Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Choosing the Ideal Reading Environment
• Method 2 of 3: Concentrate on the book
• Method 3 of 3: Reminder Why This Book Is Worth Reading

It rests on your bedside table, in your bag, or on your desk for several weeks. You want to finish reading a novel recommended by a friend, or a book to help you on an upcoming project at work. But every time you start reading, you quickly get bored and your thoughts just drift in a different direction. Fortunately, boredom can be overcome and the boring book can be finished!

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Choosing the Ideal Reading Environment

1. 1 Plan time for reading. Choose a place, and also set either the hour period you want to spend on the book or the number of pages you hope to finish reading. Don't try to finish a book in one sitting. Draw a map in your brain, breaking it down into time segments and small tasks. This will save you the doomed thoughts of how much more you have left to read.
   • If you still have strength, keep reading, even if your time limit for today is exhausted.
   • If you can't find the time to read, you will never finish the book!
   • Challenge yourself to read chapters 1 or 2 a day. After completing each chapter, reading will feel easier and more satisfying.
2. 2 Choose an environment that is pleasant for you. Find a quiet, well-lit and ventilated area. Avoid anything that makes you feel exhausted. Don't feel like locking yourself in a library will automatically increase your productivity. Some of us find it easier to concentrate by leaning against a tree in the park. If you are indoors, find a clean and orderly area.
   • Avoid distractions. Do not look out of the corner of your eye at a TV or computer. Unplug your phone if possible.
3. 3 Take with you whatever you might need. These can include blank slips and writing materials to take notes, water, and a healthy snack. Nuts, as well as fruits, are excellent choices. Natural sugars, which you can get from apples or oranges, will give you a temporary boost in your mind, including memory.
4. 4 Consume a caffeinated product. Coffee and tea can add to your ability to concentrate. However, don't overdo it. Conversely, excess caffeine can make you feel uncomfortable and distracted. Different types of coffee and the methods of making it affect the amount of caffeine.The same goes for tea, which has a wide array of flavors and health benefits.
   • Remember, caffeine has other effects on your body, including potential health problems. Don't drink more than 400mg of caffeine per day.
5. 5 Use a bookmark. Clearly mark what you read. Trying to find where you left off can lead to sketchy and distracted reading. It's much easier to grab a book and start a productive book dive right away from where you left off last time.
   • Use something that brings you joy. For example, a photo or a motivating quote.

Method 2 of 3: Concentrate on the book

1. 1 Choose your own journey. If you're reading a story, pretend to be the protagonist. Change everything and become the antagonist. You can also make yourself a secondary (or main) character, assessing the situation from the outside. Connect yourself to what is happening with the characters as much as possible.
2. 2 Realize the value of the book's content. If you are reading more technical material, stop if you don't understand something. Reread the paragraph that caused you trouble. Learning more the second time will increase your interest in the text and motivate yourself to continue reading.
   • Look in the dictionary or on the Internet for the meanings of words or ideas that you do not understand. New streams of thought and knowledge will increase your attachment to the text.
   • Appreciate what you learn from the book and be proud of it.
3. 3 Engage the community. Ask your friends if anyone else has read this book. If so, ask about it, about the story, the plot, the concepts discussed in it, and more. The realization that someone has read or is reading the same book will make you feel more engaged and motivated.
4. 4 Read comparative or conflicting literature. Study the literature on the same topic, but from a different angle, or read a story from the same time period or context. Comparisons and contrasts from other texts will help you to refresh your interest in the original book. But don't read too many other books. A few are enough to add insight or interest to what you cannot finish reading.
5. 5 Make your way through difficult moments. If you've promised to read a book, don't let the boring moments unsettle you. Remind yourself that less interesting parts can set the tone for something important in the book later.

Method 3 of 3: Reminder Why This Book Is Worth Reading

1. 1 Remember why you decided to read this book. Ask yourself, "Why am I reading this?" The important thing here is to realize whether you are reading out of obligation or for pleasure. These two situations involve completely different reading styles. In case of commitment, remind yourself of the reasons why you should read this book. This alone will increase your concentration and desire to keep reading.
   • Decide if you really want to finish reading the book or if you must finish reading it. If this is a forced reading, consider whether you can read the summary instead, or focus only on certain chapters?
   • If you are reading for pleasure but are no longer experiencing it, refresh your desire to continue. Remember that people often don't finish their books. If you don't want to finish it, don't!
2. 2 Read the summary. If you must read an uninteresting or technical book, focus on the big picture. What is this book about? If there is something at the end of the book that might interest you? Think about what the book has to offer you. This will help you keep reading.
   • Search the Internet for sites where you can find key information about the book. Perhaps there you will find what you need for you. However, do not expect the summary to give you the same deep and detailed knowledge of the book. Use this step only if you only want to understand a partial content of the book.
3. 3 Accept and complete the current assignment. Remember the words of David Foster Wallace, who often wrote about boredom in human life: “Bliss — the momentary pleasure and gratitude for the gift of being alive and conscious — lies on the other side of destruction, the destruction of boredom.” Wallace's editor talked about how the author sought to explore boredom, not because it is an inevitable aspect of reality, but because it leads to joy. The moment that will increase your interest and engagement may be on the next page!