What are Reddit's favorite Anti Procrastination Apps?
Cold Turkey
Freedom
Forest
SelfControl
StayFocusd
Focus
FocusMe
Moment
LeechBlock
RescueTime
Top Reddit reviews mentioning Anti Procrastination Apps:
Forest - It gives you an incentive to stay away from your phone by planting a virtual tree sapling. It will grow over a period of time of your choosing (up to 2 hours) and during that time it can die if you look at any other app.
I have no will power at all when it comes to looking at my phone, especially in bed at night. It really affected my sleep badly. Now I just set it up to run for 2 hours and it's just enough of a barrier to stop me, and now I sleep a lot better. And it's satisfying, following your progress and seeing your forest grow with different tree species you get to unlock.
https://freedom.to/blog/8-website-blockers-for-studying-productivity-focus/
There are several sites and apps for doing exactly that, blocking specific sites that is. I can't vouch for the stuff on this personally but that site has a list of various sites/apps to try.
If none of those work for you can try to Google 'site blocker', that's how I found that list.
Forest is time management app for android and Apple that works with Trees For the Future which helps plant trees.
> Forest is a popular productivity app that helps people beat their phone addiction and manage their time in an interesting and pleasant way. Users can earn credits by not using their cell phones and plant real trees around the world with the credits. With Forest, users can have a delightful experience to spend less time on their cell phones, focus on what’s more important in their lives, and keep our environment green.
> About Trees For The Future: With almost three decades in the field, Trees for the Future has a strong track record. They’ve planted over 145 million trees in dozens of countries and revitalized hundreds of thousands of acres of soil while improving the lives of thousands of families.
Hear me out. Get off the internet for awhile, https://getcoldturkey.com/, keep your t.v. off and unwind however you like to that doesn't involve things that make you angry. Get out into nature if you can.
You seem like you've got a desperate belief system that's poisoning you. It's no different than any purely hateful set of bad ideas because it comes from a good place. I can tell that you want to do good, and that you've found something to point a finger at and say "this is the root of all evil", but the way you're acting isn't doing any favors for the cause you support or yourself.
I don't like to give advice people don't ask for, but really bro, rest, you need it. And after that, channel your strong will to make a change into an absolute positive; volunteer, plant a garden, learn to program, whatever floats your boat.
PM if you want to talk more, you name the topic, i'm not picky.
If you have a Mac, there's a program called self control, you blacklist certain websites (Netflix, reddit, youtube, whatever is distracting you) and then you can turn on a filter for x amount of time, so say you want to be working for 45 minutes, than you set it and it's very difficult to get onto any of those sites for 45 minutes. Not sure what the windows equivalent is, but I think self control mentions it on their website
Edit: Was on mobile in bed, Here is Self Control's website and Here is Cold Turkey (Windows)
Treat it like you would treat an addiction.
- Stop consumption of games
- Unsubscribe and remove all gaming bookmarks, clear history, sign out or delete gaming site related accounts, leave this community, remove any game release dates you may have marked on your calendar
- Cut off all connection from your excessively videogaming friends
Most importantly, find a new hobby to eat up the time you're now going to have - preferably a productive one.
Second most important thing is not being extremely harsh on yourself when you fall into these same patterns while trying to quit, that's gonna happen and it's normal - you've got neural pathways formed in your head from playing games for so long so you'll end up doing it and so it's gonna take a long time for them to rot away you just have to keep at it and try attacking the problem from different angles.
Different angles like say you try quitting instantly and fall back into old patterns, you need to try tapering it off instead - so for example let's say you play 3 hours usually, you decide only 2 hours of gaming today, then slowly reduce it over weeks and months. Aim very low, the lowest you can continue to do then take another step when you're comfortable. It's gonna be a long process.
If you'd like to try an Program to limit things then Cold Turkey is one I would recommend.
Every Sunday I plan my week out. No matter what I do, I cannot muster anything effort to do anything on the weekend. Therefore, my life revolves around M-F. Being electronic, I can drag around things in case something comes up or I need more time on an assignment. The night before, I check to see what I'll be doing the next day before packing my bag.
I study in 1 hour blocks with 15 minutes for a break. I never do the same thing in a row, as I start to lose focus and get bored with a task. I move on to something else, then go back at it the next block if necessary. I don't leave the library unless I'm going home or to class. I'm taking a smaller amount of credits, as I wanted to see if this plan would work out before attempting this with a larger course load (it does).
ColdTurkey is essential to everything. Without it activated, I instantly go to reddit and procrastinate. You cannot uninstall the app while a block is in progress, nor can you stop the block early.
As you can see from my schedule, there's plenty of time to go out to eat and party afterwards. Of course, being the unsociable loser I am, I just spend that time programming or browsing reddit. I get a good night's sleep, I shower, I'm never late to class, etc etc. I found the tip that you should treat college like a full time job, thus I started to apply it. For example, if you have 3 hours of classes that day, spend 5 hours studying. Works wonders.
TL;DR
Plan out your week.
Pack for the day's to-do.
Use Cold Turkey. It notifies you when you can access blocked content again. This let's me know when my break is starting.
College is a full time job. Treat it like one.
https://getcoldturkey.com/ can be a useful program for this. You can just blanket block certain websites on your laptop for a period of time These websites are very addictive and sometimes we need help to take our minds back!
As a developer myself: I don't know you, but I think you need patience. It is very VERY hard to do coding for 8 hours a day. I want to say that it's even counter-productive.
What I would do is to refactor that time to be something like 5 hours coding then 3 hours soft skills: interview skills, people skills, and this is very important: getting to know other developers in your area. Meetup.com or Facebook groups or Slack groups or whatever is your friend. You need to see developers in action, or at least chat with them. The tools, the workflow, the "what do you do to ...". I learn something new every time I pair or at least chat with a dev, and that is after 5 years of programming. So yeah. Hope this helps.
Re getting sucked into Reddit: I use an app called Freedom. For me it's well worth it. I think there's an app out there that's free. Anyway. It has to be OS level because we can disabled Chrome extensions. ;)
SelfControl - Free
For when you are too addicted to reddit or other sites and want to block off that impulsive, 'i'm stressed, open up reddit.com and see whats on there' response. Helps for getting work done as well.
Just get the MBP and have the self control to not install video games.
Download something like focus if you find yourself unable to keep your mind on work.
That sure beats the alternative.
This one here is called StayFocusd (sic). You load sites into its banlist, set a time limit for yourself, and you can allocate the time between all of the sites. Once you hit a cumulative, say, 30 minutes, they are all blocked.
You'll soon be so angry at getting them blocked that within two days, you'll be wanting to uninstall the extension. But that's cheating. Then, you learn that they base it off of your system time. So once your 30 minutes is up, you set your time to 3 months in the future, and you have fresh 30 minutes!
This tactic makes you somehow feel like you're accomplishing something, but not uninstalling, "because that would be cheating."
Then, you uninstall it because you'll never leave reddit.
Banning my smartphone from my bedroom, so I'm not on it when I first wake up or when I'm trying to fall asleep.
The Freedom app, on my phone and on my computer, to keep me off of distracting sites at certain times of day.
Exercise.
Recognizing that "little things" like cooking and doing laundry tax my mental energy/executive function, and doing what I can to simplify my life like using microwaveable freezer meals and a drop-off/pick-up laundromat (they even fold the clothes for me!)
Regular visits to /r/adhd to remind myself that other people struggle with the same issues, and that I am not some horrible freak.
Meds. Working with a therapist/ADHD coach.
Putting things I need to remember in a place where I will see them. Do I need to take out the trash tomorrow? OK then, I will put the trash in front of the front door tonight so that I can't leave without seeing it there.
Putting all of my bills on auto-pay.
God speed and good luck.
If you need help taking control of your computer back from mindless distractions there's apps that can help with that.
Self Control is a completely free, open source program written for Macs that lets you restrict access.
Windows also has Cold Turkey which is freeware program with a premium option that includes things like scheduling so that you restrict your greatness on Reddit to only an hour a week. While I'm normally against subscription services this comes to less than a dollar a month for three years.
In general, you can block websites for 1-24hrs using either:
https://getcoldturkey.com/ (windows)
But if your exam is tomorrow morning, you are better off doing just two things:
1) Take 1 hour and make a 8.5x11" (or A1) sheet of paper cramming all of the formulas or facts you want to be able to take into the exam.
2) Set two alarms and go the fuck to sleep.
Yeah I gave up making bookmarks and just put articles I want to read into Evernote or readitlater to read on my phone/kindle.
Try only having 2 tabs open at once. Every tab you have open requires a placeholder in your working memory (or it doesn't and you forget about the tab). Maybe 3 tabs.
I noticed I have become addicted to consuming information. NEW IS BETTER. MUST READ NEW STUFF. So I have .PDFs and articles saved on ADHD which I have never read. One of these weeks I am going to block web-browsing and sift through everything I have collected.
As is mentioned in every thread like this you can use leechblock on Firefox or stayfocusd in chrome to give you a certain amount of time for various sites. I put limits on my news, sports, gossip, and reddit. After 90 minutes I have to open a new browser if I want to continue...but that makes it a conscious decision and not just a automatic habit.
You can do it, man. (he typed on his smartphone)
Seriously. I started in around 2018 using time blocking to reformat my day, only allowing smartphone use for certain blocks and cutting out social media almost entirely (I cut out all the ones I view as particularly problematic...being all of them but Reddit.) and I can't say enough about how much better I feel. Physically. Mentally. Just in every aspect of everything.
There's an app (at least on Android, I don't know about iOS) called Forest that helps encourage you to manage your smartphone usage by having you block off time to not use it and rewarding you with digital trees. I used that a lot to help.
Exactly. I have the same problem. But I am not willing to toss out my phone. I like to play sports. So maybe you can try that as well. What you might be looking for is an internet restriction app. For example this one: https://getcoldturkey.com/ It at least will stop you from browsing endlessly.
Actually Overwatch (& Rocket League) has also been a problem for me - and I have used software to curb my gaming habit. On Mac I use the ironically named SelfControl, and on PC I use ColdTurkey, both of which block applications.
Existential dread, though... still searching for a software fix for that.
there's an app called forest you might like! it's good at getting me to put down my phone for a while.
also, there's something to be said for just deleting the apps you waste the most time on off your phone. this doesn't have to be cold turkey if the thought freaks you out too much. just start with one. give yourself maybe a week to get used to that and then do another.
I've found Vyvanse gives me a ton of anxiety whereas Adderall relaxes me. The anxiety was translating into changing some habits to accommodate it.
For your situation, and everyone's for that matter, the medication helps us reorient how we spend our time.
Old habits that we implemented either as a protective mechanism or a strategy to deal with our ADHD (I was diagnosed as an adult too) need to be re-evaluated.
If you don't like time spent on a computer but did an insane amount of gaming, doomscrolling, social media browsing, fleeting interest research and online shopping, the meds won't help you put a block on your computer. Those choices are still ours.
But meds will help you fill the time with intentional activities like cleaning while listening to music or talking on the phone with a friend.
If you, even after some buildup of angst and regret, decide you want to limit how much you can online shop, there are application blockers and programs like Cold Turkey that will allow you to limit how much you can spend time you can spend playing video games.
Cold Turkey in particular has been good for me because I can set allowances such as for streaming in the evenings with a hard cut-off after 25 minutes and a harder cut-off at 10pm for lights out/reading etc.
Ultimately, experiment with your habits with intention and see what works once, then twice, and start thinking about how you could chain habits together to form healthier routines.
Cold Turkey is exactly what you are looking for. It physically prevents you from opening applications or certain websites at set times.
Once you set a block you can choose to lock the block which cannot be removed even using command prompt
There's applications like Cold Turkey that can be used to block distracting websites and applications. The hard part I've found (for me at least), is becoming motivated enough to turn them on in the first place
It seems kind of duh, but GO TO CLASS. Don't skip because you think the class is easy or that you'll be fine just writing papers or taking exams or learning direct from the book. And when you're there, PAY ATTENTION AND TAKE NOTES. If you find yourself on the internet for anything other than looking up info on wikipedia or something to clarify/solidify what the professor said, or if you're doodling in your margins, you are not paying attention.
My biggest procrastination issue was obviously internet dawdling, and the tool that helped me most in the last year was the Chrome extension Stayfocusd, which allows you to allot time to yourself on time-wasting sites which you can define yourself (I gave myself 2 hours between facebook, twitter, reddit, flash games, etc.). It also has a feature allowing you to shut the internet off entirely, excluding some green-listed sites you define yourself (I kept google, wikipedia, and a few others), which really helped me when I needed to buckle down and write things. It's relatively easy to disable, but I found that having the ticking clock going on in the background actually forced me to consider how I spent my internet time and eventually led to me minimizing it and not meeting the 2hr limit every day.
Forest is a great app to encourage us to move away from the phone and focus on what's in front of us, you might like it https://www.forestapp.cc/ It's helped me from time to time.
Stick to a schedule is a key thing.If couldn't finish everything you wanted to do in one slot too bad... Do it in a free slot.
Use a program like SelfControl if you work on your PC a lot like I do.
Reward yourself when you do stuff you don't want to do at all, if you're done some shitty Mid Terms go for a drink, that way there's a certain positive association.
A lot of people chiming in seem to be experiencing the same roadblock to their writing productivity, and that is reddit/the internet in general.
I write in a cafe with no wifi.
Or, if I'm at home, I use this Self Control App to block out distracting sites, while leaving others (like wikipedia) on a white list so that I can do research.
Basically, as soon as I get up, I am in writing mode. I don't do anything else. No checking email, nothing. I make coffee on autopilot while I get into gear, or, if I'm writing at the cafe, I rely on the nice fresh morning air to wake me up on my walk there.
First, I'll read over the last of what I wrote the day before, to get myself back into the timeflow of the sequence. Then I'll continue from there.
I write for as long as I can, taking a brief break about once an hour to stretch, refill my beverage, and make sure to look at something in the far distance. (My eyesight has been getting worse, I think partially due to maintaining focus on the computer screen focal length for too-long periods at a time).
I read over what I wrote and make a first editing pass. Then I pack up and get on with the rest of my day. This usually lasts anywhere from 3 to 6 hours, the usual being 4. During this time I'll average 1,200 words an hour, unless I'm in full on editing mode, and then it varies depending on how much attention a section needs.
I like to call it Limit Break Writing, and if you're interested, I write more about it in that post.
Neat to see everyone's varied techniques. If, like me, you struggle with internet distraction, I urge you to cut yourself off. It did wonders for my wordcount!
To help with this, there are apps you can get (can't remember their names) where you grow a forest, or have a pet or something, and once you open the app and set the timer, if you close it, your tree or animal dies. Essentially locking out your phone for that period of time. I'll try to find an example and edit a link in.
Edit: found the forest one! :D forest
Go here:
Get the app
Set it up so that your Youtube time is limited to a few hours a day at a designated time. (5-7pm every day for instance).
You want every other hour besides the designated time to block youtube. You may as well do the same thing for Reddit.
Do it and stick to it. The app will not let you access those websites outside the designated time period. The only way to stop it from doing this is by deleting it off your computer.
Give it a week or two and your "obsession" will become much more controllable.
I've only been seeing other people in this thread saying "omg me too". However, there's no real remedies. I know I'm late to the party, but if you want to know what I have found. Here ya go.
Basically, install this: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/stayfocusd/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji?hl=en
It lets you block sites but it lets you use it a bit. Which is good for waning yourself off of the internet. This is the flaw I've found with other blocking extensions. Once it becomes a certain time, you don't get any more internet. You're done. Not for this extension. You get a certain amount of time per day for internet. Once you use it all up, that's it. You can also disable it for certain days. I've found it really helpful.
If you want to get even more extreme, the same developers have made this app for iphone and I'm sure there are some for Android as well.
Anywho, I hope this helps someone that wants to change.
For those of you wondering how to do this:
Go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc and edit the hosts file with Notepad or Notepad ++
Anywhere under the typical example 127.0.0.1 localhost add the sites that you would like to block in the following way
127.0.0.1 www.reddit.com
and so on. Save, make sure it is not saved as a .txt file. Move the drop down to All Files and save and you're good to go. If you're using Windows Vista or 7 you will need to do this with admin privileges.
Or to make it simple, if you're using Firefox use Leechblock, if you're using Chrome use StayFocusd, If you're using Safari or Opera I'm not sure. And if you're using IE you're a filthy person.
Great post! I find digital minimalism to be more important in my life than physical minimalism due to the fact that I interact much more in the digital world than I do with the physical world. I have a few recommendations for incorporating digital minimalism more thoroughly into your life.
(1) Time Well Spent offers many tips for creating a better relationship with your phone and computer.
(2) Moment is a wonderful iPhone application that helps me make sure I'm taking time to enjoy human relationships off of my phone more than relationships online.
(3) Learn to Optimize your Inbox and move towards "Zero Inbox" - It's great to see all my emails gone from my inbox and has created a greater sense of calmness in my life. Prevent information over-stimulation!
Install this. You don't even have to use it yet. But just having it within reach makes it easier to use. If you ever need anything done, but find yourself always putting it off and doing things on your computer, it only takes that brief moment of "Dangit why do I keep putting this off" to turn the thing on - taking less courage than it'll take to actually start your activity. And that's a step you'll take much more easily when it's actually installed.
Two thoughts:
Remove the easy alternatives. Think right now of what you do when you stop working. What websites do you visit? Do you play video games? Now make those things harder to get to. If you have a mac, download SelfControl and blacklist every site you might get caught on. Put your video game console power cord in the back of your closet or throw it under your bed. Whatever is distracting you, make those things more difficult to get to.
Re-motivate Yourself. I can't tell you how to do this. I don't know if watching motivation videos will help you or reading a few blog posts. What helps me is sitting down with myself and saying, "Why are you doing this in the first place? What led me to this point? Do I really believe I cannot get past this hump in the road?"
You are a freelance web developer. That is what you are. People pay you for doing this. You could be sitting in an office cubicle looking through excel sheets or cleaning tables at a fast food place, but instead you are an architect of the world. Think of the raw creative ability in your mind and hands. Is that something to put off? Put it to use! Remove your temptations & distractions and create something amazing.
There's no reason to quit when browser extensions like StayFocusd will moderate your time on websites like Reddit for you.
Check out freedom.
It lets you control internet access according to a schedule you define. You can limit Safari or Mail or Facebook app access, or only let in certain sites, or block all sites except a whitelist. It even has a locked mode which survives reboot, as well as iOS and Windows clients.
Worth a lifetime subscription to me. (Us$75)
That is why you should get off reddit as a whole. Don't lurk, don't read here or any subs that make you feel worse. Fix your addiction. Only you can fix it. In fact, block reddit entirely with this free desktop application
If you are totally unable to do control yourself by your own initiative, I would recommend using SelfControl or another similar application (Cold Turkey for PC, for but is primarily for an extended period of time). Good luck with everything!
I was having a similar problem. When I got some free time I read a great book by Charles Duhigg on habit formation and it gave me some useful insights. One point he makes is that every habit has certain cues. When your brain perceives the cues (ie. emotional state, location, time), it launches you into a learned habit. I started to give myself certain cues to study, like going to the same library at the same time every day. I would hide my phone, and use SelfControl to block distracting sites. Now when I do these things, it feels like I work automatically.
Maybe your ideal cues would look a little different, but it's worth experimenting.
no no no no. those people are horrible human beings. i know it's no comfort now, but you wouldn't want the attentions of people like that anyway. i know it doesn't seem like it, but there are men out there that aren't like that. i'd rather be alone my whole life than spend one day with a man who harbors any kind of red pill ideologies. i know what that rabbit hole is like- i go down it sometimes myself. the best bet might actually be blocking it with something like the app self control so you aren't tempted to look at that garbage again.
Self Control - http://selfcontrolapp.com
It lets you make a blacklist of websites you don't want to let yourself on (Facebook, youtube, god forbid...Reddit?) and then you tell it how long to lock you out of the websites.
I can't wait for this update.
So much of it is just paving the way for future updates and change.
- Integrating their acquisition of workflow as a new app is great, having it at the core gives great hope to heaps of user defined automation
- Better implementation of DND. It has always been limited, total I don't use DND outside of the automatic timer... now using location data and/or calendar data is going to make it so much more useful
- Notification grouping is great - I haven't really had too much of an issue with the old notifications, but people seemed to hate on them bit time.
- The Focus app to help you better understand your smart phone addiction is awesome. I only just recently paid for the premium version of `moment` (https://inthemoment.io/) this iOS update basically kills that app/business completely...
IOS doesn't allow this, so unless your jailbroken there isn't a good way to do this. The only app I found to offer similar functionality is https://inthemoment.io/ but requires making a screenshot of your battery screen every day/week
I don’t know about apps that esplicityly use pomodoro, but for iOS there’s a productivity app called Forest which is really nice. You can set your timer and have different labels for each session (study, workout etc etc) and see all your stats (ex. How many hours you did what, what time and hour of the week you’re more productive etc..) as well as ‘plant trees’ in your garden. If your firends have the app app as well, you can look at their “garden” or even set timers together where if either one gives up, the tree “dies”.
i’m going to pop in and recommend forest! it’s basically a soft lockout for your phone: you set a time and it grows a tree; if you succeed you win money which can buy more trees, or (if you save up) will plant an actual tree.
it works really well, esp. when combined with do not disturb functions!
Feel you. It's so sad cause the items in Julian's set are genuinely beautiful. It's so frustrating how these types of games are so predatory and esp lure in players with addictive personalities, OCD, etc. Like I just want an Animal Crossing game, not to gamble.
I'm part of an other mobile game community so I'll share some coping strategies for resisting gatchas/lootboxes and developing a healthier relationship with these types of games:
- Take out credit card from the app store. If you need it for other services, remove the instant confirmation and make sure you have to enter your password for each transaction
- If you have a powerful urge coming on try rewarding yourself for resisting. I like the Forest app for this. You set a time (10min-2hours) and you get a cute tree for leaving your phone alone.
- If you feel like you gotta have these items, promise to buy any on the last day. You'll prob have gotten a few bell cookies by that point. Plus, chances are after 45+ days you'll seen them a million times and be so bored with them. What you're seeing right now the brand new and shiny thing and tbh after you really look at it it's not all that special.
- And if you're gonna spend dont blow your budget. Try to only use money you earn from surveys. If you're on Android, Google has its own survey app (Google Opinion Rewards) and they give you credits you can use in the app store. I've also heard good things about Quickthoughts
So stay strong everyone! And if it gets too much consider taking a break and deleting the game. You can back up your data with Nintendo & come back later. Your mental health is important and there's no shame taking care of yourself. Recognize predatory patterns and don't fall into it.
<strong>Forest</strong> for Iphone
It's like a pomodoro timer, but you can't leave the app once you've started the timer. no more distractions for me.
<strong>Selfcontrol</strong> for mac
blocks all internet connections for a definable amount of time. Also has a Whitelist function to only allow certain websites.
> videos of woman having sex with dogs
I have no real advice for you, but let me tell you that the "women" who made those videos are unironically possessed by demons. You fell right into a Satanic soul-snatching trap and now look at you, getting ready to #ill yourself and leave this planet forever.
I don't care if you're not a Christian or don't believe in God, go read Psalms. If you don't own a physical bible here's a link: Psalms. Start by using a website blocker. I personally use Cold Turkey to block websites I'll be too tempted to visit.
Hey. As a former social media addict, I can give you some advice I think:
- First off, delete all your social media accounts. By all, I mean every of them. You can keep Reddit but only if you will log in on youır computer. And be wary of the time you spend on Reddit. Keep it on something like an hour or so. There are programs for that to limit your time. Here is one of them. It is not free but not with a high-price either.
- Then, what it worked for me is that I started to use burner phone for the greater good. It's been 2 years for me already.
- After you did that, you will have lots of free time on your hands. Time to be creative! Use it to have some quality time. What can you do? Well, there are lots of things you can do, honestly. For instance, hit the gym, take up some hobbies, read books or anything that is your interest.
- Adopt a pet if you don't have any. They are the best companion ever.
- Watch documentaries(it would be better you watch on TV)
- Go out just for the sake of going out. Even you don't do anything, fresh air every now and then is needed for us.
- Relevant to taking up hobbies, join clubs. Try to interact with people.
I hope this helps! Have a good day and good luck :)
drugs. and self control. and library.
pathomechanism: 1) Drugs --> increase mesolimbic reward pathway --> more focus --> more studying endurance
2) selfcontrol -> http://selfcontrolapp.com/
3) library --> people studying around you --> more drive to study (atleast that's what a DO told me since it sounds like pseudoscience).
hope that helps
It's a great app that blocks you from visiting a list of websites you designate for a period of time you set. You cannot turn it off even if you restart the computer. It's the only way I can stay off Reddit during finals!
Is "Freedom" this: https://freedom.to/ ?
That's not straightforward to do on Linux. Blocking yourself from the web requires some hacky stuff, and once you know how to do it you know how to undo it.
Is this "Anki": https://apps.ankiweb.net/ ?
Looks like it has a Linux/BSD version.
Check out the Freedom app. You can disable certain sites, apps, or the entire internet on you mobile device or desktop. Best purchase I’ve made for decluttering media when I need to. I’ve tried deleting apps...but I always found that I’d just replace it with a other one. Works better for me to just lock myself out of them.
https://freedom.to/ is pretty good. It installs a local VPN which responds to rules you set for yourself as to what sites you want access to, and at what times the rules should be enforced. It generally works, except for some standouts (Facebook cannot be blocked because its app bypasses DNS altogether, instead relying on IP addresses). The interface is good, and the rules can work across mobile and desktop.
I use the free version of Freedom for my mac (which also has an iOS app) and the free version of Offtime for my android.
The latter also specifically blocks SMS and phone calls (altho it will allow people through if they call me twice and I can whitelist some people) and sends them an autoresponder via text. It also lets me whitelist pandora and gmail so I can still access them when I've shut everything else down.
If you're using Chrome, install StayFocusd.
Another option is to edit your hosts file and add the following line:
www.lereddit.com www.reddit.com
then reboot.
The final option is simply to browse the new queue in /r/funny until you swear off the internet forever and seal yourself in a dark cave in a futile effort to shelter yourself from the horrors you've seen.
You can use extensions on your browser to make it so that you can only view Facebook for up to 10 minutes a day, or something similar to your liking.
Stay focused if you have chrome, or Self Control if you use safari.
EDIT: i just saved your life
Get LeechBlock. It's free and there's a Chrome and FireFox version. It let's you set times (or amounts of time; or both) that you're allowed to be on certain sites (that you tell it), and then it blocks you when you aren't allowed.
It's got loads of customisation and you can even tell it to not let you uninstall it or change the settings (when you're in a block-time; you'll never get stuck with it forever by accident).
Definitely would recommend.
Can I offer some practical advice? Get a browser extension like LeechBlock, write a todo list, then leave the house and go work somewhere else. I went back to school and these were the things that saved me, especially forcing myself out of the house. If I'm home and I don't want to do something then I can find all sorts of things to do (including just laying on my couch and enjoying how soft yet supportive the cushions are). If I'm at a coffee shop or library, have sites like reddit and facebook blocked in my browser, and have a clear list of tasks to do then, well, there's not much else to do besides starting to cross things off.
It all depends on what your issue is. For me, my issue is that I'm a perfectionist. I want everything to be perfect and will agonize over lines sounding just right the first time I write them. So I adopted this mantra: The only thing a first draft needs to do is exist. Just get your scene to basically accomplish what it's there to, then make it all pretty and readable later.
If you're having trouble focusing: u/jixie-unofficial gave great advice, especially not to go on researching tangents!! I've also used Zenwriter, which is a barebones writing app that has built-in music and typing noises; using it on fullscreen really helped me focus on the task at hand. And Forest, which is a phone app that lets you set a time frame where you want to focus on something, and if you leave the app during that time the little plant you're growing will die. It also plants real life trees while you use it I believe!
What are you studying specifically?
As for general tips that haven't been posted yet:
Colours! Personally I find this one super important. I like to keep general notes in black, terms/equations in red and their corresponding definitions in blue.
Notebooks or binders - a huge part of your effort goes to shit if your stuff's unorganized, you should be able to find what you're looking with relative ease. Having a bunch of A4s fucking everywhere is a very bad habit.
Again, knowing what it is you're trying to study would help but reminders - little sticky notes with terms/concepts here and there to force your recollection. A sticky note above the sink, next to the toilet, on your door, anywhere that's supposed catch you off guard and cause the cogs to turn is great. Bonus meme - write the answer on the back.
Gradually increase your study time, use Forest to help you with this quest. You can't reasonably expect yourself to study wild hours after not studying in a while. Start with 45 minutes tomorrow, 60 after that, etc.
Pomodoro technique - super useful.
Most of the other memes that come to my mind have been already covered, but the environment you study in is probably #1 on my list.
Yes. I used to have it much worse, but I got rid of my smartphone and just have an old nokia now. I got rid of my social media, so my internet usage is basically reddit and nothing else. That's a habit I still need to break. I actually have paid for Cold Turkey - https://getcoldturkey.com/ which works really really well (I recommend it), but I'll find any workaround to read Reddit, including using the internet broswer on the xbox or PS4
You could install cold turkey. It blocks certain websites for a set period of time.
If you find yourself using reddit on your phone too often you should consider uninstalling it. You're not missing out on much.
Hey there, Stuart the cartoonist here. Saw you were linking to me.
Thought you might also like my associated blog post Choosing an internet-blocked daily routine, which expands on the system that I use. The particular browser-blocker is Cold Turkey
FYI, I will soon release similar comics on other aspects of how I use social media and technology in my lifestyle.
https://getcoldturkey.com/ for windows and mac - has website blocking for free, as well as program blocking and scheduling if you pay.
idk about iphone but the easiest way to not waste time on your phone is to not take it in to school.
A few days I purchased Cold Turkey, a productivity/blocker program that has thus far been helping me out more than similar apps have (among other advantages, it also blocks non-web programs). I recommend it if you have a problem with procrastination.
Really want to quit Facebook but I can't really since I'm involved in several groups that use it as a main form of communication. However there is quiet-facebook which turns off your newsfeed so you can still get messages and notifications, without the temptation of scrolling down for hours.
Another app I use is SelfControl which blocks whatever distracting websites you put on the blacklist for a set amount of time. The app itself is great; for me it's actually a matter of forcing myself to actually use it haha.
This app got me through college. Put in whatever websites you like to spend time at (including reddit) and block yourself from them for a few hours.
This way when you sit down to write your paper you can't access any distractions and you pretty much only have microsoft word to work with.
Also, keep your head up. High school is not that important if you don't want to go to college (which it sounds like you would not enjoy college). I'm not saying fail out of high school. You should definitely graduate. Just don't stress out so much.
And if t does stress you out, remember the only thing to alleviate stress is to get the homework done.
From personal experience...
- Eat a high-fat breakfast (good fats, like egg yolks, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, extra virgin olive oil).
- Try yerba mate.
- Walk 30 minutes in sunlight.
- 7<=x<=15 minute nap (or "rest your eyes"). Set a timer. Even if it doesn't seem like you fell asleep, you will wake up refreshed.
- Contrast showers (hot-cold-hot-cold).
- Eliminate grains from your diet.
- 85%+ Dark chocolate.
- Get a solid 7-9 hours of sleep.
- Say "no" to more things.
- Physically move anything not relevant to what you need to be doing out of sight
- Anything "important" you are thinking about which is not relevant, write it down and put it out of sight.
- http://selfcontrolapp.com/ for social media and reddit
- Inversion - do about 5 minutes of handstands, hanging from an inversion table, monkey bars, etc.
- A splash of apple cider vinegar in water after meals to aid digestion.
Just stop watching porn, stop beating your meat, and start developing habits that are actually good for you and will benefit you. Install blockers on your device if you need them, there are blockers in this link (Blockers) if you need them and do whatever you can to put porn out of your way. Then you shall do exercise frequently, as that will diminish urges and help your brain focus. Take cold showers as that almost always kills urges and helps you lose brain fog and gain concentration. Take walks outside and try to socialize, do things that don't leave you lonely often. Start thinking about your future and your current life and how you can improve it, and stop thinking about those fetishes and pornographic thoughts. Don't think "I need to get rid of porn", instead think "I don't watch porn" and go along with your life. Keep yourself busy, and remember that failure will happen.
Stay safe out there.
The question really is, what is it about cuckold porn that excites you so much? If you could figure that out, your able to control it more. In the meantime:
Try FREEDOM for your phone and computer.
Or SelfControl
Have you been tested for ADHD? This sounds like me before I got diagnosed. Work is boring and I needed that constant dopamine hit. But when it was crunch time I could get it all done.
It sounds like you have a pretty relaxed work schedule. You could try something like 1 hour of work, with the reward of one hour of fun stuff, setting a timer. It seems like if you did this, you could probably get it all done during the actual work week and at least have a free weekend.
I also use Freedom.To ($6.95 a month) to block all apps/websites when I'm working. You could use something like this program to implement the every other hour work/play mentioned above.
Good luck.
You could always install a website blocker and just block last fm until after your tests. Of course this would take more willpower than last fm just IP banning you since you could just turn off the blocker, but it’s a start.
It's fine, we all have been there! Honestly, unless K-dramas are truly, TRULY hindering you from your studies and your social life, you don't need to worry about it. If it does disrupt you of your duties, you probably would need to disconnect yourself from the internet, or use website blockers to help increase productivity . If you need to focus for a few hours, you can use this . Stick to a strict regimen of a few hours of studying, and then watch an episode of K-drama, and force yourself to stop even though it's hella tempting to watch another episode of it.
Not speaking on everyone's behalf, but the lot of us are - or at least I'm - homebodies (prefer to stay indoors) so socialising isn't a problem... or at least, isn't one of our 99 problems? Lol. I bet if you do go out and all, you'll have no problem 'forgetting' about K-dramas for a few hours. You can still find a someone to date and make them watch K-dramas. Heh heh.
I know it's easier said than done, but like I said, if K-dramas disconnect you from your responsibilities, then you have to disconnect from it. Give it a try. Hope it helps?
If you're like me you'll find that you have absolutely no self control when it comes to extremely time wasting sites like Reddit. I find that the majority of my procrastination comes from killing time on the web.
As a Chrome user, I've installed Stay Focusd which limits the amount of time I can spend on distracting sites, like Youtube, Facebook... etc. You can set your settings to specifically block websites and conform your study/productivity sessions to your schedule. You can even set it to require you to answer a skill testing question to discourage you from simply reverting your settings.
If you use Firefox, try Leechblock, its basically the same program.
If you use IE though, well then... fuck you.
Cold Turkey is a pretty difficult blocker to get around, as it can make itself unable to be installed while timers are running. The free version is pretty good if you're just looking to block a smallish number of high-priority websites (YouTube), works with VPNs, etc. The Pro version (one time flat fee of $25) lets you have scheduled breaks, or a fixed amount of browsing time, as well as a full PC lockout.
FocusMe is similar, and also works on Android devices, but is slightly more pricey for a lifetime license, but also comes as a subscription model.
As far as tackling the addiction itself, he's 10 and his brain won't be finished developing for at least another 10 years, so it's expected for 10 year olds to have poor impulse control. You need to be his impulse control.
I wanna make a shoutout to Cold Turkey, it's an amazing app for productivity that allows you to block applications, domains and even block you out of you computer on scheduled times.
Try Cold Turkey. I also try to make it a hassle to turn on the computer in the morning. I have a laptop so I either unplug and put the charger away somewhere or put away the laptop itself.
Also, if you need a more robust blocker I recommend Cold Turkey, you can block any website or program, set timers, create schedules, and then lock it so you can’t get around it. I’ve been using it for years, it’s been a huge help for me!
If you’re doing it not on your phone and on a Mac, download „self control“.
It’s a kill switch app with both a black and white list.
You can set it for almost any time Intervall you like and it will block every website you put on the blacklist.
But be cautious about it.
Once you set the timer it can’t be reversed!
Also:If you for example set it up for 2 hours, then shut down your pc after 45 and then boot it up again like 6 hours later it will still kill the connections for the remaining 1h15min.
ah maybe it have, I had the old version to you could restart the computer and then you could choose to clear the "freedom blocks" :P
But I seems like i found a option gonna try this out http://selfcontrolapp.com/
Use Pomodoro app along with Self Control App for OSX and it will help control you wasting time. I use this to blocks websites like Reddit on days I absolutely must work and schedule sites to be blocked from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m
Even if you reboot it keeps running.
Yeah this is dope. I think especially on reddit we need reminders about what exactly we're looking for on reddit...it's dopamine stimulation...we're pavlovian trained to seek that next hit of reward. I use the app called self control to block my internet for 6 or 12 hours at a time. http://selfcontrolapp.com/
I like your advice. I'll definitly try that! Thanks.
I use this for staying away from reddit / distractions: SelfControl is a free and open-source application for Mac OS X that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, your mail servers, or anything else on the Internet. Just set a period of time to block for, add sites to your blacklist, and click "Start." Until that timer expires, you will be unable to access those sites--even if you restart your computer or delete the application. Find Windows alternatives here.
Thanks for the idea of blocking out certain websites. I just downloaded an app called "self control" for my mac.
I also went ahead found some really nice calendars, planners, and organizers from "Productive Flourishing. Very nice stuff.
Thanks for sharing some best practices.
I use http://selfcontrolapp.com (free) for blocking specific sites when doing client work during the day (social media, sports news, etc) and https://macfreedom.com ($10) when I want to block the internet completely.
I know neither are building my discipline but honestly, I just can't trust myself yet. You're right in saying it's a timesink, and I can't let that happen when I'm supposed to be working for clients.
!!!!!!!!!!!GET AN INTERNET BLOCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I personally find that it doesn't work for me all the time (sometimes I try to get around it), but when it works, it works.
http://selfcontrolapp.com for mac
http://getcoldturkey.com for windows
both free!
not sure about linux, I think there use to be one called self restraint I think, but the Github link is dead, so IDK.
I just finished writing my senior thesis and I used this software called "self control" its this program where you have a blacklist for distracting websites (like reddit and facebook) that you blacklist for a set amount of time. So you cant access those websites until the time is up. Its really, really, really helpful.
download link here:
In terms of software I recommend SelfControll, whenever your working and can't afford to be distracted by Reddit or other sites, this is what you need. iMovie is free and should be good enough for light video editing. The effects can get kind of corny at times though. For steam gaming, the best I can recommend is (if you have large steam library already) to install windows through BootCamp. It's a preinstalled program from Apple that allows you to partition your SSD and dual boot windows and OS X. It's super simple and all you need is a windows 7/8 .iso file or install disk (you'll need a disk drive for that) and about three hours of free time. Most of that time is spend waiting. If you have a large Steam library you should definitely look into that. If not than some great Mac games are Civ V, Portal/2, the walking dead, and FTL come To mind.
As for saving battery life, the best advice I can give you is use Safari! Chrome drains your battery like no tomorrow and Safari is an infinitely better browser in OS X. With multi-touch gestures and iCloud integration it's the only choice. The OS itself should handle the rest. The lattest big release (version 10.9 "Mavericks") included some awesome under the hood changes that sped up computers and made their battery last longer. Read up on it here. It's some crazy awesome stuff.
I use SelfControl. You can add a bunch of sites to your "blacklist" and set it up to block those sites for up to 24 hours. It will keep working even if you log in with a different account, restart your computer, etc.
Have you tried reorganizing your workspace? I am blessed to have a separate "office" room for my working at home, but if I ever feel like I'm getting in a mental rut, I clean up and move shit around.
Also, there's a browser extension called Self Control that helps me when I'm being toooottally scattered. There definitely are days when it's difficult to focus.
If you're using a Mac, try this out. You type in a set amount of time and it blocks whatever sites you like for the remaining time. It won't let you access those site until the time runs out... No matter what. You can delete the program, shut down your computer, whatever you want. It'll still block the sites.
I think downloading an app like http://selfcontrolapp.com/ would be a far easier. It prevents you accessing websites on your blocked list for as long as you desire. It's only available for macs but there are similar windows programs around.
I will second this, and point everyone interested toward a handy tool to help you regulate your Reddit time: Self Control for Mac users, Cold Turkey for non Mac users. I use Self Control to lock out certain websites for however long I want, and it's great for productivity! Cheers.
Pour coupler avec Pomodoro et éviter de se distraire, j'utilise https://heyfocus.com/ sur macOS (des softs similaires existent sur d'autre OS). Ca bloque simplement la connexion (avec un timer) a une liste prédéfinie de sites et app.
I just did this last night/stayed up until 3am knowing I had to finish some work today. Thank god one my classes was cancelled because I would not have been able to get through the day. I didn't have to finish anything that night but I just wouldn't go to sleep. I set my internet to shut off at 11PM so hopefully it won't happen again.
To get things done I'm using this app that blocks websites/apps but turning it on is the hassle, even though its just one click and I can't turn it off after I do that I just tell myself 5 more minutes and then 5 hours will pass by.
Turns out that you can set it up to turn on by itself with Calendar events so I think I'll just pre-schedule time on my Calendar of when I know I should be working and it will turn on by itself.
https://heyfocus.com/scripting-focus-with-os-x-url-handlers/
Thank you! The emphasis on willpower does little to motivate those who are low on it, aside from making them feel defeated before they've even bugun. Creating small nudges to shape your environment is much more effective and practical IMO in changing behavior.
I also use app blockers. In particular, I use focusme for desktop u/minecraft_god_2008 would highly recommend checking this out and specifically having someone else assign a password for the block. you can then go to them if you want the app unblocked, but I found that when I did this, I never once asked my SO for the password (except one to research something that contained a blocked phrase, that's it!) I totally kicked my video game addiction within a week or two, and now I almost never think about games. It's paid but it was totally worth it (you can get it for a big discount if using the student plan)
Other nudges or tips
- Write out a list of activities of things you can do. Refer to it often, print it out and maybe redirect your new tab to it
- Have the pieces to do those activities ready. E.g. if you want to read more, download a bunch of books onto a kindle, or buy the books you want to read. Have a few options so that you aren't waiting to be in the mood for one. If it's a hobby, get the items needed for that hobby
- Turn off your phone on days that you don't need it. Put it out of sight. Try to spend at least one day a week not looking at screens. It's a lot easier to go all or nothing IMO (at least for a day) than to have it in small amounts.
- I always recommend routinery - it's an app that helps you create a routine and then will auto progress to the next item when you finish the first. It's been awesome for helping me exercise every day, but you can use it to do whatever you want to start your day well. e.g. plan out what you want to do, write out your top priority for the day, do a relaxing activity etc
Hey! Congratulations! I'm taking my last semester in the autumn, so I feel you! Fortunately, I'm majoring in economics and it has a solution with two parts.
Make not doing your work more costly. At the end of last semester, I used FocusMe to completely block social media for the first half of the day. I would try to sign into Reddit and the program would immediately close the tab. I got a lot of work done and even managed to recover some grades. In one class, I went from 69%-83%, which managed to get me a low A (it was a hard class).
Make doing what you need to do less costly. Set up your browser so that every time you open it, the tabs you are required to use automatically pop up by setting them as home pages. Set out your study materials before you even go to bed (assuming you study in the morning). This can become part of a nightly routine that sets you up for success.
There's more, but that should be a strong start, hopefully. If you want to get more work done, then make getting work done the path of least resistance. That might not be "discipline" as it is popularly portrayed. But if getting work done is the aim, then it will suffice.
I have bad adhd. Failed 3 times and finally just passed. Accommodations helped (but I had to file an appeal after being denied to get them). I also used my meds, therapy and really leaned on my support system. This test isn't designed for us, so you need to use every advantage you have to just level the playing field. Also, I highly recommend website blockers. I block all of the websites that will distract me on both my phone and laptop during hours I need to study (I use freedom.to, but there are other ones). I also put my phone in a k-safe while I was studying. It really was a pain in the ass, but I dont trust myself. You can do it, but it takes so much extra bullshit to get there.