The internet is an incredibly useful tool, but it can easily become a huge obstacle to your productivity. Today, many people have to use it every day for work, school, or to connect with friends and family. However, just as often we use the web in a distracted way, without a real purpose. While it's not a realistic prospect for most people to stop using the web altogether, it is possible to keep this habit under control and make more use of your time online.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Become Aware of Your Web Habits
Step 1. Create an internet activity log
If you often ask yourself "How can it be so late already?", This is a great way to find the answer. For a week, write down everything you do when you browse the web: the sites you visit, the time spent on each of them, how often you refresh the pages, each time you click on a link, etc. Often, the things that make us waste the most time on the internet are the ones we do without thinking.
Make sure you include time online with your smartphone or other portable device. People who have a dynamic lifestyle spend most of their time on the internet this way
Step 2. Identify your problems
Checking emails or updating the Twitter wall every 5 minutes are instinctive actions that prevent us from focusing on the tasks that take the longest. If the relationship you're researching makes you feel bored or frustrated, you might think it's harmless to pause for 10 seconds to check one of the other windows you keep open. However, the problem is that all these little breaks, beyond the time it takes to regain concentration, take away precious hours. Each of us has particular habits, but here are some examples of behaviors to avoid:
- Do you check your emails 50 times a day?
- Do you waste a lot of time on websites and blogs that talk about celebrity gossip?
- Do you stay connected to Google or Facebook chat while doing other activities and are frequently interrupted by friends texting you?
- Do you often have a sudden and intense desire after about 30 minutes of concentrating at work to check if someone has liked your new Facebook profile photo and you spend the next hour checking all the posts of your friends?
Step 3. Learn about the effects of dopamine
You probably think your friend is exaggerating when he says "I'm addicted to my iPhone!", But in reality those words have a scientific basis. Addiction to technology can actually change how the brain works, much like the changes produced by addictions to drugs, alcohol or gambling.
- Responsible for this effect is a chemical in the brain called dopamine, which controls mood, motivation and sense of gratification.
- Whenever you hear a Facebook chat alert, a small dose of dopamine is released into your brain, prompting you to check the message.
- Addiction to dopamine is a never-ending cycle. The brief state of "intoxication" is caused by waiting, by the uncertainty of the unknown. Who wrote to you? Usually the desire to find out is greater than the satisfaction felt once we have seen the message and for this we feel slightly disappointed, waiting for nothing but the next dose of dopamine.
- Although addiction to technology is becoming more and more common in today's world, we are not forced to be slaves to our dopamine receptors. By increasing our levels of awareness and commitment, we can get used to resisting this cycle of eternal dissatisfaction and lack of productivity.
Step 4. Make the decision to make the necessary changes
For many people, breaking away from pre-existing habits can be difficult, especially in the beginning.
- Understand that in order to produce most of the changes you will be forced to do without things that give you pleasure.
- It is not uncommon for even mild withdrawal symptoms to occur following attempts to change internet habits due to reduced dopamine production.
- Remember that this discomfort is temporary and that you are on your way to becoming a happier, healthier, and more productive person.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare yourself
Step 1. Organize your workstation
It's amazing how much space we can free up in our brain simply by removing all visual distractions from our work environment. If there is a stack of papers on your desk that you need to tidy up, or if dirty dishes are scattered around the kitchen, it will be more difficult to concentrate on your duties. Try to keep your desk (or work area) completely free, except for the projects you are currently tackling and the items you use every day.
Step 2. Organize your computer desktop
Make sure you keep files in folders and not scattered all over the screen, as well as create bookmarks for the websites you use most often. This saves you a lot of time when searching for the things you need and prevents you from getting distracted by something that catches your attention while searching.
Step 3. Before opening your browser, write a list of the activities you need to do on the internet
Do you want to listen to a song? Do you have to read restaurant reviews to decide where to book for your mother's birthday? Need to do some pricing research for a home improvement project?
- You should follow this advice all day, every day, whenever something comes to mind.
- Having an internet to-do list will help you navigate with purpose and remind you of your long-term time management goals.
Step 4. Note which times of the day you are most productive
Some people are more active as soon as they wake up, while others fail to perform at their best until the middle of the night. If you have the option to vary your daily schedule slightly, try to reserve the activities you need to do on the internet for the hours when you feel most awake, energetic and with a focused mind.
Step 5. Try to do more in less time
Optimizing the use of the Internet is a different project for each of us, based on our career, interests and lifestyle. Some people have to stay connected all day for work, while others use the internet mainly in the evenings to relax.
While specific time management goals vary from person to person, we should all try to do more by spending less time on the internet
Part 3 of 3: Implementing the Changes
Step 1. Minimize the hours spent in front of the screen
In other words, the best way to start is to simply try to surf the internet less frequently. While it might seem counterintuitive to you, we have a tendency to be more productive when we have less time to complete a task.
Step 2. Avoid doing multiple activities at the same time
While it may seem more productive to do two or three things at a time, in the long run you will waste time because you won't be able to give your full attention to just one task. To keep interest high, you may be tempted to continually switch from one internet activity to another, but try to follow the to-do list to the letter, finishing each item before moving on to the next.
Step 3. Do everything possible offline
If you need to read a document longer than one page, such as an article or a commercial offer, try downloading and reading it after closing your browser. If you have to write a long email, do it with Microsoft Word.
This allows you to minimize distractions, whether they take the form of interesting links on a web page or incessant email alerts that keep coming in
Step 4. Limit the time you spend on social networks
You should follow this rule quite strictly, because these websites are not only bad for productivity, but they are also very addictive.
- If you remember what was said above, the dopamine cycle is based on expectation and curiosity and social networks are never static; they constantly change with friends' status updates, new photos and likes. Plus, none of that content is ever as interesting or rewarding as our expectations.
- If you have to visit sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., do it very carefully and set yourself a strict time limit. Try using a timer to make sure you're not breaking the rules.
- It is important to log out of these websites and close them altogether, rather than leaving them open in a browser tab. The easier it is to access the content you want to avoid, the more tempted you will be to do so.
Step 5. Use email the right way
Try to check on her only three times a day: in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening. Constantly receiving e-mail messages, even if it is necessary, can be as serious a distraction as social networks.
Make sure you trash, archive or reply to all new emails every time you open the program. This not only saves you time, but also gives you satisfaction, because you will always be up to date with your correspondence
Step 6. Seek outside help
If you can't follow the rules you have set yourself, you are not alone! A lot of people have a hard time managing the time they spend on the internet efficiently. In fact, there are so many that there are dozens of free or low-priced applications designed for those with this problem. Here are some examples:
- RescueTime blocks access to some websites for a certain period of time. For example, if you need to complete a report on the different types of clouds, you can limit internet usage to Google and the website of the national meteorology service, while you can decide to block Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit and all other sites that can make you lose focus. Furthermore, this program is able to record your internet activities, showing you how much time you spend checking emails, Skype, wikiHow, etc. There are many other applications that block websites, with additional or slightly different features and functionality. Find the best one for you!
- The Email Game turns receiving emails into a timed game. You will earn points the faster you are in clearing your inbox!
- Pocket Allows you to save websites so that you can visit them at a better time. For example, if you are reading an article and notice an interesting link, you can save it and resume it later.
- focus @ will is an application that uses brain biology and relaxing music to improve your productivity and focus, helping you keep distractions away.
Step 7. Consider not installing an internet connection in your home
While this may seem like an extreme measure to some people, it would bluntly force you to strictly plan your internet usage, thereby making you more productive when online. If you have major problems with self-control, this may be the solution for you.
- Being forced to use the internet in the presence of other people can help you become aware of your bad habits. For example, if you found yourself sitting in an internet cafe, you would think twice before opening your ex's Facebook page, knowing that everyone who passes behind you can see your screen.
- If you want to try this idea, but don't feel ready to make the commitment to cancel your phone contract, try handing your router to a friend for a few days.
- If you live with a roommate or partner who doesn't like the idea of not being able to use the internet at home, ask them to change their Wi-Fi password.
