What do you do while listening to audiobooks?

[Mara]

All kinds of different things. I usually listen to my books while I'm on my computer at home.

[Demi]

I work.
My last job was a data entry position so I needed something to focus my mind on to keep it from melting. I found myself plowing through titles and loving it! The only thing that really sucks is how fast I would go through great books. Listening to 8 hours of book every day starts to cut a hefty chunk out of your 'to read' list.

Now I have a new job and for the moment, it's back to good old fashioned words on paper.

[Ruth]

Driving most of the time

[Taylor]

I work as a photo editor and listening to audio books not only makes the day go by faster it helps me block everything out and focus on my work. It really helps get through my TBR too!

Sometimes if I can't sleep, I'll pull up an old favorite and listen until I fall asleep.

[Jeanie]

Taylor wrote: "Sometimes if I can't sleep, I'll pull up an old favorite and listen until I fall asleep...."

That's also my favorite strategy for going to sleep if it doesn't come quickly. There's nothing quite like a comfort read to ease me into sleep... or entertain me while sleep is still elusive.

[Trashed Panda Brew Co]

You can guarantee anytime i put an audio book on in bed i'll fall asleep in minutes and lose my place in the book haha !

I tend to listen while im doing washing up, bottling my homebrew, driving or at work (i have to be careful at work as i work up ladders etc and sometimes my concrntration on the book can wander lol)

[Johan]

Puggleandchips wrote: "You can guarantee anytime i put an audio book on in bed i'll fall asleep in minutes and lose my place in the book haha !

I tend to listen while im doing washing up, bottling my homebrew, driving o..."

A tip I use is to set a bookmark just BEFORE I start playing the audiobook in bed. Usually I've listened for 60 seconds before I fall asleep so using Smart Audiobook Player (android) I can set it to 5, 10, or whatever minutes and the sound will fade out by itself.

Love that audiobook app <3

[Specs]

My brain is totally "pavloved" to audiobooks: put them on in bed and I'm off...
I always put the sleep timer on 15 minutes, so I never have to go back for more than that the next day.

[Kim]

riding bus/mass transit

[Thorsten]

I prefer to do nothing but listening.

But if it has to be then I am travelling by bus, train or plane preferably looking out of a window watching the clouds or fields or houses drifting by.

[Matthew]

Kristie wrote: "I try to only listen while multi-tasking. I listen while driving, walking for exercise, swimming laps, folding laundry, doing light cleaning, wrapping presents, and doing low-brain activities at wo..."
What do you use to listen to audio books while swimming laps? I've recently taken up swimming and I am curious about audiobooks/music while swimming.

[Kristie]

Matthew, unfortunately I have not been swimming lately, but I have this MP3 player: https://www.amazon.com/Diver-Waterpro...

[Fran]

Matthew wrote: "Kristie wrote: "I try to only listen while multi-tasking. I listen while driving, walking for exercise, swimming laps, folding laundry, doing light cleaning, wrapping presents, and doing low-brain ..."

Hi Matthew. I got an iPod shuffle that was waterproofed along with waterproof headphones. The shuffle does not scramble chapters which was a concern when I got it. I did find it difficult in the beginning to pause it using the correct control. It doesn't have a fast forward function when you mistakenly do that. Once I had the controls figured out without looking at them all was good.

[Effie]

I work as a n optician and one day a week I spend about 6 hours making eyeglasses. Listening to an audiobook rather than music really passes the time enjoyably for me. I also listen when I'm cooking or doing the chores around the house. and of course when I'm driving!

[Brock]

I'm new to audiobooks, so I'm still figuring it out. As a full time author, I don't drive much, so it's mostly while biking or hiking. I wasn't sure about listening while I bike mountain trails, but it works out pretty well. It does limit my listening time, so it takes me a while to finish a book.

[L J]

I listen while doing almost anything in the house sometimes even vacuuming as I have headphones that are pretty good at sound canceling. I listen while volunteering at the library while sorting book donations. Pretty much listen while doing anything that doesn't require concentration. I don't listen while driving but do listen while sitting in parking lot waiting.

[Specs]

So far vacuuming is the only thing I can't do audiobooks - so that will always be my least favorite task. Everything else I didn't like before audiobooks became my thing, e.g. ironing, I now like to do :)

[ConnieD]

Jigsaw puzzles.

[Kristie]

I listen while doing many things: driving, cooking, cleaning, using the elliptical (occasionally lol), and also painting or puzzles when I have the time.

[Emma]

I commute up to 3 hours 20 minutes a day so I listen while I walk and drive. I also like to listen while I clean.

[Margo]

Oh tjat is a long comute emma! You must get a lot of listening done!

I'm with Kristie, there's (almost) always an excuse for audio!

[Susan]

I play games on my tablet like HayDay, hidden object games, different versions of solitaire, and Magic Jigsaw Puzzles. I often will put a video of a fireplace and burn a candle.

[Janet]

I delete my spam.

[Margo]

Ha!

[MostMagenta]

I work as a gardener and listen to them all day. I listen to them in the car as well.

[Robin P]

Rahbeka wrote: "I work as a gardener and listen to them all day. I listen to them in the car as well."

So great to have a job where you can listen all day! I always worked in offices where I had to be on the phone all day or otherwise available, so it was impossible. But now I am retired!

[Pamela]

I don't work as a gardener, but I listen when I am working in my garden, when I am sewing, quilting and knitting. I enjoy listening on long car rides also.

[writer...]

I audio listen while working online, creating any list type of record keeping, when highway driving distances, any opp where concentration isn't required...

[Jan]

ConnieD wrote: "Jigsaw puzzles."

This is my favorite thing to do while listening! So much better than watching TV!

[Specs]

Jan wrote: "ConnieD wrote: "Jigsaw puzzles."

This is my favorite thing to do while listening! So much better than watching TV!"
O yes!

[Greg]

In the car, if I am alone, watering the garden, washing the dishes (which I do in the morning, generally too wined to do it after dinner), mowing the lawn (challenging), computer jigsaws - excellent prog called Jigsaws Galore, probably no good for the purists but great fun and you can make puzzles from your own or any photos. Really, at every opportunity, audiobooks have been the greatest thing. On holidays, while the good lady wife is looking in shops, I can sit happily, listening to my book and watching the world go by. Truly wonderful.

[Robin P]

Yes, audiobooks are perfect when waiting for your spouse/kids/friend to do whatever - much better than playing games on your phone. Only problem is being in public and suddenly laughing or gasping in surprise at something in the story!

[writer...]

Greg wrote: "In the car, ..computer jigsaws - excellen..."

Thanks for the pc jigsaws tip...appreciated !

[Jan Mc]

RE: Jigsaw apps; the one I use most on my iPad while listening to my audiobooks is simply called "Jigsaw Puzzle" (or "Jigsaw Puzzle Pro") by Critical Hit Software, LLC. I also really like an iOS color-by-number app called "Color Number." Both are simple and don't take much thought but are very satisfying.

[Boni]

I listen to them while i walk, while i drive, while I eat, while I take a long bus journey, train journey.

I had a bad habit of playing cash royale while listening to audio books but I broke the habit.

Alas I could not do any other mindful task while listening to audio books. I can't read another book, I can't type an email, I can't watch TV, and many other mindful tasks have gone out of purview. I also can't learn new skills while listening to audio books.

[Robin P]

I think only a very exceptional person could do those other tasks while listening to a book. I generally can't even listen to music while reading, writing, etc. But audiobooks make the "mindless" tasks enjoyable!

[Jennifer]

Tuck my kid to bed (helps me remember to stop talking), wash dishes, make lunches, drive, do mindless parts of my job, make photo albums...

[Marsha]

Hi
I usually put on makeup and do
my hair but if I get really interested in a book I’m usually late.
Not always a great idea but I really enjoy audiobooks.

[Toni]

I love audiobooks and listen primarily on my iphone via my Overdrive (OD) app, with books from the library, which are simply MP3 files downloaded to the OD app. When their time is up they're gone. Poof.
Since I'm retired, YAY! I have more time to listen. I listen while cooking, cleaning, walking my dog, paying bills online, etc. My most relaxing thing to do is color or draw while listening. If it's the evening, with a glass of wine!

[Robin P]

A reminder to those of us in the Midwest - audiobooks are great for snow shoveling! (Maybe not snowplowing unless you have exceptional headphones.)

[Jeanne]

I'm a quilter and listen when I am pinning, cutting fabric, staring at my stash, sewing on binding. Just not when the sewing machine is running. Oh, and I listen when weeding in the nice weather.

[SAJ]

I read while I listen to audiobooks.

[Greg]

SAJ wrote: "I read while I listen to audiobooks."

Funny!

[Doug]

SAJ wrote: "I read while I listen to audiobooks."

I do too. Immersion reading is great because of my poor memory. I retain what I immersion read for a lot longer than just listening or just reading.

[John, Moderator]

I don't read and listen, but have been known to write while doing so.

I would like immersion available for Spanish books, but haven't found that ability yet.

[Robin P]

Yes, this would help me with Spanish, which I know somewhat and even French, which I know pretty well. It's quite challenging for me to follow a whole audiobook in French and I definitely can't do it Spanish but maybe with a text that would work. In English I would be reading ahead on the print. I don't like switching back and forth either, unless there was a problem with the audio.

[Karen]

I don't know how someone can read and listen to an audiobook unless they are the same story. I can only do mindless things while listening; laundry, cleaning chores and other household stuff. I do like that feeling of getting something accomplished while enjoying my audio at the same time. Don't know how I would get along without audios, they are so nice to have.

[Robin P]

Karen wrote: "I don't know how someone can read and listen to an audiobook unless they are the same story. I can only do mindless things while listening; laundry, cleaning chores and other household stuff. I do ..."

Yes, I think that is what was meant. Reading and hearing the exact same thing at the same time is great for those who have any issues with processing either visual or audio input. But you are right, then you can't do anything else. I am lucky that audio input works well for me. In college, I could hear a lecture and take in a lot of information. My husband thought he wasn't smart, but later understood that he is a visual learner, and with no illustration (let alone online info as today), he struggled.

[Greg]

With all due respect to the dual input folks (as they shall hereafter be known), I don't think that reading the book while listening to the same book as audiobook is really what was meant by what else do you do while listening to your audiobook. Nevertheless, it is an interesting approach for those who benefit from the dual input. You would have a helluva time, however, adding a third activity to the reading and listening. Driving for example. Yikes.

[Jeanie]

Greg, I get what you are saying, but I think reading the print version while listening to the audiobook is a legit example of what we do while listening to audiobooks. For some people, sometimes that includes me, all we do is sit there and listen, totally absorbed in the book. It's good for me to know that I am not alone in what I sometimes do... which is nothing at all. It's also good to know that, like me, others sometimes do chores, exercise, travel, etc. while listening.

There's no one way to listen to an audiobook, and this thread lets us know we are not alone in whatever activity or non-activity we engage in.

Maybe we need a separate thread for those who choose full emersion reading--for whatever reason--since it seems to be something people do for various reasons. Until then, I think it's okay to mention it here.