See yesterday's post for Background Noise and Reading: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself to see if reading with background noise is something you might be able to do.
Please see the following two posts for a bit more context to this post - Background Noise and Reading: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself.
Today's post is going to be a bit of an addition to that post. If you think it's something you may be able to pull off, here are 6 tips on how to make it work.
Tip 1: Select something that you won't get easily distracted by.
This can be anything as long as it doesn't distract you very easily. Whether it's classical music, a soundtrack you've heard a million times, or a movie/tv show you know the entire plot of. If it doesn't distract you as easily, then it doesn't matter what you choose - it'll be good background noise.
Tip 2: Don't select something that's new to you.
Yes, this is a counter-tip to Tip 1. If you choose music, a movie, or a tv show that's new to you, then it's more likely to distract you. In other words, let's say you choose a movie you've seen a couple of times, but don't know the plot right off the bat. You're more likely to get distracted by that since you aren't as familiar with it.
Tip 3: Don't play podcasts as background noise.
I am a big advocate for podcasts, but they are not the proper background noise for reading. Many podcasts require you to be actively listening, which you won't be doing if you're trying to get some reading in.
Tip 4: If you're going to choose music as the background noise, be selective in what music you're choosing.
Don't choose music that you haven't heard a lot of and/or would get easily distracted by. You can choose music that you'll sing along to as long as it doesn't distract you too much from the actual reading.
Tip 5: If you're going to choose a movie or tv show as the background noise, again, be selective in what you choose.
If you want to have a movie or tv show playing as you read, as with Tips 1, 2, and 4, you want to make sure it's something you're familiar with. You should know the plot of a movie relatively well before you decide to put it on as background noise for reading.
Tip 6: Watching the news is, in my opinion, a good time to do some reading and can be some decent background noise.
Unless watching the news is the highlight of your day and something you feel like you absolutely need to pay attention to (which it might be, and no judgement here), then the news can be good background noise as you read. You can pause your reading to watch parts that intrigue you, but you don't have to give it your full attention.
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