The Internet Sucking Your Time? When Will Power Is Not Enough…
Have you ever had this conversation with yourself?!
The wind up… I’ll just spend a few minutes relaxing and look at the news and Facebook. Then I’ll get back to what I planned to do.
10 minutes later… I really want to read this article and then it is time to get off the computer.
30 minutes later… I should really get off. Oh, just a few more minutes…
1 hour later… Oh, sh*t!! I can’t believe I spent that much time. I really want to finish writing that report.
2 hours later… Oh, well, I guess I’ll get to it tomorrow.
No, really, I have not been in your head, lately. I really was not eaves dropping on the conversation that you had between you and yourself.
It is just that I hear this from many of my clients who are concerned about the amount of “unproductive time” they spend on the internet. The time used is only unproductive because they would rather make other choices with how they use their time. No judgment from me!
Hyperfocus
A lot of people spend more time surfing on the internet that they claim they would like. When you have ADD, an added danger is the possibility getting locked into hyperfocus mode when your brain is stimulated by the computer and the content.
Alternatives?
1. Throw out the computer. Ok, may not a great option…
2. Just turn it off! If it were only that easy…
3. Disable certain programs. I have had clients who disabled certain programs, like Facebook, while they were working on big projects. Could work for you, too…
4. This is my favorite. Download LeechBlock, a Firefox add-on that allows you to limit the time you spend on up to six sites.
You can either limit the total amount of time you want to spend on a site each day or block the site during certain times of the day. I tried it, and it works as advertised.
If you are in hyperfocus mode, it can really help you break out of it! Can you override the program? Yes…you can, but you will have time to make a choice.
