Avoid Distractions Online
We all know how distracting it can be when you're trying to get some work done online, but you keep getting distracted by Leave an Addictive Website like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and others.
This article will explain some tech-driven methods that you can use to avoid getting carried away on time-sucking websites, allowing you instead to focus on your work or studies. By using extensions and apps that you can install, it's hoped that you'll find it much easier to avoid online distractions.
Contents
Steps
- Know your enemy. Identify your biggest sources of online distractions. Some of the most common online distractions include, but are not limited to:
- social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter
- forums
- instant messenger
- news sites
- financial sites
- online games such as FarmVille, CityVille, etc.
- interactive sites, such as wikis and your blog.
- Disable notifications for your distractions. Sometimes what keeps you coming back to a distracting website is a notification (such as a noise, signal, pop-up, etc.) that interrupts whatever you're concentrating on. Fortunately, in most cases these can be disabled. On Facebook, for example, click Settings in the top right corner and choose Account settings, then the Notifications to disable e-mail notifications.
- Set clear goals for what you want to accomplish online and for why you're even using the online connection. It's easier to get distracted when your goals are vague. Instead of saying "I'm going to answer e-mails" write down a goal like this: "I'm going to answer 20 e-mails and then do X."
- Use distractions as a reward. When you have a clear task ahead of you, as defined in the previous step, make it a rule that you will not succumb to distractions until that task is accomplished. Set tasks for yourself that last only 1-2 hours. When the task is accomplished, reward yourself by visiting one of your distraction sites. But since it's easy to lose track of time when you're distracted, set a timer to ensure that your reward time doesn't turn into another time-sapping exercise. For instance, give yourself 10 minutes to read your favorite news site. Once those 10 minutes are up, tear yourself away and move on to your next task.
- Go cold turkey if you need to. If you can't discipline yourself to limit your time spent on online distractions, you will have to put those distractions out of reach. There are many browser tools and extensions which can prevent you from visiting certain sites but do try to exercise your own willpower before reaching this point!
Using StayFocusd (Google Chrome)
- Install the StayFocused extension from the Chrome Web Store. The direct link can be found at https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji?hl=en-US.
- Use the extension. You will see a little, blue, clock icon at the top of your browser window. Click on it.
- Click on "Block this entire site", if you want to do it simple and quick. If you want a little more specialized, read the next steps.
- Click on "Advanced Options". Enter a custom URL, or choose "block" or "allow".
- Click on "Settings" to choose your own maximum time before the website gets blocked. Type your amount of minutes in the box and click "Set".
- Add a list of blocked sites in your settings. Every time you visit these URLs, the amount of time will be subtracted from your timer. Thus, if your block timer is set to 15 minutes, and you add Facebook and Twitter to your blocked sites list, you will only 15 minutes per day to spend in total on those sites.
- Go to extremes. If nothing seems to help you procrastinating online, there is still stay focused nuclear option. In your settings, click on "The Nuclear Option". In this option you can block either the entire web, or just everything except sites which you have marked as "Allowed". Enter the amount of time that you want to go completely Internet-less, customize the other options presented to you, and click "Nuke 'Em!". Use this option with care and forethought - you may not realise that you are going to block something like your email account which you may need to do your actual work.
Using LeechBlock (Firefox)
- In Firefox, download the LeechBlock extension. You can do it from here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/leechblock. Install the add-on. Firefox will probably then ask you to restart.
- Click on the "Firefox"-tab in the top-left hand corner on the browser. (Please note that this is in Firefox 6. If you have an early version of Firefox, you will want to click "Tools" --> "Add-ons".) Click on "Add-ons".
- In the Add-on Manager that will open in a new tab, click on "Options" next to LeechBlock.
- Choose which sites you want to block.
- Enter a name for this specific block.
- Enter the URLs for the sites. Do not add the "www"-part. Click "Next" when you are done.
- Set times when you want the block to be active for these sites.
- Enter the time periods. Do this in 24-hour clock style, but do not use the colon in the middle. For example, type: 0900-1700, for 9 - 5.
- Set a "grace period" before you want the block to become active. For example, you may want to allow yourself only 15 minutes a day on these sites, but no more.
- Choose which days of the week you want this block to be active. Click "Next" when you are done.
- Choose what URL LeechBlock should display while the block is active.
- Click the "Prevent access to options for this block set"-box to prevent naughty procrastinators from extending the time after the block steps in.
- Click "OK" to active the add-on.
Using KeepMeOut (any browser)
- Browse to Keep me out. It's located at: http://keepmeout.com.
- Enter your parameters.
- Click on "Advanced Settings" to choose the time of day this blocker should be active.
Slide the arrows about to choose the correct times of day that the website should block your distractedness. - Click on "Submit". Wait for the website to load.
- Open the link that it provides in a new tab.
- Bookmark this link according to the method appropriate for your browser.
- Set the bookmark at the top of your browser, in your bookmarks or favorites bar.
- Use this bookmark to access your distracting site from now on. Do not type in the URL directly, or KeepMeOut will not work! Use the bookmark icon instead.
Tips
- In both KeepMeOut and LeechBlock you can have different blocks active at different and on different websites.
Warnings
- Think very carefully before blocking things like email and online banking. You never know how urgently you might need to use such facilities once they're blocked.
