Hello, friends! I mentioned a few weeks ago when I detailed some of my favorite podcasts right now that I thought it might be interesting to keep track of exactly when I’m listening to podcasts and how long I’m listening to them during a typical week. Well, last week, I kept track of my podcast listening times and tabulated my results for you guys! Here’s the breakdown:
Getting ready (21%) – I had no doubt that this would be where the bulk of my podcast listening occurred. Since I live alone and don’t have to worry about bothering anyone, I can listen to my heart’s content as I get ready for the day. I listen in the shower (I have a Bluetooth speaker for my shower), while I do my hair and makeup, as I feed the cats, as I pack my lunch, etc. It’s nice to feel like I’m hanging out with some friends in the morning. Bonus – I don’t have to make conversation with them! 🙂
Playing games on my phone (16%) – Okay, I’m kinda surprised this is my second-largest category. I’m going to guess it has to do with the fact that I didn’t exercise as much this week due to some unpleasant GERD symptoms I was experiencing. That has to be it, right? Otherwise, I may need to come to terms with how many hours I’m spending playing games on my phone. But it’s nice when I need a break from work. I pull up my latest podcast episode and crush some candies or play some Wordscapes for a few minutes. It’s totally mindless and wonderful.
Driving (11%) – This percentage is higher during the weeks I’m not listening to an audiobook. But this week I was, so I only listened to podcasts while driving after I finished my audiobook (on Wednesday). As a note, I don’t have Bluetooth in my car. I just turn the volume up as high as it can go and tuck my phone into a cup holder, which helps to amplify the sound. It works for me, although I dream of the day when I can have Bluetooth!
Working (10%) – I can’t always listen to podcasts while I’m working, but at least a few times a week, a task pops up that’s mindless enough that I can listen to a podcast while doing it. Usually, this is when I’m publishing content on a client’s website or working on a content plan.
Nighttime routine (8%) – Every night, I take the time to tidy up my apartment, clean any dishes in the sink, and scoop all of the litter boxes. This takes 15-20 minutes every night and accounted for 8% of my podcast listening last week!
Exercising (7%) – As I mentioned above, exercising fell to the wayside a bit because I wasn’t feeling my best. I only worked out twice, both long walks (around 45 minutes) while I listened to a podcast.
Cleaning (6%) – Cleaning is one of my go-to suggestions for how to start listening to podcasts. Listen while you sort laundry, fold laundry, clean the tub, sweep the floors, wash the dishes, etc. I got a good amount of podcast listening in while cleaning last week!
Preparing meals (5%) – I had quite a few plans this week, so I didn’t spend a ton of time making recipes. But I did listen while heating up some meals, as well as when I was making my breakfast and lunch at work.
Coloring (3%) – I take in a lot of podcasts while coloring. It’s one of the most relaxing things for me! I didn’t do as much coloring this week as I normally do, but it’s one of my favorite things to do.
Grocery shopping (2%) – Grocery shopping is not my fave, but listening to a podcast makes it a little less painful. I spent about a half-hour at the store this week and caught up on a fave podcast while checking off items on my list.
Misc (11%) – There were a lot of little categories where I listened to a podcast while doing something, so I combined them all into a miscellaneous category. This includes walking Chip one evening, unpacking my lunch bag and putting things away, eating a quick lunch in my car at work, online shopping, making my meal plan for the week, formatting a blog post, and walking into work/walking to the parking garage after work. All of these little snippets of time added up to over two hours of podcast listening over the week.
After the week was finished, I learned that I had listened to more than 21 hours of podcasts! And the crazy thing is, a lot of that podcast listening happened in short bursts. There were only a few instances where I listened for more than 30 minutes (getting ready, driving, working). Most of the time, it was a snippet of 5-15 minutes. This is very similar to how I read, preferring to read in short bursts rather than sit down for an hour or two, so it must have something to do with my attention span. I probably need to challenge myself to focus for longer periods of time, especially at work, so I’m not breaking my focus to play a quick game of Candy Crush while listening to a podcast. Maybe it’s time to give up the iPhone games? (Please say no.) Or maybe it isn’t something I need to fix.
It was interesting keeping track, though, and to see my podcast listening laid out like this. It’s making me think more deeply about my listening habits and what they mean for me, big picture. I don’t have any pretty answers here… just something I’m thinking about.
Do you listen to podcasts? When you do get the majority of your listening in?
I listen to podcasts allll the time! I’ve never tracked how I listen to them, but I mainly listen in the morning when getting ready, while waiting for the bus/walking from the bus to work, in the car, and when I go for walks with Paul when Phil doesn’t join us. I ended up listening the most on the weekends as I tend to take an hour walk, sometimes longer, with Paul and I listen to podcasts during that walk. Since I don’t live alone, I don’t get a lot of listening done in our house, unless I am doing meal prep while Paul is napping. Otherwise I am too distracted by the toddler to pay attention to a podcast, except in the morning when he’s eating breakfast in his high chair. As soon as Phil comes down I shut it off though as he always has comments about what I am listening to, like ‘what are the girls blabbing about today’ – I mostly listen to podcasts hosted by women. Ha.
Very interesting! 21 is impressive! As you know, I’ve been trying to get into podcasts unsuccessfully, so maybe I’ll try it out. I listen to music while I shower, so maybe I could try a podcast instead!
I love the idea of tracking when you listen to podcasts! I don’t do much driving because I don’t have a commute, so when I do listen, it’s either when I’m driving somewhere a little further – say, the 45 minutes to my mom’s house, once a week or so – or when I’m just doing stuff around the house, like getting ready, doing housework, etc. Sometimes I’ll take a walk, though, JUST to listen to more of a podcast I’ve been addicted to,
This is super interesting to me! I like reading about the podcasts you listen to and did wonder when you listen to them! It’s awesome you get so much time with them in a week. I feel like they are spending time with a friend, too 🙂
I can only focus on podcasts when I am running or walking or doing food prep by myself, or driving by myself. I mostly listen to them while I am working out 🙂
That is super-interesting to me, because I honestly don’t know when to find time to listen to podcasts (unless I am on a run). I definitely feel like I want to listen to the whole episode of a podcast at once, so “listening in spurts” like you do is not really a viable option for me, I think.