How to Actually Focus on Audiobooks: Train the Listening Muscle

Before I share the technique, there’s always the question of “does listening even count?” or “can you even retain in your head books you listened to?” The short answers: I honestly don’t know. I don’t have any science backing on these topics, and you may want to do your own research. (We’ll certainly try to share research we find here in the future on the topic of audiobooks.)

My non-scientific personal opinion is that the format of the book matters less. Or, as I like to put it: the paramount thing is getting those words to the back of the brain. The plumbing that was used to get those words in matters less. Again, just my personal 2c.

So, if you are trying and struggling to get into audiobooks, what’s a good technique? The important thing to understand is that audio-listening concentration is different from other forms of concentration. It’s almost like a muscle that requires exercising before it strengthens and performs well. With that in mind, here is the exercise plan I’ve used myself and shared with many people over the years.

Most audiobook players let you control the speed of playback. Do this exercise in roughly 2 to 3 week intervals.

1. Step 1. Start a reading session by clearing all distractions, and make a concentrated effort to listen for 5 minutes while making every humanly possible effort to not miss a single word. Focus, focus, focus, with the most intense intensity. These 5 minutes are not going to be fun, especially in the first few days. If needed, start a 5-minute timer, so you get an alarm when you can let go of some of the focus intensity.
2. Step 2. Then slow down your audio playback speed by about 0.3x. (Many people think the speed function is used solely for speeding up the sound. That is not true. You can also slow the audio down in most players.) So if you did Step 1 at normal 1x speed, slow it down to 0.7x.
3. Step 3. Listen for about 15 to 20 minutes at that slower speed, and try to enjoy it this time. No intense focus. And do not worry now about losing focus and missing parts. That is completely natural, and absolutely no harm is done. Worst case, sometimes you’ll need to jump back a little.
4. Step 4. Repeat this exercise daily for about 2 to 3 weeks: 5 minutes of focusing every one of your fibers on every word at 1x, and then 15 to 20 minutes of leisurely listening at 0.7x. After that cycle is done, move up about 0.5x. Do the first 5 minutes at, say, 1.2x, and then the next 15 to 20 minutes at 1x.

For most people, after sticking to this exercise for several weeks, the ability to focus on the audio becomes a much stronger muscle. Some find it enjoyable to slow the audio down, while others continue moving up the speed. What’s most important to remember is that this is not a race, and the goal should not be to squish in more and more words-per-minute. The goal is to settle on the reading speed that you enjoy and where your brain retains most of what you listen to. By doing those 5-minute bursts of intense focus at higher speeds, the brain suddenly becomes much more tuned to retaining the audio at a slower speed, while enjoying the whole thing.

We’d love to hear from you if you tried this, and what the results were.