To focus on reading, pick a text that matches your level, read in short timed blocks, and stop at the end of each block to say what you just read in your own words. Remove your phone, read with a clear question in mind, and notice zoning out early so you can go back instead of pushing on. Reading near other people who are also working helps some readers stay put.
Drifting off a page is normal. Researchers call it mind wandering, and it shows up in almost everyone who reads for long enough. Below are nine methods, each with a reason it works and a source you can check. At the end there is a short plan for a 25 minute reading block.
Roomie Cafe is a free focus timer you share with friends. We make it, and we mention it briefly near the end. The rest has nothing to do with us.
Why your mind drifts while you read
Mind wandering is attention moving from the page to unrelated thoughts. In one study, people read easy and difficult versions of the same passages and were interrupted at random to report whether their mind had wandered. They reported more mind wandering on the difficult texts, and mind wandering hurt comprehension more on the difficult texts too [1].
Another study looked at who drifts more. Mind wandering while reading was linked to working memory capacity, interest in the topic and motivation to do well. The same factors, plus how much the reader already knew about the topic, were linked to reading comprehension [2].
That gives you a useful way to diagnose the problem. If you zone out, ask three things. Is the text too hard for what you know right now? Do you care why you are reading it? Is your attention being pulled by something else? The methods below are grouped around those questions.
Match the text to what you know
1. Check the difficulty before you start
Why it works: difficult texts produced more mind wandering and a bigger comprehension cost in the study above [1].
Read the first page. If you lose the thread within a few paragraphs, the text may assume background you do not have yet. Look for an introduction, a summary, a review article or a chapter from an easier book on the same subject. Come back to the hard text afterwards.
2. Build a little background first
Why it works: topic experience was one of the factors linked to better reading comprehension in the individual differences study [2].
Spend five minutes on the headings, the abstract or the chapter summary. Write down two or three terms you do not know and look them up. Reading then has something to attach to.
3. Read with a question
Why it works: interest in the topic and motivation were both linked to less mind wandering while reading [2]. A question gives you a reason to care about the next paragraph.
Before you start, write one question at the top of a page: "What does the author think causes this?" or "Which of these methods would work for my project?" Look for the answer as you read. When you find it, write it down, then pick the next question.
Notice drifting early
4. Watch for the signs of zoning out
Why it works: in a study using a detective story, zoning out was less frequent when the text revealed an important clue, and lapses had the greatest influence when they happened early in the narrative [3]. Missing a stretch can leave you with a wrong picture of what the text is about.
You have zoned out if you reach the bottom of a page and cannot say what it contained. When it happens, go back to the last paragraph you remember and reread from there. Rereading feels slow, and it is faster than finishing the chapter and finding that nothing made sense.
5. Try two weeks of short mindfulness practice
Why it works: in a randomized study, a two week mindfulness course improved GRE reading comprehension scores and working memory capacity and reduced the occurrence of distracting thoughts. The improvements were mediated by reduced mind wandering among participants who were prone to distraction at the start [4].
This is a practice, not a trick for tonight. A simple version is a few minutes a day of watching your breath and noticing when your mind leaves it. The skill you are building is noticing the drift sooner and returning on purpose.
Remove what pulls your attention
6. Use timed blocks with a clear stop
Reading for "as long as it takes" gives your mind no edge to push against. A timer gives you one. Try 25 minutes of reading and a five minute break, as in the Pomodoro method. If 25 minutes is too long for dense material, start with 10 and extend it.
Put your phone in another room. If you need it, set it on the timer's break schedule. For more on the setup, see how to focus on studying, which covers phone placement and tab discipline.
7. Pick a better place, not a more comfortable one
A bed and a sofa are places where your body expects to rest. Sit at a table with a lamp, with only the book or the screen in front of you. If you read on a screen, close every other tab and use full screen mode.
8. Read near other people who are working
Many readers find it easier to keep going when someone else is nearby doing their own work. Researchers describe a related effect as social facilitation, where the presence of others changes performance on a task. Our post on social facilitation explains what the research found and where it can go the other way.
If you cannot read in a library or a cafe, you can do the same thing online. Our guides to studying with friends online and body doubling cover how.
Check what stuck
9. Close the book and say what you read
Why it works: in two experiments, students studied prose passages and then either took recall tests or restudied the material. On a test five minutes later, restudying did better. On tests two days and one week later, prior testing produced substantially greater retention than studying, even though repeated studying made students more confident that they would remember the material [5].
At the end of each block, close the book and write what you remember in a few sentences, or say it out loud. Then check the page for what you missed. This takes two or three minutes and shows you where your attention dropped out.
How to focus on reading with ADHD
Everything above applies, and a few adjustments help. Use shorter blocks, such as 10 minutes. Stand up or change position between blocks. Read with a pen or a highlighter so your hands have something to do. If you can, read next to another person who is working. Our posts on how to focus with ADHD and why you can't focus go through causes and options in more detail. If reading problems are a pattern across your life, talk to a doctor.
A 25 minute reading block you can copy
- Write one question at the top of a page.
- Spend two minutes on headings, the abstract or the summary.
- Put your phone in another room and close other tabs.
- Set a timer for 20 minutes and read.
- When you notice you have drifted, go back to the last paragraph you remember.
- When the timer ends, close the book and write three sentences on what you read.
- Check the page for what you missed, then take a five minute break.
Where Roomie Cafe fits
If you read better with other people around, Roomie Cafe is a free focus timer you share with friends. You start a timer, see who else is focusing, and read your own book while they work on theirs. It is one option next to a library or a quiet cafe. Our manifesto explains why we built it, and you can try it at the home page.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I concentrate while reading?
Common reasons are a text that is too hard right now, little interest in the topic, a phone within reach, and tiredness. Mind wandering during reading is common and is linked to working memory capacity, topic interest and motivation [2].
How long should I read before a break?
Start with 20 to 25 minutes. Shorten the block if you drift within the first five minutes, and lengthen it if you are absorbed.
References
- Feng, S., D'Mello, S., & Graesser, A. C. (2013). Mind wandering while reading easy and difficult texts. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 20(3), 586 to 592.
- Unsworth, N., & McMillan, B. D. (2013). Mind wandering and reading comprehension: Examining the roles of working memory capacity, interest, motivation, and topic experience. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 39(3), 832 to 842.
- Smallwood, J., McSpadden, M., & Schooler, J. W. (2008). When attention matters: The curious incident of the wandering mind. Memory & Cognition, 36(6), 1144 to 1150.
- Mrazek, M. D., Franklin, M. S., Phillips, D. T., Baird, B., & Schooler, J. W. (2013). Mindfulness training improves working memory capacity and GRE performance while reducing mind wandering. Psychological Science, 24(5), 776 to 781.
- Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249 to 255.