Podcasts/Audiobooks While Multitasking
Users share experiences and preferences for listening to podcasts and audiobooks during activities like commuting, walking, exercising, or chores where reading is impractical, often comparing the formats for handling distractions.
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Podcasts and audiobooks work for me for this.
That's why I prefer to listen to podcasts when taking walks etc, rather than full-on audiobooks - if my mind wanders and I start thinking about something else, it's not a big deal if I missed an episode of some tech podcast. With an audiobook, I have to try and find where my mind left off! (which is usually a lot more cumbersome than when the same thing happens while eye-reading)
Do you spend parts of you day where you're able to listen to audio but not read text? For instance while commuting to work, while exercising, while using your hands in a project that requires only a bit of concentration? I'm a big fan of podcasts in those cases but I would never listen to one when I'm able to read text from a book or screen.
Same goes for me.I get bored while walking/running, and can only do it while having music on (running) or have a podcast/audiobook (walking).Music doesn't really mess with your mind going somewhere.And you can discover connections and have other insights while listening to a podcast or an audiobook.Try listening to an audiobook while sitting and doing nothing or doing chores versus listening to it while walking. You will gain more cognitively if you listen to it while
The problem I was facing is when I get distracted by unrelated rabbit holes of thought. An audiobook is like a train, it's going to continue no matter what I'm thinking about. I also tend to listen to a lot of podcasts which can be better for that, even fiction podcasts.
Maybe you are doing something else like programming while listening to a podcast/audiobook?
You should think about listening to audio books during your daily commute. I do this and I enjoy it a lot.
One nice thing about podcasts is I can listen to them while Iām driving, if I'm not in the mood for music. The same goes for when I'm walking. And although you can read on a train, I sometimes find I can't if the train is swaying too much. It's nice to have podcasts available at those times. And if the people on the podcast are speaking slowly, you can speed it up.
Listening to podcasts or reading while commuting.
I've had much better luck with podcasts. It's harder to tune out a conversation when multitasking, as opposed to a single narrator.