Make sure you include the time you spend using the network on your smart phone or other hand-held device. For people with on-the-go lifestyles, this is often where we clock in most of our Internet hours!
Do you check your email fifty times in a day? Perhaps you spend an appalling amount of time on celebrity gossip blogs or websites? Maybe you keep yourself logged in to Google Chat or Facebook Messenger when you’re doing other things, and find you are frequently interrupted by friends looking to chat? Or maybe you find that after thirty minutes of concentrating hard on something, you get a sudden intense “craving” to see if anyone new has “liked” your new Facebook profile picture, and then just get sucked into your newsfeed for an hour or more?
The culprit is a chemical in our brain called dopamine, which controls our moods, motivation, and sense of reward. Every time you hear the bloop of your Facebook messenger, a little surge of dopamine is released in your brain, which is what triggers the urge to check it. Dopamine addiction is an endless cycle. The brief “high” is caused by the anticipation, the uncertainty of the unknown. Who could the message be from? Usually the urge to find out is greater than the satisfaction we feel once we’ve actually seen the message, which leaves us feeling a little low, and eager for another dopamine boost. While technology dependence is becoming increasingly common in today’s world, we don’t have to be slaves to our dopamine receptors. With a little mindfulness and dedication, we can train ourselves to resist this eternally unsatisfying, unproductive loop. [2] X Research source
Recognize that most of these changes are going to require restricting yourself things that bring you comfort or pleasure. It’s not uncommon to even experience mild withdrawal symptoms when we begin to alter our Internet behaviors in this way, due to the decrease in dopamine production. Keep in mind that this transitional discomfort is temporary, and that you are on your way to being a happier, healthier, and more productive person. [3] X Research source
This is something you should be doing throughout the day, every day, as things pop into your head. Keeping an Internet to-do list will give you a clearer sense of purpose, and remind you of your long-term time-management goals.
While the specific time-management goals will vary from person to person, everyone should be aiming to simultaneously accomplish more while also spending less time online.
This will further minimize distractions, by preventing you from going down hyperlink rabbit holes, or protecting you from the bloops or dings of email notifications as they inevitably trickle in.
If you remember, dopamine thrives on anticipation and the unknown, and social networking sites are never static, always changing as people update their statuses, add photos, “like” things. And nothing is actually ever as interesting or fulfilling as we think it might be. If you must visit sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. , do so with great awareness, and give yourself a strict time limit. Try using a kitchen timer to keep yourself on track. It’s important to actually sign off of and close these websites, rather than just opening a new tab or window on top of them. The easier something is to access, the more tempting it is.
Make sure to trash, archive, or respond to every new email in each sitting. This will not only save you time in the long run, but will give you a sense of accomplishment as you stay on top of your correspondences.
RescueTime keeps you from being able to access certain websites for a certain amount of time. Let’s say you’re working on a paper about different types of cloud formations; you’ll be able to access Google, and the National Weather Service website that it directs you to, but you can block Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Buzzfeed, or any other website that might tempt you to lose your focus. It also keeps track of your daily Internet habits for you, letting you know how much time you spend on email, on Skype, on wikiHow, etc. There are many other Internet-blocking applications available, all with slightly different parameters or additional features. Find one that works well for you! The Email Game turns plowing through your email into a timed game. You earn points the faster you can clear your inbox! Pocket allows you to save websites you come across for viewing at a more convenient time. Maybe you’re reading an article that includes an enticing hyperlinked article. You can save this link, or anything else, to look at later. focus@will is an application that uses brain science and soothing music to help increase your attention span and productivity, which will decrease the impulse to seek easy distractions. [4] X Research source
Having to use the Internet with other people around also has the potential to make you more aware of your bad habits. You’ll be less likely to unconsciously browse your way over to your recent ex-boyfriend’s Facebook page if you’re sitting in the window of a café where anyone who walks past can see your laptop screen, for instance. If you want to experiment with this idea but aren’t ready to make the full-blown commitment of canceling your internet service, try stashing your router at a friend’s house for a few days. Or if you live with a roommate or spouse who’s not amenable to the idea of going Internet-free, have them change wifi password.
