That’ll get some time off and distract you from the tough work. So step one was to hard-logout of facebook. So I saw LinkedIn, the facebook log-in screen and the shopping site. Works so far it was a visual reminder not to get caught up in the cycle. But I did see that log-in screen a lot. L-F-H. My fingers know. So recently I went through my Chrome and deleted the bookmarks. Then I went ahead and typed in F and using “Shift + Del” deleted facebook from the search results.
A riddle: When did I delete the autocompletion and what’s the autocomplete for F in L-F-H now?
(It’s a beeminder forum badge.)
I am very amused. At least this makes me think “how can I be more productive?” instead of “how do I compare to my friends and which science denier should I debate next”.
Thanks for the good tip. Similar thing on mobile Safari: I don’t have the Facebook app installed so that I use the mobile site which is a bit less convenient to use than the app.
I don’t have a bookmark of Facebook but Safari was showing it up as a “often visited” suggestion when I open a new tab. So it was almost as if I had an icon on my home screen again. I’ve deleted the suggestion (until Safari picks up my habit and adds it again)
I love this! And I completely relate to the one-letter autocomplete and the distraction wormholes. I ditched social back in 2016; my current distractors are meme sites (Imgur) or short quippy YouTube videos.
I had an English professor who used to say “notice what you’re noticing” all the time, and I started doing that. I noticed I start typing for distractions when my work momentum slows or I get 17 requests from 13 people and feel mentally constipated (that’s a thing). I reach out for quick stimulation when I feel like I need to do something right this minute but don’t know what to do next.
Also, fun side note, I’ve noticed that the distraction urge often comes just before I enter flow state. If I pick a task and knuckle down, I get interested and engaged and a couple hours go by.
You’ve inspired me to beemind distractions. Thanks.
Yeah, I’m not sure how to structure this either. I agree that tracking would lead to just punching the button over and over (though if Beeminder had something like an Amazon Go button on my desk…) and probably not be useful.
I’ve experimented with focusing on times I made healthy choices rather than times I got distracted. E.g. I commit to, I don’t know, three healthy choices a day. And as long as thrice a day I get up from my desk instead of pulling up a site, or do a couple pushups, or whatever, that counts.
Something about focusing on the wins seems to be helpful.
You could also commit to pulling up a different site. Intentional Distraction or something. E.g. I have 600+ awesome articles saved to Pocket. Maybe I could take the same urge to distract and train myself to read something instead.
Or you could commit to getting up. At least for me if I leave my desk and (if no one’s around) state out loud what I’m feeling, that seems to break the cycle a bit. E.g. “I’m worried about X because the VP asked me to do it but it’s going to take all day.” Something about talking it out makes it less scary. And standing up breaks the muscle-memory.
Uh, what else. Oh! Commit to picking up something besides your mouse, or keyboard. Like, feel the same trigger, but pick up a fidget spinner instead. Or prayer beads. Something tactile.
These might all be rubbish ideas. But IME the urge to distract myself is an illegit response to a legit feeling. So I don’t try to fight the urge as much as redirect it.
Maybe forming awareness and breaking the cycle really is the first step and a reward could be the Beeminding way. I do a lot over Google Home “Hey Google, I just ate my veggies”
Physical button. That may actually be possible. Maybe have a “panic button” out of reach to push upon distraction to get up and break the twitch?
My fidget cube really doesn’t work. I’ll just fidget distractedly.
