Ironic Inconvenience And Stress of Reading Materials

I finally found a convenient learning tool to reduce the stress of reading. It is cheap and fun.

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

To survive and thrive, life long learning became a necessity and a strong desire for many of us. The modern world requires fast, economical, and convenient learning.

Learning is one of my major life motivators. To this end, books and journals have been my main sources for learning new topics in a wide variety of disciplines.

In the past, I used to read many books, not only for learning but also for recreational purposes.

My point in this article is the stress and inconvenience of reading paper-based materials. Even though reading is attributed as therapeutic, from my experience, reading as an activity can be very stressful especially if you are an avid reader. Let me explain my thoughts on this ironic situation.

Reading from a book or even from an electronic device requires certain conditions and prerequisites, such as full attention, a comfortable and a quiet place.

In my study years, libraries were my heaven but these peaceful places ironically increased my cortisol level. Cortisol is a stress hormone. When cortisol levels are elevated in our bloodstream our body and mind might be exposed to high stress. It is a natural protection mechanism for our survival.

Let me share how I experienced stress. Reading paperback books, magazines, newspapers and scientific journals veraciously caused me severe back pain. This inconvenience and stress in my life was a trade-off of my passion for learning.

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Coming from a technology background, as a knowledge-hungry person and an avid reader, I needed a better way.

I found a simple yet effective life hack for learning easily and comfortably. Sometimes simple hacks can make a big impact on our lives.

With the help of technology, I extended my reading to using audible publications in the early 90s. This simple life hack became a strong point yielding in several benefits. Therefore, I think it will be useful to share my transition and transformation into a new way of convenient learning.

Once voice materials became available on the market, I used to purchase tapes, CDs and DVDs. They were great but came with their own limitations. For example, they were costly.

My transformation started with the discovery of subscription-based audio streaming services including podcasts. These innovative services turned my learning into a convenient activity.

I am now able to listen to my desired content anywhere with any device, especially with a smartphone application. As a driver to long distances for my business, this service has been a god-sent to me.

I turned my car to a modern library with a low cost.

I found a subscription-based audio streaming service model very useful to speed up my learning and decrease my stress. This subscription model is also economical and effective to access many books in audible format.

I am now subscribed to nine services covering all major books on the market.

• Audible
• Kobo
• Downpour
• Scribd
• Librivox
• Hoopla
• Google Audiobooks
• Audiobooks.com
• Playster.com

Considering my budget and expenses for traditional reading materials, the subscription cost of audiobooks are much more affordable.

Besides, hearing the voice of the talented actors in the audiobooks helps me reduce my stress and motivate me to learn conveniently.

Having said that, I still enjoy reading paperback books when it is possible but I am not fully dependent on merely reading as a learning activity.

Having such an effective option for learning is a life-changing experience.

As a published author, I plan to get my books to be recorded by talented voice actors.

Thank you for reading my perspectives.

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