You might think that what you do when you read is inconsequential. After all, it’s the printed words on the page that ultimately define your reading experience, but how you absorb those words is crucial to successfully digest the material in question. Every good reader has developed their own approach to studying or enjoying a book, but we often don’t notice that we’ve developed certain habits while we read, and some of these behaviors can be harmful.
How you treat your reading material has a definite impact on how everything turns out. In worse cases, people can develop problems such as a sudden loss of peripheral vision. Here are some common bad reading habits and the ways to turn them around:
Skimming Text
For some reason, skimming has become a common activity for many of us. Most people skim through the text looking at the bolded parts and large print. We often catch ourselves thinking, “Oh, if it’s in bold or italics, I don’t have to read it because it must be important!” But is that a good approach to take? Not exactly.
The truth is, skimming is one of the worst reading habits you can get yourself into. Skim reading makes it very difficult for your brain to absorb any information, which means that if you’re trying to learn something or enjoy what you’re reading, there’s little chance of that happening — not to mention that you’re doing nothing more than torturing yourself.
The Fix: Slow Down
Reading everything carefully is always the best approach, but it’s particularly important if your goal is comprehension. Not only will taking the time to read every single word help you become a better reader, but it will also greatly improve your ability to retain information.
Blindly Following What You Read
Many readers tend to go with the flow when they read, even if what they’re reading doesn’t make sense or goes against their better judgment. Some people are so eager to finish the page that they don’t stop to consider whether what they’re reading is actually true. Blindly following what you read isn’t a good idea; after all, who’s to say that the information presented is based on truth or fact?
The Fix: Always Ask Questions
When you’re reading, it’s always best to ask questions about what you’re reading. If something doesn’t make sense to you, it’s okay to stop doing a little research. You should never hesitate to clarify or verify information when you read. Not only is doing so a great way to improve your reading comprehension, but it also makes you a more critical thinker in general.
Confusing What You Read with Something You Experience
Have you ever finished a book and felt that it had nothing to do with your life? You might have enjoyed the story, but you still came away feeling like it was just a good read. That’s because while reading is an amazing way to experience things we could never otherwise see or hear, it’s important to remember that every book is written by a person. Also, no two people have the same experiences in life.
The Fix: Remember That Books Aren’t About You
The next time you read a book written by someone else, remember that it’s meant to be enjoyed as an experience separate from your own reality. The more you try to relate what you’re reading with what you’ve experienced in life, the less likely you are to enjoy it.
Losing Focus While Reading
When you start reading, your mind is usually very focused on what you’re doing, but this doesn’t always last for long. Many people say that their minds wander after just a few minutes while they’re reading. If your mind wanders while you’re reading, likely, you won’t be able to concentrate on what you’re doing.
The Fix: Practice Mindfulness
Meditation is a great way to help your mind stay focused, but if you don’t want to sit around being mindful all the time, there are other things you can do as well. For example, you can focus on becoming more aware of your surroundings and fully absorb the information presented. The more you take in the things around you, the less likely it will be that your mind wanders.
Over-Familiarity With What You’re Reading
You might read something once and think to yourself “I’ve already seen this before” because you’re familiar with the information, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you fully understand it. Saying that you’ve read something before doesn’t tell anyone much about what you know, which means it’s important to go over things again and learn them for yourself so that they become a permanent part of your understanding.
The Fix: Read Something Twice
Reading something once isn’t always enough. Sometimes you need to go over the things you’re reading a few times to truly understand them. The more familiar with something you become, the better. It doesn’t mean that you won’t ever forget it; in fact, this is never possible.
Ignoring What’s Being Said Because It Doesn’t Interest You
It might be tempting to skim over something that isn’t interesting to you, but doing so can hurt your comprehension. After all, you’re more likely to remember the things you find most interesting than the stuff that bores you. Remember: even if what you’re reading isn’t interesting to you, it’s still important for your overall understanding.
The Fix: Try Your Best To Stay Focused
One way to avoid being bored by what you read is to try not to look at the page numbers while you do so. This can help with staying focused because if you think about where you are in the book, you might begin to get impatient and speed up. If you want to stay focused on what’s being said in your book, every page number should be irrelevant so that you can appreciate all the information.
Reading is amazing, but it’s important to remember that you can’t take everything you read for granted. It’s also very important to remember that every book is different and no two people will enjoy reading the same thing. Hopefully, with these tips in mind, you’ll be able to get through your next reading assignment without getting distracted or bored.
