Ask HN: When to Read Non-Fiction?

4 points by __all__ 2 years ago | 4 comments

I always read before bed. I used to read fiction, which helped me disconnect and fall asleep.

I have a pile of non-fiction books I never read because I can't find the motivation to read during the day. My brain is used to reading before bed and can't get motivated to do it at any other time during the day.

I always thought that reading non-fiction before bed would be counterproductive since it would make me start thinking about the future, plans, things I did wrong, etc.

I've been trying to read someone or another non-fiction book lately, and the effect is exactly the opposite. I fell asleep just after a couple of pages and can manage to keep focus as I do when reading fiction. It is not that I find the books/topics boring; it feels like it's not the right time for me.

How do you find good moments to read non-fiction throughout the day? When do you find it's the best time for you to read them?

catlover76 2 years ago |

In general, for me personally, it depends on the type of non-fiction. As a rule of thumb, right now, if I read any non-fiction that is vaguely "work-related" before bed, that's a bad idea. It will get my brain going, and I am already stressed out about my job hunt, so it's not a good idea.

But, for the most part, I can read about philosophy/religion and other misc topics before bed without (usually) any adverse effects.

If I wanted to focus on getting through my tech/work backlog, I would block off time during the morning or in the afternoon, when I almost invariably experience a slump that causes me to be very unproductive anyways.

solardev 2 years ago |

By "nonfiction", do you mean like coding textbooks or something more casual, like narrative nonfiction stories?

I like to take my for-fun books (not work related) to some pretty natural place, like a nearby park or forest, and sit by the water to read for an hour or two at a time. Bring a cocktail and it's extra nice :)

kaffeeringe 2 years ago |

What kind of non-fiction?

__all__ 2 years ago | |

So far I have tried with:

- Technical (software and maths) - Psychology and philosophy - Well-being and anthropology