I feel like I could have written this post. I did so well when I had timers on apps, only accessed social media through a browser, gray scale at night, etc. Lately I've been ignoring my time usage report each week because I don't want to face the truth of how much time I spend on my phone. I met my reading goal, but it's definitely down from where it was last year. My TBR is staggering. I'm on my phone when I could be writing. It was painful, but I just set timers on my most used apps, minus Audible and Kindle. I need to get back to my unfinished crochet and knitting projects to keep my hands occupied.
I think it's so easy for all of us to fall off those good habits we set up. At least it sounds like you know what things could get you back on track. Good luck with it!
I've been experiencing much the same thing and I think it has a lot to do with the time of year. I never understand why NaNo is in November because not only am I TIRED come November, I'm also stupidly busy! Distraction becomes a product of that. We lose focus when we're tired and overwhelmed and find it hard to stick to anything (yes, even reading).
A couple of things that work for me: as my schedule allows, I take weekends off. No thinking, no working, no writing (no homework as I'm currently taking classes). For those two days I also try to stay away from the small amount of social media I'm still attached to (IG and FB). I've heavily curated my feeds on both, though, to be stuff that doesn't dig at my current triggers) and I recently came to the same conclusion as you -- IG, which I have always enjoyed because it doesn't require me to do much more than like pretty pictures, really kinda shows me the same stuff over and over? The same reels, the same ads, and it's feeling more and more like a machine designed to steer my interests rather than the other way around? So, yeah, I have to take breaks. Because sometimes I don't mind being steered, other times I'm spending hours on stuff that's just so totally irrelevant and time-wasting.
I've been trying to read more print books so that I'm not sitting there with a tablet that's connected to the internet. This is... 50% successful. I still too often read with my phone beside me. I need to stop doing that.
And my tried and true method of getting things done (which right now is end of semester papers) is: Do one thing. Read and annotate one research source, draft one page (or if it's a small paper, draft the two pages, rough and ready, just get those words down), just get the works cited page taken care of, answer two questions of the final exam -- basically just do one thing! Then do something away from the computer (exercise, garden, clean, whatever) then do one more thing. This six page research paper? I'm writing page three today. Maybe page four as well if it goes well. Then I'll read the one article I have left over.
Not sure what to do about the distraction except plan around it for now and hope that the new year brings renewed focus. Good luck to you!
I've gone to print books for the majority of my reading now because I really do fine it more calming. And I think you're method of monotasking is a great way to go. I need to get back to doing that. Thanks for all the tips and tricks! :)
*sigh* Me too, me too. I so enjoyed a focused themed summer reading, inspired by you! I thought I’d do it again for the fall and then got sidetracked trying to choose from all my ideas. Sheesh.
I’m gloriously sitting amid a ton of great books and articles to read, I’m writing a story I enjoy and my Instagram is beautifully curated, full of good stuff--but how can any of it be good stuff for me when I don’t really spend time with any of it?!?
I’m endlessly bumping books to the top of my TBR, skimming newly posted articles whilst what I was reading or I’ve saved to dig into gather dust, and thinking I’ll write that good scene I just thought of later. *another sigh*
So. I’ve started reading on my Kindle instead of my iPad, making it a little less easy to click away to other things. I’ve set a time to read saved articles--two or three at a sitting, depending.
Aanndd okay fine *sigh* it is time for another Digital Minimalism and Deep Work review for me too...hmm...maybe December is the perfect time for that. So today I’m making a December list of what I’d like to read/watch/do and dusting off my copies of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work. I’m actually getting excited about it now--whoot!
Aww, I love that you sent yourself on a journey in this comment and then found your way to a possible plan to solve it! :) Sometimes we just need to bring attention back to the issues. I know that's how it is for me. I have to remind myself--oh, you know how to do this. You've done this before. Good luck with the new plan!
It seems like I'm always saying, "Yes! Me too, Roni!" but... Yes, me too, Roni. I am also high Achiever and high Focus, so the inability to stay in the stories I am reading or writing has been a huge freak-out for me. I quit the bird app a while back, and I'm pretty sure I'm done with Instagram. It's nothing but ads now. I actually enjoyed Threads for about 5 minutes, but it didn't take long for that which ruined Twitter to creep in over there. FB is not a time suck for me because I mainly check it for family news and have curated my feed for that.
For writing, I've appropriated my husband's over the ear headphones and a specific playlist. I have my own noise-cancelling ear buds, but I'm finding that put the big headset on is working as a signal to commence work time. I'm trying different things for the reading struggle. I mainly consume audiobooks, but find myself missing reading words on a page. I'm trying to ease myself back into physical books. It's slow-going, but it feels good. :) It's definitely a "back to the basics" approach to finding the pleasure in things I love and using it as an anchor for my drifting attention span.
Oh, that's interesting that the bigger headset is working for you. Maybe it gives your Focus even more of an insulated environment? And I hear you about audiobooks. I've done a lot more audiobook listening in the last year or two and I enjoy it, but I know I don't pay as close attention. Audiobooks wash over me more, if that makes sense. I sometimes feel less attached to the story because of it--not always (and not if there's an outstanding narrator) but a lot of times. I remember stories from print books better sometimes.
I think you're in that Swift/Kelce tunnel with a lot of others lol. It happens. But it sounds like you've hit that point where it's like, welp, I need to reach for the "break in case of emergency" lever and get out of here. :)
I feel like I could have written this post. I did so well when I had timers on apps, only accessed social media through a browser, gray scale at night, etc. Lately I've been ignoring my time usage report each week because I don't want to face the truth of how much time I spend on my phone. I met my reading goal, but it's definitely down from where it was last year. My TBR is staggering. I'm on my phone when I could be writing. It was painful, but I just set timers on my most used apps, minus Audible and Kindle. I need to get back to my unfinished crochet and knitting projects to keep my hands occupied.
I think it's so easy for all of us to fall off those good habits we set up. At least it sounds like you know what things could get you back on track. Good luck with it!
I've been experiencing much the same thing and I think it has a lot to do with the time of year. I never understand why NaNo is in November because not only am I TIRED come November, I'm also stupidly busy! Distraction becomes a product of that. We lose focus when we're tired and overwhelmed and find it hard to stick to anything (yes, even reading).
A couple of things that work for me: as my schedule allows, I take weekends off. No thinking, no working, no writing (no homework as I'm currently taking classes). For those two days I also try to stay away from the small amount of social media I'm still attached to (IG and FB). I've heavily curated my feeds on both, though, to be stuff that doesn't dig at my current triggers) and I recently came to the same conclusion as you -- IG, which I have always enjoyed because it doesn't require me to do much more than like pretty pictures, really kinda shows me the same stuff over and over? The same reels, the same ads, and it's feeling more and more like a machine designed to steer my interests rather than the other way around? So, yeah, I have to take breaks. Because sometimes I don't mind being steered, other times I'm spending hours on stuff that's just so totally irrelevant and time-wasting.
I've been trying to read more print books so that I'm not sitting there with a tablet that's connected to the internet. This is... 50% successful. I still too often read with my phone beside me. I need to stop doing that.
And my tried and true method of getting things done (which right now is end of semester papers) is: Do one thing. Read and annotate one research source, draft one page (or if it's a small paper, draft the two pages, rough and ready, just get those words down), just get the works cited page taken care of, answer two questions of the final exam -- basically just do one thing! Then do something away from the computer (exercise, garden, clean, whatever) then do one more thing. This six page research paper? I'm writing page three today. Maybe page four as well if it goes well. Then I'll read the one article I have left over.
Not sure what to do about the distraction except plan around it for now and hope that the new year brings renewed focus. Good luck to you!
I've gone to print books for the majority of my reading now because I really do fine it more calming. And I think you're method of monotasking is a great way to go. I need to get back to doing that. Thanks for all the tips and tricks! :)
*sigh* Me too, me too. I so enjoyed a focused themed summer reading, inspired by you! I thought I’d do it again for the fall and then got sidetracked trying to choose from all my ideas. Sheesh.
I’m gloriously sitting amid a ton of great books and articles to read, I’m writing a story I enjoy and my Instagram is beautifully curated, full of good stuff--but how can any of it be good stuff for me when I don’t really spend time with any of it?!?
I’m endlessly bumping books to the top of my TBR, skimming newly posted articles whilst what I was reading or I’ve saved to dig into gather dust, and thinking I’ll write that good scene I just thought of later. *another sigh*
So. I’ve started reading on my Kindle instead of my iPad, making it a little less easy to click away to other things. I’ve set a time to read saved articles--two or three at a sitting, depending.
Aanndd okay fine *sigh* it is time for another Digital Minimalism and Deep Work review for me too...hmm...maybe December is the perfect time for that. So today I’m making a December list of what I’d like to read/watch/do and dusting off my copies of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work. I’m actually getting excited about it now--whoot!
All of that to say Me Too, apparently lol.
Aww, I love that you sent yourself on a journey in this comment and then found your way to a possible plan to solve it! :) Sometimes we just need to bring attention back to the issues. I know that's how it is for me. I have to remind myself--oh, you know how to do this. You've done this before. Good luck with the new plan!
It seems like I'm always saying, "Yes! Me too, Roni!" but... Yes, me too, Roni. I am also high Achiever and high Focus, so the inability to stay in the stories I am reading or writing has been a huge freak-out for me. I quit the bird app a while back, and I'm pretty sure I'm done with Instagram. It's nothing but ads now. I actually enjoyed Threads for about 5 minutes, but it didn't take long for that which ruined Twitter to creep in over there. FB is not a time suck for me because I mainly check it for family news and have curated my feed for that.
For writing, I've appropriated my husband's over the ear headphones and a specific playlist. I have my own noise-cancelling ear buds, but I'm finding that put the big headset on is working as a signal to commence work time. I'm trying different things for the reading struggle. I mainly consume audiobooks, but find myself missing reading words on a page. I'm trying to ease myself back into physical books. It's slow-going, but it feels good. :) It's definitely a "back to the basics" approach to finding the pleasure in things I love and using it as an anchor for my drifting attention span.
Oh, that's interesting that the bigger headset is working for you. Maybe it gives your Focus even more of an insulated environment? And I hear you about audiobooks. I've done a lot more audiobook listening in the last year or two and I enjoy it, but I know I don't pay as close attention. Audiobooks wash over me more, if that makes sense. I sometimes feel less attached to the story because of it--not always (and not if there's an outstanding narrator) but a lot of times. I remember stories from print books better sometimes.
Thanks for this Roni! Ugh. Tik Tok is my biggest distraction. I went down a Taylor Swift / Travis Kelce tunnel that I’m still trying to crawl out of.
I can feel my focus slipping and I get scared. Thanks for this reminder. Yes to all the classes!
Xo
I think you're in that Swift/Kelce tunnel with a lot of others lol. It happens. But it sounds like you've hit that point where it's like, welp, I need to reach for the "break in case of emergency" lever and get out of here. :)