A new habit

At the start of the pandemic, Singapore went into lockdown mode. Everywhere - malls, shops, libraries, etc. - were closed. We were forced to stay home. The only time we were allowed outside was to grocery shop, do food takeouts, and exercise. 

I cooked at home (mostly, at times, I rely on food delivery). I shopped online. I exercised at home following YouTube workouts. But when I got tired of YouTube workouts, I decided to jog in the evenings - when temperatures are low and there are not so many pedestrians around. 

I hate jogging. Since... forever. I never enjoyed it. But I forced myself to do it in the name of health. I do get that endorphin high after a jog, but it wasn't enough to get me hooked. To lessen the pains of jogging, I am always plugged into Spotify. Then when the music started to get repetitive and mind-numbing - such that it failed to distract me from the pains of jogging - I had to listen to something else. 

Thus a new habit was born. 

Audiobooks. 

It was something that I tried a few years ago (not for jogging, but as another form of 'reading'), but I simply cannot concentrate. Because it is aural, my eyes are free to roam, and when they are free to roam, I get distracted very easily. Then I lose my place in the book, not understanding what I'm hearing and struggling to piece together the narrative. So I gave up. 

However, when Spotify no longer worked for me during a run, I turned to audiobooks. I started with P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves series of books (British author). I LOVE IT. It works for two reasons: (1) when you're jogging/running, you want to keep your mind off the jog/run, so my full attention was on the audiobook, (2) the story is read by multiple 'actors' acting out the different characters, so it is a richer form of 'reading'. 

Audiobooks (especially fictional ones) are also read in the accent where the story is set. This really brings the story to life! I have listened to Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and it is read in a Southern accent. Another audiobook that left a deep impression on me is Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman because it is set in Glasgow and read with a Glaswegian accent. All these accents really bring out the life of the book. 

Now I've moved on from listening to fiction audiobooks to non-fiction. Non-fictions are usually read by the authors themselves, and I highly recommend the one by Matthew McConaughey, Greenlights. In it are stories from his life, and because it is read by him, it feels extremely personal, as if he is sitting opposite you with a glass of wine in his hand, regaling you with his life stories. 

I gave up jogging months ago but still stuck to audiobooks. It is a new habit that I love and found really productive. In a year, I've listened to more books than I've read. It is that easy. I listen to them when I go for my walks, which works better for me than jogging. 

p/s: I borrow my audiobooks from the library using Libby, a mobile app. It is very convenient and costs nothing!