Do you love reading for personal growth and development but…
are you finding it difficult to remember what you’re learning and how to apply it to your daily life?
I don’t know about you, but I have an intense passion for reading books that inspire me to learn, build character and grow! But… I wasn’t always the best at retaining what I was reading, making it challenging to apply my learnings to my daily life.
Living with ADHD can be difficult, and symptoms can make accomplishing activities like reading more of a challenge. The struggle is real! ADHD can impact our ability to focus, manage environmental and internal distractions, processing and retain the information we are reading. While not everyone with ADHD has the same experience, some people can also struggle with reading comprehension and lose track of where they are while reading.
Out of a desire to solve this dilemma, I began an exploration of sorts to discover how I best learn and take in information to pursue my love for reading, personal growth and development!
I wondered if others experienced the same challenge.
While ADHD can make reading a challenge, these 4 Reading Tips for People with ADHD can help you get the most out of your reading and inspire that excitement for reading that once was!
Tip #1: PAPERBACK BOOK
Get the physical paperback book so you can write in it and highlight it along the way! There is something magical about holding the words in front of you versus reading them on a screen. A trick I learned along the way is that Amazon has a used book section that typically allows for a great deal!
Did you know that reading improves brain connectivity and increases your vocabulary and comprehension.
Tip #2: AUDIO BOOK
Listen to the Audio version of the paperback book you’re reading, it won’t always be at the same stop in the book, but it will absolutely deepen your understanding and comprehension. You can listen in the car, while you clean, or while you exercise, the times to listen are endless. This taps into the Audio Processing learning style.
Did you know that audiobooks stimulate the thinking and memory skills of the brain, which is important to keep the brain working as you age.
Tip #3: HIGHLIGHTING
Highlighting text in your book helps you quickly identify important or significant points. You can even colour-code your important points for added fun!
Did you know that colour helps us memorize information by increasing our attentional level.
Tip #4: KEEP A REFLECTION JOURNAL
Take some time to write down all the Important takeaways from the text you are reading. Spend time in prayer and reflection while recoding your learnings, thoughts and emotions. Consider how you can start to use these new learnings in your daily life. Set up three ways you can take action with your new learning. How will you hold yourself accountable for taking action today?
Did you know that actively taking down these notes and spending time in prayer and reflection can help you take action and become more proactive about improving your life.
While on their own, these tips might not look too special, but when you combine them all together, you start to see transformation happen! By combining all four tips, you are tapping into many different learning styles and enhancing your brain’s memory ability. You start taking the time to reflect, which will allow you to be more intentional with changing your life!
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen
2 Peter3:18
Let me know what works for you.
P.S. If you’re looking for some good books to try out, my 4 Reading Tips for People with ADHD, check out my Exclusive Reading List today!