Listening to audiobooks, in the book community, is somewhat of a controversial subject. Does listening to audiobooks count as a book read? Or does it have the same benefits as reading a traditional book?
Why is it such a controversial subject?
Aren’t we all just trying to get our learning in when we can?
Audiobooks are a great way to supplement reading when you don’t have the time or resources or aren’t the best reader.
The short answers to the questions above. Yes, Audiobooks count toward books read. They also have the same benefits as reading.
In this article we are going to discuss:
- Benefits of Listening to Audio Books
- When to listen to Audiobooks
- Deciding what audiobooks to listen to
Benefits of listening to Audiobooks.
When I first started listening to audiobooks it was mainly because I didn’t have time to read, or at least I thought I didn’t have time. Listening to Audiobooks really helped me bridge the gap from not wanting to read at all to reading 5 to 6 books a month.
I was never the strongest reader and always felt that reading was a waste of time. What I didn’t know was how my life would change simply by reading a book. I have audiobooks to thank for that.
Audiobooks are a great way to get started when wanting to take on the task of reading daily. Oftentimes it can be difficult to build a new habit like reading because it isn’t the most fun thing to do at times. For instance, most people right before bed like to scroll on their phones.
I used to listen to audiobooks while I layed in bed. I’d close my eyes and simply imagine what the narrator is describing. Shortly after starting, I would drift off to sleep. Some of the best nights’ sleep I have ever enjoyed were the nights I would fall asleep listening to audiobooks.
Chris Weitzman from Speechify writes about how listening to audiobooks before bed will help you relax to get better sleep.
Listening to Audiobooks Helps you Clear your Mind.
We all have those days when our mind is just full of clutter, can’t focus on anything, and just feel down on ourselves.
These days, reading just seems like a chore to me. I like to listen to something inspirational and uplifting and that will bring me out of the rut I am in. If the narrator is good, they will have you smiling in no time.
Reading just doesn’t have that same effect, because you can’t feel the passion behind the words as much.
Doing this allows me to reset my brain and focus on the tasks that I have to complete. When I am done, I feel accomplished and less stressed out. Audiobooks have the power to boost our moods and disrupt negative thinking patterns says Jenna Homan
Listening to Audiobooks Help Build Focus
Having the audiobooks on in the background while doing something else may seem a little counterproductive. Your mind is picking up bits and pieces as the audiobooks play. Listening to audiobooks more than once is a lot easier than reading a book repeatedly. Each time you listen to it your mind will focus on different things. Learning new things each time.
Audiobooks stimulate your brain making you more attentive. According to the Yorkshire Village, listening to audiobooks can help improve the way you express your thoughts with speaking and writing.
Listen To Audiobooks when you need your hands free
For some reason, it seems, that people who don’t like audiobooks feel as if a person listens to audio books its because they are lazy and don’t want to read.
In most cases, it is the complete opposite. The majority of people who listen to audiobooks do so because it is a way for them to be able to get their reading in without having to sit down for 30-60 minutes.
Not everyone has leisure time because of work, kids, and extracurricular activities. Being able to stream your favorite book from your phone allows many to be on the go.
Listen to Audiobooks While Exercising
One of my favorite times to listen to audiobooks is when I am exercising. I mainly listen to motivational and personal-development books. For some reason, these books inspire me to workout harder than listening to regular music.
Listening to audiobooks while exercising allows us to multitask and take our minds off of the workout
I work out twice a day for 45 minutes each time. It is how I can read 6 books a month. Time is the one thing we can’t get back, if we can use our time to improve our bodies and our minds at the same time, we have to take advantage.
Listen to Audiobooks in the Car
The Average American spends roughly 760 days of their life in a car commuting to a from work. Do you know how much time wasted that is?
But it doesn’t have to be!
If you were to listen to an audiobook every day just to and from work, you could easily triple the amount of knowledge you consume each year, without having to pick up a single book.
Besides, listening to an interesting audiobook makes the traffic go by so much faster.
When I am with my family, I will have the radio on. But when it is just me in the car, there is no reason for me to be having a jam sesh at 7 am. Prepping my mind before work allows me to be more effective, alert, and ready to take on any challenges.
Listening to audiobooks can help with your creativity, inspiration, and your imagination. Try doing it for 30 days and if you don’t see a difference in your moods in the morning, then you can go back to jamming to your tunes.
Listen to Audiobooks While Cleaning
Do you want the cleanest house on the block? Throw on some headphones, turn on the book you are currently listening to, and just watch the magic happen.
Whenever I’ve got to clean the house in a short amount of time, I throw something on that is going to make me think and perhaps an educational book.
Listen to Audiobooks While you Take a Shower.
For most people, the shower is where they are the most creative. We do all our deep soul searching while we get ourselves clean. Listening to audiobooks in the shower is a fantastic way to allow your mind to focus as you are completely relaxed.
Every morning after I work out, I turn the shower on, grab my phone, hook it up to a waterproof Bluetooth speaker and I hop in the shower.
I typically will just leave it on while I finish getting ready for the day, which adds an extra 30 minutes to the amount of time I spend learning and listening.
If you haven’t tried it, you are missing out.
Listen to Audiobooks That are too long to Read
There are just some books that I refuse to read. They are too long, sometimes 600 – 900 pages and know I would never finish them. I’ve tried starting larger books, but I always get about halfway and get tired of it.
So, many people opt to listen to the audio instead of reading.
With that being said, sometimes audiobooks can be very long, and the narrator’s voice just drives you nuts. So make sure if it is a large book, you enjoy their voice and are dedicated to listening.
Conclusion
Audiobooks are just another form of learning. Yes, they count as a book read. If anyone says they don’t, then that’s fine because it really doesn’t matter what they think. Kind of silly to have a strong opinion on something like that.
Listening to audiobooks is just convenient. Especially if you are a new parent, work 40 hours a week, and just have a jam pack schedule. Reading is one of the most vital things we can do in our lives. We can never stop learning and never stop growing.
If you want to listen to audio books go for it, and use the suggestions from this blog:
- Benefits of listening to Audiobooks
- Listen when you need your hands free.
- Listen to books That are too long or may seem boring.
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