4 ms·

This is depressingly relatable. Sometimes when I'm walking back home, I end up checking Instagram, Reddit, work mail at every crosswalk while I'm waiting for th

This is depressingly relatable. Sometimes when I'm walking back home, I end up checking Instagram, Reddit, work mail at every crosswalk while I'm waiting for the signal to turn green. And I'm not happy because either there's nothing new or because I realize what I'm doing and I tell myself "look what you've become, you're not even capable of waiting 30 seconds without pulling out your phone".

zonidjan 7y ago
Would you be any happier if you were, instead, standing there staring at traffic waiting for the light to change?
- elliekelly 7y ago
  I’ve started leaving my phone at home when I walk my dog to get coffee every morning. The first few days, maybe even weeks, it was actually pretty uncomfortable. (What does a normal person do at the crosswalk without a phone??) Now I kind of like it. I think about what I have to do for the day and mentally plan out how I’ll tackle it. The only major downside is when I think of something I want to write down or look up.
- munmaek 7y ago
  Yes. You have two main options, among others. 1) choose to focus on the sensory input you’re receiving. The view of the scenery around you, the noise around you, the wind on your skin. Cars and their passengers can be interesting in their own right- people watching still exists. 2) meditate or think about something. Those are substantially better than refreshing HN, Instagram, etc for the hundredth time that day. Being bored is a choice. It takes work to not reflexively pull open Reddit. I still struggle with this from time to time.
bsder 7y ago
Set up something else to do when you pull out your phone. Set up Anki, lichess, etc. anything that is better than brain junk food. It's really easy to break the social media habit by replacing it with something semi-useful.

4 ms·

This is depressingly relatable. Sometimes when I'm walking back home, I end up checking Instagram, Reddit, work mail at every crosswalk while I'm waiting for th

by un_montagnard 7y ago

zonidjan 7y ago
Would you be any happier if you were, instead, standing there staring at traffic waiting for the light to change?
- elliekelly 7y ago
  I’ve started leaving my phone at home when I walk my dog to get coffee every morning. The first few days, maybe even weeks, it was actually pretty uncomfortable. (What does a normal person do at the crosswalk without a phone??) Now I kind of like it. I think about what I have to do for the day and mentally plan out how I’ll tackle it. The only major downside is when I think of something I want to write down or look up.
- munmaek 7y ago
  Yes. You have two main options, among others. 1) choose to focus on the sensory input you’re receiving. The view of the scenery around you, the noise around you, the wind on your skin. Cars and their passengers can be interesting in their own right- people watching still exists. 2) meditate or think about something. Those are substantially better than refreshing HN, Instagram, etc for the hundredth time that day. Being bored is a choice. It takes work to not reflexively pull open Reddit. I still struggle with this from time to time.
bsder 7y ago
Set up something else to do when you pull out your phone. Set up Anki, lichess, etc. anything that is better than brain junk food. It's really easy to break the social media habit by replacing it with something semi-useful.