8 Things to Do While Listening to Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a great way of reading a book and also getting things done at the same time. Personally I like having something to listen to a lot of the time. Especially if I’m doing something that will take me a long time to complete.

Audiobooks are something that I love listening to and talking about too! They’re actually part of how I learnt to read when I was younger.

Originally this post was going to be about things that you could do while listening to audiobooks when you’re not commuting. But now that some lockdown restrictions have been eased in here in the UK it’s not really relevant. So I decided to change it a bit to things you can do in general while listening to audiobooks.

1. While working

So, if you’re working from home at the moment you could listen to an audiobook while you’re working. You could use it as a bit of background noise while work instead of listening to music, ambient sound, etc. I often listen to an audiobook will writing blog posts and while doing research.

Although, this one is one where you could become more distracted by the audiobook than the task at hand.

2. Cooking

If you’re cooking a large meal either for yourself or for a group, you would probably have enough time to listen to a good chunk of an audiobook. For example, if your making a stir-fry you could listen to possibly thirty or so minutes of an audiobook. Which could work out to be one or a few chapters of the book.

3. Baking

So this one is kind of similar to the one above. Baking can sometimes take a pretty long time, and if you’re like me you might enjoy listening to something while baking. I’ve been doing a lot of baking in the past few months as a way to cope, and also to have a sugary, chocolate treat! Usually I will listen to either an audiobook or music while baking. (Music usually if I’m baking with someone.)

Depending on what you’re making, and how much you’re making, you can be baking for a while. I think the most I’ve ever spent baking is about three-four hours. So you definitely can listen to a lot of an audiobook while baking.

4. Gaming

I would recommend this if you are playing a more relaxed game like the Sims or Animal Crossing where you don’t have/need to hear the in game music and sound. Trust me it doesn’t end well if you’re trying play a game were the music changes or a sound goes off that tells you the things that can kill you are nearby.

I have listened to a lot of audiobooks while playing the Sims for a good few hours. Sometimes all I want to do is read a book and play the Sims, and listening to an audiobook is a great way to do both.

5. Being creative

There are plenty of creative things that you could do while listening to an audiobook. Some examples are:

• colouring
• doodling
• painting
• knitting
• felting
• bullet journaling
• collaging
• photography

I’ve done several of these and I can say that it is so relaxing to be doing something creative and also listening to an audiobook. Honestly it’s a lot of fun be doing anything creative and relaxing while also listening to a book.

6. Gardening

This one is probably a bit dependant on the weather, unless you like gardening in the rain then go you. But you could very easily listen to an audiobook while gardening.

If you are like my family then you might have listened to music or the radio while doing a bit of gardening. And with it getting closer to being summer and we’re having nicer weather (well not where I live in the UK at the moment, it’s not called the Lake District for nothing) so a lot of people are out in their gardens planting or sprucing it up. Especially at the moment where a lot of people are getting into gardening or finally have time to sort out their garden.

Gardening is definitely an activity that’s nice to have something to listen to while doing it. Especially as you can spend all day doing it too.

7. Cleaning

Another thing to do while listening to an audiobook is cleaning. If you have like to clean your whole house, sort through your wardrobe or just have a tidy then it can help to past the time by listening to a book.

I’ve done this a number times when cleaning my room and reorganising things in it knowing that it will take me a while, possibly an hour or half a day depending on just how much I need to clean my room or get rid of things or move things around.

8. Commuting

Now, that a lot of people in the UK are going out and are going back to work, if they can’t work from home and/or their employers want them in work, people are commuting to work once more.

A lot of people that listen to audiobooks I know listen to them during their commute to and from work. So, it’s probably quite nice to being getting back into that normal routine. Especially as roads are now getting busier with more traffic on the roads in the UK you’ll probably have more time to listen to a book while driving or on the bus. Also now that people can use public transport, like buses and trains, more people can travel.

Personally I am not commuting anywhere but if I was I would probably be listening to a book or music during my journey.

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I hope that you found this helpful in someway. Especially if you’re trying to get into listening to audiobooks but don’t know what to do while listening to them. I know that I struggled a bit when I got back into listening to audiobooks again.

Lastly, don’t forget to like and follow my blog for more! Until next time, stay safe and keep on reading! 

Do you listen to audiobooks?