Instead of email and surfing?

[Cron]

Hi;

I tend to surf the web and monitor my email compulsively. I waste significant amounts of time doing this.

I've noticed that that the compulsive side of it is worse earlier in the day. If I hold off on checking my email or surfing the web until noon, somehow it does not feel as addictive.

I've got things under control on the weekend. I just get the hell out of my apartment or get into an activity sooner rather than later.

My problem is sticking to this rule at work. I work a job that shifts back and forth between being mentally intense and sometimes boring. Surfing the web and checking my email serves as both a break as well as a distraction.

I need something to substitute for checking my email or surfing the web. I've started stretching and taking walks, but I can only do that so many times during the day while on the job.

Any ideas for other things I can try?

[Snowstalker]

Hi Cron,

I'm facing similar issues as well. One idea that I've been trying out recently is to hold a pen and paper on your side, and doodle on that as long as you want, but just don't check the email. Pro-actively focus on the paper rather than longing to check the email. It has worked for me so far, but haven't been doing it for long.

I guess in the end, the only thing we can do is to pro-actively do something. The only way to avoid focusing on one thing is to focus on something else.

HTH.

[Dave Kaminski]

What do you do for a living?

Have you ever thought of being an intra-preneur? When you feel an impulse to check your eMail or surf the web, instead try to write down an idea or two that you think might be able to help:

your company
your productivity
your friends
your family
your community

& so forth. You'll find it not only helps you to not focus on things that are completely arbitrary (such as eMail newsletters, they'll be there for you later.) and also fulfilling because you're helping others and helping yourself at the same time!

[tgl]

GTD.

If you have a list of things you want to do, then when you have free time at work, you'll do them. Even if they involve the computer or the internet, you won't be mindlessly surfing, you'll be actively working on a project.

[Nico Kempe]

I don't think at home it will be a problem to do something else, just look at Steve's blog, read this forum, and in no-time you will have lots of things to do other than surfing and checking e-mail.

I've been thinking about this too for at the job, I also have an active-bored switching job.
I came with the idea of writing. Not necessarily writing a long piece of tekst, but something like todo lists, things you want to expierience, things you'd like to have, maybe ideas for passive income, ideas for your website, ideas for decorating your home, etcetera etcetara.
This way you can write down what's usually on your mind which has several advantages, like clearing your mind and perhaps finding your general and specific purpose.

Also drawing doodles is fine too, who knows maybe you'll start making (web)comics..)

[Henry]

I try to check email once every 3 hours and surf the web no more than 30 minutes in the morning when I get to work.

When I say surf, I mean useless sites. Not here.

[Balfour]

This is a huge problem for me at work (sometimes at home, but not so much and much more controllable). It's related to procrastination, but compulsively email/blog/web clicking takes on its own life once I start. I would like to break this addiction, but then again, I wouldn't be here now if I did!

[cultivategreatness]

Ok, Im doing some work now!

[ZenDude]

I'm another one of those email/surf addicts.
I'm calling it an addiction for myself as to make it clear to myself that I take the problem seriously. Maybe "big challenge" is better.

The solutions I've read in the years are:
-do other stuff instead of mailing/surfing
-check your email once per day
-set a timer if you start surfing or checking email

I agree with the GTD advice.

[Token]

I advice you to remove all the shortcuts of mail clients and browsers from the quickLaunch bar, desktop and system tray.
It really worked for me in my case: I struggled with instant messenger addiction a couple months ago. I just removed it's shortcut from quicklaunch bar. So next time when I wanted to launch the IM, I found out that I just felt too lazy to look for .exe file somewhere in my hard drive. So instead of starting it every time I connected to internet, I started my instant messenger only when I really needed to talk to someone.

[dsmoke]

I have a bookmark folder and a folder on my flashdrive of "Stuff to Read." Not mindless surfing, though. For instance, one of my bookmarks is a memory-improvement course, and another is a teach-yourself-spanish site. I have a few personal development ebooks I'm reading as well.

Oh yes, and I keep my to-do list online and I do things from that when they are appropriate, as others have mentioned.

[Balfour]

Token,
Great tip. I removed the quicklaunch/bookmarks from some of my compulsive clicky sites at work and it seems to be helping. It's an addiction interupter.

[Mitalp]

I've really been struggling with the amount of information I find on the internet. Especially while reading blogs. It's very hard to stay focused on one subject. Every where I turn there's seems to be something else tugging at my attention!

[epetro]

Originally Posted by Token

I advice you to remove all the shortcuts of mail clients and browsers ...

i've done this.

And also install some program that blocks/grants inet access. its not working for me .

i've tried to setup 30-day trial period for surfing at work only after 16-00. and failed on the 4th day.

Maybe there is need for higher level solution like quiting current job?

[Trustme]

count me in, I guess I am a member of the club as well

what helped me in the past with similar problems is to attack it via a 21day challenge. I will make it not that difficult in the first run, something like only surf during odd hours..... this should hopefully not be that hard

[jbsmith]

I find procrastination sets in when there is a lack of a bigger purpose and plan.

When I have something really driving me, could be family event, could be a health goal or it could be the next book that I write - suddenly I get back a laser-focused dedication that prevents procrastination.

Procrastination has always been a problem - for some people its TV talk shows, for others its internet email and forums, for others its talking on the phone for 6-hours a day (really, I have a cousin who is capable of such horrors!)

My only advice is to set some goals, try and find the inner source of your passions and direction - a sense of purpose around which you can set some pretty advanced goals.

Once you have all of that, you will find your focus improve. Suddenly, if you do surf the web, its with the intent of advancing your purpose rather than just randomly surfing and wasting time.

Cheers...
Jeff