121–130 of 266 posts
I bought a diet-aid box with a timer called "Kitchen Safe". Just dump my phone in it whenever I have the will power, set a timer for a few hours, and turn a moment of motivation into hours of phone-free bliss. The box is designed to shatter if you hit it, so there's no need to worry about losing access in a real emergency but the replacement cost is high enough to not do that everytime reddit beckons.
Then I recall I read from somewhere that Donald Knuth prefers pen and paper to computer. I tried it and it did work for me. I just turn off the computer and use pen and paper/book/printed stuff most of the time. When I have to use the computer I leave the network cable unplugged and finish it quick; When I have to use the internet, I write down what I going to do and do it then turn off the computer; I only check HN or YouTube on meal breaks or before sleep.
I found programming with pen and paper is surprisingly effective, and arguably makes the system better designed. Reading printed code and take notes in diagrams like half a century ago make me understand better (I don't actually print everything, just collect those parts I find important to an editor then print). Turn-on computer on demand feels like going back to the lab from the dorm when the idea struck. All are slower but make steady progress, and it's enjoyable. Much better than time wasted in vain.
As in hindsight, I don't think I'm addicted because I don't have withdrawal symptoms - I don't get uncomfortable when I'm not using a computer or the Internet. It's just those websites are good at grasping my attention. If that's your case, just turn it off or lock your phone away and only get it when you need your online bank. But if you do have withdrawal symptoms, you probably need to ask professionals to address them.
Make your phone less useful. I don't have my work e-mail & Slack on my phone. So I can't even check my work calendar on it.
I used to have a few of the social networks apps and lots of utility apps that maybe I would use once a year. So I decided to delete them all.
Now, I only have some of the default Apple apps + WhatsApp, Telegram, Bank, Spotify, Lockwise, Scanner Pro, Google Authenticator, Google Map, and a few utility apps to manage cameras, smart LEDs, and my vacuum robot.
You need to go after the OCD head-on, rather than the symptoms. My counselor recommended Brain Lock for me. I need to read it again, myself; but, I believe it to be a useful book and always recommend it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
S/he is telling addicts to tell themselves to stop.
Indeed, and that's like the one thing addicts usually cannot do, almost by definition. At least that's how it is for me.
Use the blocklist feature to block dopamine inducing websites!
My time to shine! I spent 2 - 3 years going back and forth between dumb phones and smartphones with various different measures for the same reasons. Here is my video with my final summations on the topic and how some techniques I’ve found may help you (iOS specific): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-TKgRxdA5o Feel free to follow me on Twitter too and chat about any questions you have. I’ve been playing around with t…
One of the most insightful things I found was actually that simply feeling that phone use is bad makes it feel bad and puts you in a bad loop of “I’m so terrible I can’t stop checking my phone etc”. Also when I’m stressed with work, I focus and fixate on how much screen time I have. I would hazard a guess that you have more emotional / other issues that would benefit you to address. For me it was stress with work and…
You have to be nicer/kinded to yourself. Life is hard/stressful enough as is.
When you start feeling bad about yourself, as GP said, "I'm so terrible I can't stop checking my phone", you take away hope and you start living only in the "now". "I'm so terrible" is a gross overgeneralization that puts your mood and increases your need to feel good via the addictive behaviors. Compare that to thinking: "I know I'm having a hard time stopping checking my phone, but maybe today I can do a little less of it."
The thing that keeps addiction going is hopelessness.
Treating addiction as disease (like AA does) is simply WRONG. It is actively harmful to recovery. It renders you hopeless ("I have no control over my disease").
https://www.amazon.com/Indistractable-Control-Your-Attention...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
S/he is telling addicts to tell themselves to stop.
Indeed, and that's like the one thing addicts usually cannot do, almost by definition. At least that's how it is for me.