I never thought I'd see the day where 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 more than a decade 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 do and not writing or posting 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, which seems kinda of strange to write. I don't there's been a time in the past where I've exclusively listened to books and not read any books. At any rate, 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 weren't and still 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 despite the fact that the book was a good one.Maybe it's simply 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 visual needs. Plus, read a few physical books here and there too.
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?
My older daughter and I were just discussing this yesterday. She is a lover of audio books because she can listen while she works. I am retired and no longer have the "distraction" of work and I much prefer the printed word. Although when I say "printed word" I'm really talking about my Kindle. I read exclusively on Kindle now and am of the opinion that the e-reader is one of the great inventions of our time.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy both audiobooks and physical/ebooks equally... They each have their advantages. Audiobooks are great for when one travels, has visual issues, likes listening to something while exercising, etc. I do miss reading and there is something about the printed word that is very appealing.
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