Some people read something once and remember every little detail about it for life, while others struggle to recall the names of the main characters even after reading the same book over and over again. In this article, you will know developing a good reading habit helps you read more in less time and enhances your retention skills.
1. Know why you are reading what you are reading
For every action, it’s important to know the why behind it. You should know the reason for doing something before drawing the action plan. This will keep you motivated throughout your life. When it comes to reading, you should always remember why you have chosen this book to read. This is a book that can teach you one of the most important lessons of your life. Such clarity can keep you on track and prevent you from leaving what you are reading midway.
2. Recap what you have read
Going back to what you have read can help your brain retain more information. So once you have finished a chapter or a few paragraphs, pause and recap what you read. These can help you get better clarity into the concept and hold information for a longer duration. You can recap it by saying it like a story to your family members.
3. Make notes
Making notes can help you remember what you read. Making notes helps you to: stay active and engaged during your lectures, reading, and revision. Understand what you are learning and clarify your thinking. Identify key ideas that can help you to remember many things.
4. Be focused
You should be focused while reading a book. There are many people who find it difficult to finish a book. Because their phones keep buzzing with new notifications for a long period of time. This leads to distraction while you are reading a book. When distractions are minimum and your focus is sharp, then you are bound to retain more information than usual.
5. Discuss what you read with others
Having discussions is a great way to reflect on what you have understood and what parts have you missed. It is a great way to memorize information. When you discuss something you get motivated by lots of things. Apart from that you spread lots of knowledge that you have got by reading books. Reading has also been proven to lower stress as it increases relaxation.
6. Think in pictures
Reading a paragraph by visualizing it is one of the best ways to remember what you read. It is the best way to remember things. No matter what we intend to think, our brain is always wired to understand and remember visual input more quickly. When you visualize the information you will be able to access and understand it more quicker and clearer.
7. Utilize brain breaks to regain focus
Quick breaks help everyone to refocus so they can return to work feeling centered and ready to learn. When we take a brain break, it refreshes our thinking and helps us discover another solution to a problem. Your brain automatically shuts down when you are confused or overwhelmed. One of the best learning strategies to handle this situation is to divert your attention to something different.