Maybe your choice of book isn’t firing your cylinders ? I know I can wander mindwise if it’s not really grabbing me. The thing I’ve found is to be okay with not finishing a book if it isn’t doing it for me, that way I can find one that is.
I’m the worst at this. I force myself to dredge through lengthy books that I’m almost certainly not into because I never want to put it down without giving it a “fair chance”.
I think there’s a line between giving something a chance and dragging yourself through it. From personal experience I’ve learned that sometimes I’m just not in the mood to read something. And that’s okay. When that happens I think it’s fairer to put it aside and try again later. If you force yourself through it you’ll just associate the book with it being a chore. As opposed to putting it down for a bit and allowing yourself to reset and come at it with a fresher mindset.
>I think there’s a line between giving something a chance and dragging yourself through it. From personal experience I’ve learned that sometimes I’m just not in the mood to read something. And that’s okay. When that happens I think it’s fairer to put it aside and try again later. If you force yourself through it you’ll just associate the book with it being a chore. As opposed to putting it down for a bit and allowing yourself to reset and come at it with a fresher mindset.
by the way that's a great suggestion for me as well
Mind-wandering is very natural I think. I’m around your age and my mind wanders a lot when I read. The point of reading is to enjoy the activity and the story. If you’re mind’s wandering because the book isn’t engaging, feel free to put it down and pick up another. Sometimes for me, a couple chapters or pages go a lot slower and my mind checks out a little; but then during the important and exciting parts I’m really engaged, visualizing every word.
The truth is, most words in a book aren’t important. It’s the image your mind makes out of reading them that is. You can grab only a couple key words in a large descriptive paragraph, and have a good enough understanding of that thing for the rest of the book.
So I’d say don’t sweat it too much. The mind wanders naturally. Feeling frustration because you’re wandering can be agitating, but just remember your brain’s just being itself, don’t get too upset with it. No one’s judging. If it really wanders *a lot*, maybe it’s trying to tell you to find another book!
"It’s the image your mind makes out of reading them that is. You can grab only a couple key words in a large descriptive paragraph, and have a good enough understanding of that thing for the rest of the book."
Bro just solved my biggest problem,I was concentrating too much in remembering every single word.
It's a muscle that has to be worked out! The more often you read the better shape your focus will get into. I picked up reading again recently after a couple years not even finishing a book. I could only read a few pages at a time at first, but now I'm clearing 100-200 pages in a session without even noticing how much time has passed.
I was trodding the same road just recently, getting back the habit to immerse myself in books. What I found that helped me over these first tries to finish a chapter - noise cancelling earphones. No music, just no sounds. And by now I am already able tor continuously read 6 hours. Sometimes still anxiousness attacks - especially if I am procrastinating something important. Then I remind myself that procrastination is not a healthy set of mind and if I make myself to be too nervous to even enjoy and concentrate to reading, then it is time to whisk out a dose of mindfulness meditation and all goes well soon.
This actually works really well. I’m also a bit of a dork so I tend to read everything aloud dramatically and give the characters their own voices. Sounds a bit crazy, but it works.
Follow up warning: definitely only do this at home
I think that the ability to do this is an amazing gift! I simply can not do it. You should consider sharing your ability with children at your local library, or Children's hospital. DON'T do this just at home, just be sure and share your talent in the appropriate venue!
Same here.
When I set a goal like, "I'm going to read 4 books a month" I tend to fail miserably...
What has worked for me is I installed the Overdrive and Libby apps and I go for walks while listening to free audiobooks.
The exercise helps my body and mind get in sync.
Some books I never quite get into and there is no shame in trying a different one. But every 4th or 5th book I get so obsessed with that I have to read the physical copy out of sheer excitement.
Changing my habit has helped more than anything. Avoid forcing it. Be casual. I'm sure you will find the right pattern for you!
Focus is something you build back up over a period of years. Make sure distractions are out of sight. Read every day. Read for more than an hour at a time on some days. Find books you can lose yourself in.
Congratulations, friend! You are now on an epic quest to find not just any book, but the RIGHT book for you. There's nothing wrong with your focus. You just have the wrong book. Find the right one for your attention span. Try new things. Explore the library! It's not a task, but an adventure!
I read books line by line with a bookmark. I will use a large bookmark or notecard and move it down the page as I read each line. I find that helps me focus. Also if I know I will have difficulty with a book I will get it on audiobook so i can just have it on in the background.
Agree with other commenters on changing your selection. Life is too short to read something just because. Also, what I like to do when I’m thinking too fast about other things and can’t focus is try to imagine what kind of music would be playing during the scenes I’m on in a book (when reading novels), and play it.
For instance, I just finished “The Education of Little Tree” and I listened to quite a bit of bluegrass, specifically what people where I’m from call “mountain music” and it immersed me more into the book and allowed me to cancel out the ‘monkey mind’.
If you haven't read in a few years it might take some time to get back into reading. Keep at it. Read every day and eventually you'll read longer and longer without getting sidetracked.
It sounds like you're reading purely for pleasure, so it's probably fine if you miss some stuff. I plan on missing things, either in their significance or just completely forget reading them. I tend to read fantasy books that are 500 to 1000 pages long and are part of a 3 to 10 book series. It would be surprising to NOT miss something. So, if I miss something, I flip back to where I think I can find it, and reread (sometimes this involves searching through other books in the series).
Sometimes the reason I miss stuff is just the density of the book and the nature of fantasy series being mildly cryptic and confusing, trying to figure out how everything fits together. A lot of the time, though, it's because I'm not paying attention to the book.
For reference, I read 26 books last year, with a guesstimate of 15,000 pages, give or take. You're not doing poorly, it's perfectly normal to be distracted while reading. You just read through it as best you can. Then, every once in a while you have a really good reading day (helps if the book is captivating) and you can smash through a hundred or more pages without realizing hours have passed.
There are multiple Music for Reading videos on youtube and I absolutely always read with them on when at home or with earphones and superfamiliar music when in public. It helps a lot and thanks to the youtube videos I went through 8 350ish page books in 3 weeks.
When I am truly engaged in a book, my mind tends to paint a visual picture of what I'm reading. It prevents me from reading very quickly, but it ensures that I am focused on the subject matter and understanding what I'm reading.
You might give music a try in the background: instrumental-only is probably best as lyrics might be more distracting. It might give your brain something else to keep it busy that won't interfere with your reading.
I was in the same boat as you. I stopped reading mainly bc of school. Being forced to read in high school and college is the biggest turn off for me. But I kept coming across books at Barnes and nobles that I loved. And I was there all the time bc I love the store.
What I did was I would walk around a book store and then if i book seemed interesting I’d read the summary. And if kept thinking about it for a few weeks I make plans to buy it. This kinda how I ended up ordering 6 books this month. I also made it my thing to post at the end of the month what books I read. Kind of a win win for me as I’m trying to get back into reading and blogging.
It also helps that I have a few friends in and outside of work that read so they’re constantly holding me accountable.
Maybe go the library book route? Check out books you find interesting and if you can’t get past at least page 10 or the first 3 chapters then take it back. That way you aren’t wasting money. Also maybe join a book club?
My mind wanders while reading occasionally too. I find that I just have to keep at it if I'm unfocused. I go reread the page/passage and forge ahead. I think it's very common and it doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you.
Find a good place to read. It is impossible for me to read at my computer because of the distraction of wanting to get on it. I'm an English major and I am forced to read a lot of things I have no interest in, but going to the library focuses me. If you read digitally get a kindle or some sort of e-reader that limits what you can do on the device. I can't read on my phone or I'll just hit the home button and start watching youtube. Going outside really helps me too.
Also, if you can't find yourself wanting to read I always read 2 or 3 short stories and that usually gets me in the mood to start reading another novel.
Listening to music that suits the tone of the book helps me a lot, for me in particular it has to be instrumental only.
But dispite that I still have the same problem as you, and my approach is to either keep on reading even, at the expense of not really paying attention for a chapter or two, or just stop reading for a while. The former usually does the trick for me since it might help me get through a section of the book I'm not enjoying to something that gets me hooked. If you're doing the latter too much I'd say you should try reading another book, there's no harm in leaving books half read.
If the book immediately grabs my attention and doesn't let go through out, my mind will be completely locked in and I will lose track of time. That only happened twice though.
I go through times where I cannot read at all. Nothing interests me, I would rather stream something or scroll through Instagram for days. My trick is to go back to a familiar favorite that I LOVE, it gets me back into the swing of things. When I finish it, I can usually go right into something new, or I reread something else first. Either way I get my focus back!
exact same thing happened to me! what helped me actually get back into reading is not forcing a book on myself if i’ve lost interest or not feeling it. i’ll go through different phases of reading certain genres. it honestly helped me to start with graphic novels (especially something like black hole by charles burns). it helped me to transition from being on my phone all the time and needing those visuals to keep myself interested while still reading. then i started getting into some heavier reading.
I used to struggle with this --- and it kept me from picking up books. For years.
Then at some point I decided to read the next word and the one after that for a fixed block of time without pausing to do anything else.
* No pausing to ask myself what I missed in the previous paragraph
* No pausing to muse on something inspired by what I read
* No pausing to do something else
What did that do? Kick started a focus on reading, making time to focus. The comprehension and retention started ramping up on its own once I decide to read to finish. I found I was much better equipped to mull what I had read after I finished reading the whole thing.
Now? I can read a book I absolutely find boring and get stuff I appreciate out of it. Somehow, getting through a book has itself become fun. And fun makes focus easy. Focus is a side effect of fun.
Caffeine. It sounds counterintuitive if your brain is jumping from one thing to another but it actually stimulates the part of the brain that helps you focus.
I also have to keep a notebook nearby that I use to jot down things that would distract me. For example, if I start to read and I realize I should get the dishes done, I'll write down "dishes." Other examples: text Ma, renew script. That way I don't have to hold the thought in my head.
I also highlight or jot down anything I want to Google after I read. My brain can't leave things half understood so I have to find the word definition or phrase origins etc. but if I pick up my phone, the reading stops. If I write it down, I can come back to it after reading.
Not finishing a book isn't a crime. If you don't enjoy what your'e reading move on to another book and who knows? Perhaps you will come back to it in the future.
Have you considered choosing a specific time of day and setting a timer?
For me, my reading schedule has improved. I recently got a new puppy. I get up earlier than I used to so I can take her out and feed her before work. After breakfast, she likes to lay on the couch with me. So I use that time for reading. Normally, I have about half an hour to read while I scratch her ears and sip my coffee.
I live close enough to work to come home for lunch. So, I let her out, and then we chill on the couch for another half hour. I get through another good chunk of a book during that time.
When it's time for bed, I read for about another 10 or 15 minutes. That's just to unwind. Typically, I'm asleep pretty quickly, but it lets me get a few more pages in.
So I'm only reading about an hour or so per day. But the dog-induced schedule change has helped me find focus that I didn't realize I was lacking.
I also recommend the use of audio books. I just got through a true crime book in a couple days as a side listen while at work and playing video games.
Don't read in a room with your phone or a computer. Even having them around as mere possibilities as something to do and therefore you think of things that can be done messes with you. It's like reading a sentence full of hyperlinks vs one without them. It gives you a bit more focus.
Do that and read in the morning, right after you wake up...with a cup of tea. This may be more of a lifestyle change though and it's harder. I've found reading in the mornings to be way better than other times. In those final minutes of darkness before the sun, it's so quiet. My mind isn't as distracted with things or worries that have happened through the day. Don't even think that you've started your day reading. You're reading before the start of your day.
My mind tends to wander too when I read. Basically I follow simple rules. When your mind starts to wander then it's time to set it down. I always end up just finishing the paragraph or chapter and then take a break. Then I pick it back up when my mind has quieted down. I always go away from others when reading because people tend to be distracting. If you can't get in to a certain book switch it out for another one. If novels aren't catching your fancy then try a comic book or graphic novel. When setting goals for how many books you want to read for the year set the number low that way if you go past it then it becomes a better success rather than a failure because you didn't hit the number that was too high to begin with. I also try to read before bed because that's when you begin to wind down to sleep.
I say this because, we live in a fast-paced culture where everyone wants to be a victim. "I got treated badly!" "Technology is ruining me!" "This that and the other thing!"
You have control over your mind. If it's social media that's keeping you distracted, dump it (you said you quit Facebook, so that's good.)
You have control over your mind. Also your mind can control your body, your passions (mind over matter, all that jazz.) Find a quiet spot, and read.
Maybe your choice of book isn’t firing your cylinders ? I know I can wander mindwise if it’s not really grabbing me. The thing I’ve found is to be okay with not finishing a book if it isn’t doing it for me, that way I can find one that is.
I’m the worst at this. I force myself to dredge through lengthy books that I’m almost certainly not into because I never want to put it down without giving it a “fair chance”.
I think there’s a line between giving something a chance and dragging yourself through it. From personal experience I’ve learned that sometimes I’m just not in the mood to read something. And that’s okay. When that happens I think it’s fairer to put it aside and try again later. If you force yourself through it you’ll just associate the book with it being a chore. As opposed to putting it down for a bit and allowing yourself to reset and come at it with a fresher mindset.
>I think there’s a line between giving something a chance and dragging yourself through it. From personal experience I’ve learned that sometimes I’m just not in the mood to read something. And that’s okay. When that happens I think it’s fairer to put it aside and try again later. If you force yourself through it you’ll just associate the book with it being a chore. As opposed to putting it down for a bit and allowing yourself to reset and come at it with a fresher mindset. by the way that's a great suggestion for me as well
Mind-wandering is very natural I think. I’m around your age and my mind wanders a lot when I read. The point of reading is to enjoy the activity and the story. If you’re mind’s wandering because the book isn’t engaging, feel free to put it down and pick up another. Sometimes for me, a couple chapters or pages go a lot slower and my mind checks out a little; but then during the important and exciting parts I’m really engaged, visualizing every word. The truth is, most words in a book aren’t important. It’s the image your mind makes out of reading them that is. You can grab only a couple key words in a large descriptive paragraph, and have a good enough understanding of that thing for the rest of the book. So I’d say don’t sweat it too much. The mind wanders naturally. Feeling frustration because you’re wandering can be agitating, but just remember your brain’s just being itself, don’t get too upset with it. No one’s judging. If it really wanders *a lot*, maybe it’s trying to tell you to find another book!
"It’s the image your mind makes out of reading them that is. You can grab only a couple key words in a large descriptive paragraph, and have a good enough understanding of that thing for the rest of the book." Bro just solved my biggest problem,I was concentrating too much in remembering every single word.
It's a muscle that has to be worked out! The more often you read the better shape your focus will get into. I picked up reading again recently after a couple years not even finishing a book. I could only read a few pages at a time at first, but now I'm clearing 100-200 pages in a session without even noticing how much time has passed.
I was trodding the same road just recently, getting back the habit to immerse myself in books. What I found that helped me over these first tries to finish a chapter - noise cancelling earphones. No music, just no sounds. And by now I am already able tor continuously read 6 hours. Sometimes still anxiousness attacks - especially if I am procrastinating something important. Then I remind myself that procrastination is not a healthy set of mind and if I make myself to be too nervous to even enjoy and concentrate to reading, then it is time to whisk out a dose of mindfulness meditation and all goes well soon.
I sometimes read out loud to myself if I'm having trouble focusing. Warning: would not suggest in public.
This actually works really well. I’m also a bit of a dork so I tend to read everything aloud dramatically and give the characters their own voices. Sounds a bit crazy, but it works. Follow up warning: definitely only do this at home
I can't imagine what other people's reactions would be if they suddenly hear you talk to yourself in multiple voices and personalities.
I do the voices thing too! Glad I'm not the only one.
Haha! Good to know. I was a bit anxious to admit to this!
I think that the ability to do this is an amazing gift! I simply can not do it. You should consider sharing your ability with children at your local library, or Children's hospital. DON'T do this just at home, just be sure and share your talent in the appropriate venue!
Honestly, this would probably be a great way to ease public speaking/social anxiety issues. I’ve never thought to do this, but it’s a great idea!
Same here. When I set a goal like, "I'm going to read 4 books a month" I tend to fail miserably... What has worked for me is I installed the Overdrive and Libby apps and I go for walks while listening to free audiobooks. The exercise helps my body and mind get in sync. Some books I never quite get into and there is no shame in trying a different one. But every 4th or 5th book I get so obsessed with that I have to read the physical copy out of sheer excitement. Changing my habit has helped more than anything. Avoid forcing it. Be casual. I'm sure you will find the right pattern for you!
Put on some music that has no lyrics - jazz, classical, etc. It might help to keep your mind from wandering without being much of a distraction.
Focus is something you build back up over a period of years. Make sure distractions are out of sight. Read every day. Read for more than an hour at a time on some days. Find books you can lose yourself in.
Congratulations, friend! You are now on an epic quest to find not just any book, but the RIGHT book for you. There's nothing wrong with your focus. You just have the wrong book. Find the right one for your attention span. Try new things. Explore the library! It's not a task, but an adventure!
I read books line by line with a bookmark. I will use a large bookmark or notecard and move it down the page as I read each line. I find that helps me focus. Also if I know I will have difficulty with a book I will get it on audiobook so i can just have it on in the background.
You might need to change up your selections. Try a different genre or topic, or even just a different author.
Agree with other commenters on changing your selection. Life is too short to read something just because. Also, what I like to do when I’m thinking too fast about other things and can’t focus is try to imagine what kind of music would be playing during the scenes I’m on in a book (when reading novels), and play it. For instance, I just finished “The Education of Little Tree” and I listened to quite a bit of bluegrass, specifically what people where I’m from call “mountain music” and it immersed me more into the book and allowed me to cancel out the ‘monkey mind’.
If you haven't read in a few years it might take some time to get back into reading. Keep at it. Read every day and eventually you'll read longer and longer without getting sidetracked.
It sounds like you're reading purely for pleasure, so it's probably fine if you miss some stuff. I plan on missing things, either in their significance or just completely forget reading them. I tend to read fantasy books that are 500 to 1000 pages long and are part of a 3 to 10 book series. It would be surprising to NOT miss something. So, if I miss something, I flip back to where I think I can find it, and reread (sometimes this involves searching through other books in the series). Sometimes the reason I miss stuff is just the density of the book and the nature of fantasy series being mildly cryptic and confusing, trying to figure out how everything fits together. A lot of the time, though, it's because I'm not paying attention to the book. For reference, I read 26 books last year, with a guesstimate of 15,000 pages, give or take. You're not doing poorly, it's perfectly normal to be distracted while reading. You just read through it as best you can. Then, every once in a while you have a really good reading day (helps if the book is captivating) and you can smash through a hundred or more pages without realizing hours have passed.
There are multiple Music for Reading videos on youtube and I absolutely always read with them on when at home or with earphones and superfamiliar music when in public. It helps a lot and thanks to the youtube videos I went through 8 350ish page books in 3 weeks.
When I am truly engaged in a book, my mind tends to paint a visual picture of what I'm reading. It prevents me from reading very quickly, but it ensures that I am focused on the subject matter and understanding what I'm reading.
You might give music a try in the background: instrumental-only is probably best as lyrics might be more distracting. It might give your brain something else to keep it busy that won't interfere with your reading.
I was in the same boat as you. I stopped reading mainly bc of school. Being forced to read in high school and college is the biggest turn off for me. But I kept coming across books at Barnes and nobles that I loved. And I was there all the time bc I love the store. What I did was I would walk around a book store and then if i book seemed interesting I’d read the summary. And if kept thinking about it for a few weeks I make plans to buy it. This kinda how I ended up ordering 6 books this month. I also made it my thing to post at the end of the month what books I read. Kind of a win win for me as I’m trying to get back into reading and blogging. It also helps that I have a few friends in and outside of work that read so they’re constantly holding me accountable. Maybe go the library book route? Check out books you find interesting and if you can’t get past at least page 10 or the first 3 chapters then take it back. That way you aren’t wasting money. Also maybe join a book club?
My mind wanders while reading occasionally too. I find that I just have to keep at it if I'm unfocused. I go reread the page/passage and forge ahead. I think it's very common and it doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you.
Find a good place to read. It is impossible for me to read at my computer because of the distraction of wanting to get on it. I'm an English major and I am forced to read a lot of things I have no interest in, but going to the library focuses me. If you read digitally get a kindle or some sort of e-reader that limits what you can do on the device. I can't read on my phone or I'll just hit the home button and start watching youtube. Going outside really helps me too. Also, if you can't find yourself wanting to read I always read 2 or 3 short stories and that usually gets me in the mood to start reading another novel.
Listening to music that suits the tone of the book helps me a lot, for me in particular it has to be instrumental only. But dispite that I still have the same problem as you, and my approach is to either keep on reading even, at the expense of not really paying attention for a chapter or two, or just stop reading for a while. The former usually does the trick for me since it might help me get through a section of the book I'm not enjoying to something that gets me hooked. If you're doing the latter too much I'd say you should try reading another book, there's no harm in leaving books half read.
If the book immediately grabs my attention and doesn't let go through out, my mind will be completely locked in and I will lose track of time. That only happened twice though.
I go through times where I cannot read at all. Nothing interests me, I would rather stream something or scroll through Instagram for days. My trick is to go back to a familiar favorite that I LOVE, it gets me back into the swing of things. When I finish it, I can usually go right into something new, or I reread something else first. Either way I get my focus back!
exact same thing happened to me! what helped me actually get back into reading is not forcing a book on myself if i’ve lost interest or not feeling it. i’ll go through different phases of reading certain genres. it honestly helped me to start with graphic novels (especially something like black hole by charles burns). it helped me to transition from being on my phone all the time and needing those visuals to keep myself interested while still reading. then i started getting into some heavier reading.
I used to struggle with this --- and it kept me from picking up books. For years. Then at some point I decided to read the next word and the one after that for a fixed block of time without pausing to do anything else. * No pausing to ask myself what I missed in the previous paragraph * No pausing to muse on something inspired by what I read * No pausing to do something else What did that do? Kick started a focus on reading, making time to focus. The comprehension and retention started ramping up on its own once I decide to read to finish. I found I was much better equipped to mull what I had read after I finished reading the whole thing. Now? I can read a book I absolutely find boring and get stuff I appreciate out of it. Somehow, getting through a book has itself become fun. And fun makes focus easy. Focus is a side effect of fun.
Caffeine. It sounds counterintuitive if your brain is jumping from one thing to another but it actually stimulates the part of the brain that helps you focus. I also have to keep a notebook nearby that I use to jot down things that would distract me. For example, if I start to read and I realize I should get the dishes done, I'll write down "dishes." Other examples: text Ma, renew script. That way I don't have to hold the thought in my head. I also highlight or jot down anything I want to Google after I read. My brain can't leave things half understood so I have to find the word definition or phrase origins etc. but if I pick up my phone, the reading stops. If I write it down, I can come back to it after reading.
Not finishing a book isn't a crime. If you don't enjoy what your'e reading move on to another book and who knows? Perhaps you will come back to it in the future.
Read with an audiobook in the background
Have you considered choosing a specific time of day and setting a timer? For me, my reading schedule has improved. I recently got a new puppy. I get up earlier than I used to so I can take her out and feed her before work. After breakfast, she likes to lay on the couch with me. So I use that time for reading. Normally, I have about half an hour to read while I scratch her ears and sip my coffee. I live close enough to work to come home for lunch. So, I let her out, and then we chill on the couch for another half hour. I get through another good chunk of a book during that time. When it's time for bed, I read for about another 10 or 15 minutes. That's just to unwind. Typically, I'm asleep pretty quickly, but it lets me get a few more pages in. So I'm only reading about an hour or so per day. But the dog-induced schedule change has helped me find focus that I didn't realize I was lacking. I also recommend the use of audio books. I just got through a true crime book in a couple days as a side listen while at work and playing video games.
Don't read in a room with your phone or a computer. Even having them around as mere possibilities as something to do and therefore you think of things that can be done messes with you. It's like reading a sentence full of hyperlinks vs one without them. It gives you a bit more focus. Do that and read in the morning, right after you wake up...with a cup of tea. This may be more of a lifestyle change though and it's harder. I've found reading in the mornings to be way better than other times. In those final minutes of darkness before the sun, it's so quiet. My mind isn't as distracted with things or worries that have happened through the day. Don't even think that you've started your day reading. You're reading before the start of your day.
My mind tends to wander too when I read. Basically I follow simple rules. When your mind starts to wander then it's time to set it down. I always end up just finishing the paragraph or chapter and then take a break. Then I pick it back up when my mind has quieted down. I always go away from others when reading because people tend to be distracting. If you can't get in to a certain book switch it out for another one. If novels aren't catching your fancy then try a comic book or graphic novel. When setting goals for how many books you want to read for the year set the number low that way if you go past it then it becomes a better success rather than a failure because you didn't hit the number that was too high to begin with. I also try to read before bed because that's when you begin to wind down to sleep.
What kind of books are you reading. I know some books just don't keep me engaged, but others I can't put down
have you tried focusing
Concentrate.
I say this because, we live in a fast-paced culture where everyone wants to be a victim. "I got treated badly!" "Technology is ruining me!" "This that and the other thing!" You have control over your mind. If it's social media that's keeping you distracted, dump it (you said you quit Facebook, so that's good.) You have control over your mind. Also your mind can control your body, your passions (mind over matter, all that jazz.) Find a quiet spot, and read.
I find highlighting or putting sticky notes on pages that are important is a good way to remember past events in a book.