How to start reading more

Recently I was able to start reading more. Here is how I was able to do it.

  1. Dopamine Detox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QiE-M1LrZk tl;dw: If you frequently do activities that produce a lot of dopamine, like going on social media, listening to music, etc., you build a tolerance to dopamine and then low-dopamine activities like reading will not be able to hold your interest. If you limit high-dopamine activities, then your tolerance will go down and reading will be more interesting. Some doubt has been cast on the scientific accuracy of this idea but I think the main point stands that if you spend a lot of time doing highly stimulating things it is hard to sustain interest in less stimulating things.
  2. Read page-turners: Probably you have a lot of difficult books you want to read. Prioritize books that are easy, fun, and page-turners, because they will get you in the habit of reading and acclimate you to the physiology and psychology of reading (eye motion, posture, sustained focus). Once you have built the habit, it will transfer to difficult books very easily.
  3. Set aside a separate space: Don’t try to read in front of the computer, because the computer will be calling for your attention. Don’t read in the kitchen because snacks will be calling to you. Don’t read in bed because you will get sleepy. Set aside a space that is just for reading, and remove distractions from your field of view.

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