Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

apa.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 193 posts

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#81

Post by jahewson »

gofreddygo wrote: post #62
jerlam wrote: post #31

There's also the long-standing idea that people come up with great/interesting ideas while in the shower (so much that it's an internet meme), and that's attributed to the shower being one of the few places where you don't have media or electronics trying to capture your attention.

That phenomenon is very real in my personal case. Unfortunately the ideas go away by the time i get hold of pen and paper after the shower. Possible solutions to this are welcome.

I had one of these for a while, water proof:

https://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Notes-Water-Proof-Note/dp/B01AS5...

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#82

Post by kumarvvr »

arthurcolle wrote: post #76
kumarvvr wrote: post #73

Recently un-installed the following apps. - Reddit - Amazon Prime Video - Netflix I could not shake off the addiction of scrolling for new content and news, all day long. I could not concentrate on any work. I would either be scrolling on reddit or kept a show running "in the background" while doing work. I suffered like this for 4 years Thank god I was self aware enough of my addiction. Planning to stay off them eve…

I feel like reddit is unusable these days without prepending old. as a subdomain. And I never use netflix or prime video on a mobile device, but I mean that's cool if you find that useful! When in your day do you find yourself using video streaming apps on mobile

On desktop, I always use the old. site.

On mobile, the app is decent enough (meaning extremely addictive).

I used to use the streaming apps to have something like Seinfeld, Friends or BBT running in the background.

I would have the streaming apps on at home all the time, and even at work, when I am working alone (my office situation is such that I can work in a separate conference room, with a wide view to let me know if someone is coming). So, my streaming would be several hours every day.

Thanks to dead cheap internet charges in India, and the fact that my provider allows for bandwidth carry forward, I have no worries about the bill.

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#83

Post by carrolldunham »

lazide wrote: post #75
carrolldunham wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you reflected on the meaning you might have questioned your impulse to have kids

Pretty sure Buddha warned against nihilism. The void may be tempting, but is ultimately empty, after all.

What does that have to do with anything? We're talking about Pascal's claim

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#84

Post by pddpro »

quickthrower2 wrote: post #79

My anecdotal experience is this is good thing to do. But I am addicted to devices, especially HN, Reddit and a game I won't mention because I don't want to get you addicted to it too. I think you can get a lot of joy by letting your mind wander! It may not be productive (like an Eureka moment), but it can be fun, it can also remembering to do something you would have otherwise not thought about.

Try me.

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#85

Post by enasterosophes »

kumarvvr wrote: post #73

Recently un-installed the following apps. - Reddit - Amazon Prime Video - Netflix I could not shake off the addiction of scrolling for new content and news, all day long. I could not concentrate on any work. I would either be scrolling on reddit or kept a show running "in the background" while doing work. I suffered like this for 4 years Thank god I was self aware enough of my addiction. Planning to stay off them eve…

Yeah, I recently gave up reddit too, for the same reason. It was interfering with my concentration too much, not only when working, but also when just trying to do something productive with my liesure time. I was clicking refresh hundreds of times a day. Very much a "poker machine" mentality. The clicks are free, but attention is priceless.

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#86

Post by silentsea90 »

quickthrower2 wrote: post #79

My anecdotal experience is this is good thing to do. But I am addicted to devices, especially HN, Reddit and a game I won't mention because I don't want to get you addicted to it too. I think you can get a lot of joy by letting your mind wander! It may not be productive (like an Eureka moment), but it can be fun, it can also remembering to do something you would have otherwise not thought about.

It takes a fair bit to go from hearing about a game to being addicted to it. What game is it?

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#87

Post by intrasight »

theshrike79 wrote: post #8
ilaksh wrote: post #2

Don't most people think about stuff before they fall asleep? I know I do. Often it takes quite awhile to fall asleep for me and have plenty of time to do it.

I specifically need to zone out and calm my mind TO fall asleep. Took me years to teach my brain that "lying down in bed" == "brain turns off". Otherwise I'd spiral into a web of incomplete thoughts that would never get anywhere and I'd just get really stressed - and then fall to a restless sleep, anxious. Now if I'm a bit wound up, I put on some wireless headphones and listen to some really boring or non-consequenti…

I can't emphasize enough what an impact this approach had for me. I suffered from sleep anxiety and insomnia. Took trazodone for years. It lost its potency and I wanted to get off the sleep drugs. Then I discovered history podcasts. The only ones that work have a single person talking and no ads intermixed with the podcast episode. Usually I'm asleep five minutes into the podcast. Then when I wake in the morning, I listen to it with my coffee. A few years ago my daughter was having similar problems and she too solved it with podcasts.

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#88

Post by Kaze404 »

carrolldunham wrote: post #60
lazide wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good luck with young kids!

If you reflected on the meaning you might have questioned your impulse to have kids

What makes you think they haven’t? I don’t buy it for one bit that people simply have kids on impulse, and you can question an impulse and come out the other end still wanting to go through with it.

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#89

Post by nisa »

dexwiz wrote: post #3

I wonder how much of the current anxiety wave that seems to have stricken Millennials and Gen Z is because they have no idea how to be alone with their thoughts. Anecdotally, I have heard a great many jokes about needing a distraction due to negative internal discourse. Like if they are left alone for more than 5 minutes by themselves, they will inevitably spiral into depression. I have people in my life that need a…

Not being poor or in debt also helps quite a bit. Having a perspective and not being stuck in jobs that will never pay a house no matter what you do might also help. Having successful parents also helps, otherwise it's difficult to read all the subtle social cues that make a difference. Never felt as anxious and isolated as when hanging around with privileged art students. Subjectively society got a lot more focused on social status than it used to be. People from different backgrounds don't mix up easily anymore and it's subtle. Lacking a perspective and feeling excluded it's hard to not experience anxiety. Experimenting and being brave is also easier if you know you will fall soft. If you don't know how to pay the rent next month you are not going out and make new experiences or learn new skills - you are stuck and nervous. Might be hyperbole but I wouldn't underestimate that as it's difficult to relax in such a situation. Avoiding unpleasant situations and becoming addicted to your phone/internet/media might either be a cause or an effect of this - it's not helping for sure.

Re: Put down devices, let your mind wander, study suggests

#90

Post by Kaze404 »

ilaksh wrote: post #2

Don't most people think about stuff before they fall asleep? I know I do. Often it takes quite awhile to fall asleep for me and have plenty of time to do it.

Depends. I remember reading a while ago that the average time for a person to fall asleep is 15 minutes. I personally believe I fall asleep instantly, but maybe that’s just me not being conscious enough during those 15 minutes to remember them.
Post reply on HN