Audiobook Burnout

 

I never thought I'd be writing a post stating that I currently have burnout from listening to audiobooks! 

I love listening to audiobooks and have been listening to audiobooks for many years now. However, in recent years I've relied more heavily on listening to audiobooks vs. reading books due to an ongoing eye/visual issues which have fluctuated in my left eye since November 2022. Because of my ongoing left eye issues, audiobooks have been a way for me to continue devouring books uninterrupted, avoid eye strain/fatigue and so on. Without audiobooks, I'd probably be reading far less than I currently and not writing and posting that many book reviews throughout the year.

This year alone, I've exclusively listened to audiobooks. In other words, I haven't read a single book in 2025. I've listened to 40 audiobooks to date. Also, in recent years, I've listened to more audiobooks and read less books as a trend.

I started noticing burnout from listening to audiobooks beginning last month. Audiobooks just aren't holding my attention as much as they use to in the past. At times, I'd find my mind wandering instead of focusing on the content of the book.

Maybe it's time to take a break from audiobooks and return to reading books again. I'm thinking of sticking with ebooks on my Kindle app for the time being, so that I may adjust the font size to best suit my needs. Plus, read a few physical books here and there.

I doubt I'll quit listening to audiobooks altogether. I simply plan to mix things up a bit for more variety and mental stimulation. Reading vs. listening are two different skills altogether and require a different focus.

How do you feel about audiobooks? Do you like listening to audiobooks or do you prefer reading books exclusively?