[sun surfer]

I've been listening to audiobooks for a year or two now. Once I found I could listen while doing certain work, my listening time jumped up dramatically and I was ecstatic with how fast I was getting through audiobooks.

I don't know if all good things must come to an end, but in the last month or so I wonder if I've reached an exhaustion point where I was overdoing it with the audio. While doing more involved tasks, I was slowing down the audio but those listening times also added to listening while exercising, travelling, etc. had me racking up perhaps four, five, six or more hours a day many days of audiobook listening. It began to feel like too much despite having the time (while doing other things). I knew I needed to re-evaluate when I began to feel a weariness at the prospect of turning the audio back on at every possible moment, so for the last few weeks I've been taking a break from taking every chance I can get to listen.

The immersion in the narratives/stories isn't the problem, at least I don't think. The actual audio seems to be the issue if I'm pinpointing correctly. There's not anything wrong with the audio; I just think my ears (and brain) are becoming exhausted from the act of listening, and hearing sounds constantly thrust into my ears usually by earbuds. Something similar happens to me with music. I'm not the type of person who can listen to music at every opportunity even though I love music; my ears just eventually tire of it, especially if it's any louder than low background levels. Perhaps, also, my brain is tiring of the multitasking with audiobooks, since I usually listen while doing other things and have been listening to them while doing more involved tasks.

How long can you listen to audiobooks per day before becoming exhausted (if ever) and what do you think causes the exhaustion?