We’re obsessed. Stuck in a one-sided relationship with the web. We could be focused somewhere else, yet we can’t get it out of our minds.
- “Did anyone comment on what I shared?”
- “Oh, that looks interesting. I’ll just read this one article… “
- “LOL that was hilarious. I gotta share that now.”
We are in madly in love with distracting ourselves.
Take Instagram for example. First, we “like” a friend’s Friday night post. Second, we check to see if it got any likes or comments. Third, we tell ourselves, “Oh I’ll check my feed, just for a second…”
However, the obstacle isn’t social media itself, but rather it is the result of social media – Black Hole Browsing.
Black Hole Browsing is the 21st century’s most compelling psychological addiction that no one is talking about (probably because I just made up the name). It’s the internet’s plague, sucking the productivity from our minds and into Facebook newsfeeds through its merciless cycle.
Next thing we know, we’re 45 minutes lost in the cycle. What a nightmare. But good news – the cycle can be stopped. And no, it doesn’t rely on willpower (cuz we all know how well that works).
Rather, a FREE tool, which can be setup in 30 seconds.
Meet StayFocusd – the website-blocking Google Chrome extension. StayFocusd blocks distracting websites after a set amount of time, breaking the Black Hole Browsing cycle entirely. After the daily clock expires, I get this beautiful message:
After downloading StayFocusd from the Chrome store, it can be set up in three easy steps:
Step 1: Write down all the websites that distract you.
For example, the websites that distract me most, causing Black Hole Browsing, are Facebook, Twitter, Lululemon, Shoefab, etc.
Step 2: Set maximum time allowed for all websites each day.
I set my maximum time allowed to 10 minutes per day, which blocks all websites listed. This forces me to move quickly when through the “distracting” websites. If something looks intriguing, I’ll save to Pocket for later.
10 minutes too little? Cool. Work your way down. Start at an hour. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is you start somewhere.
Step 3: Set active days and hours when websites are blocked.
I block web pages every day of the week, for all hours.
Why? I don’t want to waste any of my life mindlessly browsing online, not merely weekday business hours.
Studying for the boards, the school exams, or just accomplishing your goals in life require discipline. The good news is that tools such as Stayfocusd can help you for FREE.
Ask me about any other questions! I am extremely passionate about dental hygiene education and efficiency. It is my mission to make all StudentRDH Dental Hygiene Exam taker become successful, so reach out to me. If I don’t have an answer right now, we will find it together!
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