lists to eye-catching organizational tools, it provides creative ways to visually track your goals. Todoist is similar and especially useful for those who crave a simple, straight-forward, task management app.
Search Engine Optimization tools like 1-Hit can also help by compiling information on one page, preventing the need to use multiple sites.
Hopefully, some of these tips will help you enjoy your next reading adventure without too many distractions. If you are reading for pleasure, never be afraid to choose the topics that interest you the most. It’ll make it much easier to motivate yourself and focus.
Remember that getting distracted is completely normal, and you are allowed to take breaks. Rewarding yourself will make the overall process even more enjoyable next time. Happy reading!
To find out how reading can help those with ADHD, click here.
For some book recommendations that celebrate neurodiversity, click here.
