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-- Limit your time on social media to 20 minutes or less a day (LinkedIn/Facebook/Discord use that's related to work is an exception.) No studies exist yet to s

-- Limit your time on social media to 20 minutes or less a day (LinkedIn/Facebook/Discord use that's related to work is an exception.) No studies exist yet to support this hypothesis, but it's my observation that longtime exposure to social media impedes overall focus. -- Limit your TV watching to one or two hours on the weekends, per week -- Limit video game use to one or two hours per week -- Find an activity you like to do "offline" that you can do regularly such as walking, yoga, biking, etc, and do that more often. It will clear your mind and bring you back to center -- Wake up early and try to accomplish something significant before 8am -- Be kind to yourself when you lose focus and gently redirect your mind back to your tasks. If you get off track for hours or an entire day, wake up early the next morning and put your best foot forward without dwelling on the day before.

nont 4y ago
HN for me is also a form of social media, especially if you find yourself checking it all the time.
- PragmaticPulp 4y ago
  HN is absolutely social media. Reddit and message boards, too. If you’re on a website socializing with other people or consuming socially-generated content from others, it’s social media.
- nivethan 4y ago
  It definite is for me, I think what's helped is forcing myself to read the article before I go the comments. At least some learning is happening.
- giraffe_lady 4y ago
  Yeah it's always hilarious to me when conversations on here will talk about the effects of social media while clearly not intending to include HN. Just because we have a socially enforced style guide and no infinite scroll doesn't mean it's not social media.
zachrip 4y ago
Adding to the offline thing - I think it's great to find a hobby or sport that you can set goals in outside of your main gig (I'm a programmer, I chose disc golf and indoor skydiving). For me this led to feeling more confident generally, getting exercise/out of the house, and being in a space where I'm the primary learner, not teacher. It can also help enforce routine. IMO routine is even better if it's not the same thing every single day.
bayindirh 4y ago
Doing meditation also helps a lot too.
RobertRoberts 4y ago
Self control, this is really what you are saying. (I agree) And I would add, you just have to start somewhere, it doesn't matter what or how you do it. You just need to start, and get yourself to do something different to really see a difference with yourself. (seems redundant, but your actions have a direct relationship to your life experience)
ChildOfChaos 4y ago
-- Wake up early and try to accomplish something significant before 8am I always hate this piece of advice, if i wake up early, even if I am able to struggle through getting 'something significant done' before 8am i'm going to feel terrible for the rest of the day since i got up early, it's not worth it at all. This advice is nonsense and not universal, yet the same nonsense is constantly repeated. I understand it can work for some, but that is because you are following your own rhythms and really that is what you should be doing and that should be the advice or maybe taking your own advice more generally "Crave out a block of time for yourself dedicated to doing something significant, finding the time that works best for you in your schedule'
- wengo314 4y ago
  to me it's totally worth it. morning hours are very quiet. i usually do my daily flashcards session during that time. and sometimes a small workout as well. if you feel terrible waking up that early - go to bed earlier as well. you need that sleep.
  - Dobbs 4y ago
    Some people find early hours to be very productive, some people find noon hours to be really productive, and finally some people find evening hours to be really productive. What works for you won't necessarily work for everyone else and pretending otherwise is harmful to all who don't fit your life/body/etc.
  - ChildOfChaos 4y ago
    Personally I always don't feel great in the mornings, I usually need a few hours to fully wake up and function and I don't like going to bed early, why should I? Those hours are my quiet hours and are the hours that I like. I get it though, it's what works for you. So you should do that, but it's not universal advice, people that find it works just think others should go to bed earlier and follow what they do and poof! like magic everything is amazing
    - abhaynayar 4y ago
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
krnlpnc 4y ago
> Wake up early and try to accomplish something significant before 8am I'm guessing you don't have young children?
- jbjbjbjb 4y ago
  For some reason just getting the kids ready, lunch packed and at school on time is a monumental achievement.
NylaTheWolf 4y ago
These are some pretty harsh restrictions. No using the internet for more than 20 minutes a day unless it's work related? Only playing video games for an hour or two per week? This feels like it'd set OP up to burn out...You can't even have a meaningful conversation with someone in 20 minutes. It may work for you but it's not going to work for everyone. Besides, sometimes when you're sad or tired or just need a break, you just want to relax and do something more mindless. And even video games aren't just "mindless" entertainment. What if you want to take a break in between work?
- tjr 4y ago
  It does seem harsh compared to my recent reality. But I remember my internet usage in the 1990s... going to a library and signing up for a 30-minute slot to use the internet... or later using the internet from home, but only for a few minutes at a time lest I block the telephone line too much... While definitely a shift from what I do today, maybe going back to that style of internet usage would not, in fact, be so intolerable!
- BeetleB 4y ago
  > Besides, sometimes when you're sad or tired or just need a break, you just want to relax and do something more mindless. There are plenty of options beyond social media. Take a walk. Do some hobby, read something physical, etc. The issue with social media is that compared to most alternatives, it's easier to lose track of time, and easier to get addicted. Not sure how old you are, but as another commenter pointed out, many of us spent a good chunk of our life - even adult life - without constant-on Internet. The quality of life was not at all worse.
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  "No using the internet for more than 20 minutes a day unless it's work related? Only playing video games for an hour or two per week? This feels like it'd set OP up to burn out..." The internet and video games didn't even exist for almost all of human history, and people didn't burn out merely for lack of access to them. Unplug and enjoy the world.
Bedon292 4y ago
While I don't do only 20 minutes. I found that setting the digital wellbeing setting on my phone really helped. Focus mode during the day time on weekdays, to prevent stuff while trying to be productive. And timers on a few apps. I used to scroll through far too much twitter, but putting an hour cap on my phone helped with that a lot. It helped break the habit, and depending on what is happening in the world, I may not even hit the cap many days.
nop_slide 4y ago
> -- Limit video game use to one or two hours per week I was doing really good with all of these until Elden Ring came out. Now my side project hasn't seen a commit in a few weeks :)
lawwantsin17 4y ago
Buttons840 4y ago
> Limit video game use to one or two hours per week I would feel more focused and productive than usual if I spent a day on a video game. Games are usually focused time, whereas social media is a low level misery but not being able to stop, hoping between sites, looking for something entertaining but not finding it. Deliberately act. If someone casually asks "whatcha doing?", you should never answer "nothing". Deliberately playing a game isn't doing nothing, taking a nap isn't doing nothing. Social media isn't necessarily doing nothing, but for me it usually is. Ask yourself, did I decide to do this? What is my goal? If your goal is passing time, stop.
synicalx 4y ago
I sort of disagree on two things; 1. Video games, in moderation can be beneficial for focus in much the same way reading a book can. You have to concentrate on a single task for an extended period of time, and lack of concentration is often punished. Obviously playing for 8 hours a day is a problem, but an hour or two here and there is nothing to worry about. 2. I'm a morning person, so getting up early and doing something useful before 8am totally works for me. But a lot of people just can't function that early or don't have the luxury of being able to get up that early (shift workers, for example). I'd suggest instead of targeting 8am specifically, just target the first wakeful hour of your day as the time to get something done by. If that's 8am - great, if that's 6pm - that's cool to.

nont 4y ago

HN for me is also a form of social media, especially if you find yourself checking it all the time.

PragmaticPulp 4y ago
HN is absolutely social media. Reddit and message boards, too. If you’re on a website socializing with other people or consuming socially-generated content from others, it’s social media.
nivethan 4y ago
It definite is for me, I think what's helped is forcing myself to read the article before I go the comments. At least some learning is happening.
giraffe_lady 4y ago
Yeah it's always hilarious to me when conversations on here will talk about the effects of social media while clearly not intending to include HN. Just because we have a socially enforced style guide and no infinite scroll doesn't mean it's not social media.

zachrip 4y ago

Adding to the offline thing - I think it's great to find a hobby or sport that you can set goals in outside of your main gig (I'm a programmer, I chose disc golf and indoor skydiving). For me this led to feeling more confident generally, getting exercise/out of the house, and being in a space where I'm the primary learner, not teacher. It can also help enforce routine. IMO routine is even better if it's not the same thing every single day.

bayindirh 4y ago

Doing meditation also helps a lot too.

RobertRoberts 4y ago

Self control, this is really what you are saying. (I agree) And I would add, you just have to start somewhere, it doesn't matter what or how you do it. You just need to start, and get yourself to do something different to really see a difference with yourself. (seems redundant, but your actions have a direct relationship to your life experience)

ChildOfChaos 4y ago

-- Wake up early and try to accomplish something significant before 8am I always hate this piece of advice, if i wake up early, even if I am able to struggle through getting 'something significant done' before 8am i'm going to feel terrible for the rest of the day since i got up early, it's not worth it at all. This advice is nonsense and not universal, yet the same nonsense is constantly repeated. I understand it can work for some, but that is because you are following your own rhythms and really that is what you should be doing and that should be the advice or maybe taking your own advice more generally "Crave out a block of time for yourself dedicated to doing something significant, finding the time that works best for you in your schedule'

wengo314 4y ago
to me it's totally worth it. morning hours are very quiet. i usually do my daily flashcards session during that time. and sometimes a small workout as well. if you feel terrible waking up that early - go to bed earlier as well. you need that sleep.
- Dobbs 4y ago
  Some people find early hours to be very productive, some people find noon hours to be really productive, and finally some people find evening hours to be really productive. What works for you won't necessarily work for everyone else and pretending otherwise is harmful to all who don't fit your life/body/etc.
- ChildOfChaos 4y ago
  Personally I always don't feel great in the mornings, I usually need a few hours to fully wake up and function and I don't like going to bed early, why should I? Those hours are my quiet hours and are the hours that I like. I get it though, it's what works for you. So you should do that, but it's not universal advice, people that find it works just think others should go to bed earlier and follow what they do and poof! like magic everything is amazing
  - abhaynayar 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

krnlpnc 4y ago

> Wake up early and try to accomplish something significant before 8am I'm guessing you don't have young children?

jbjbjbjb 4y ago
For some reason just getting the kids ready, lunch packed and at school on time is a monumental achievement.

NylaTheWolf 4y ago

These are some pretty harsh restrictions. No using the internet for more than 20 minutes a day unless it's work related? Only playing video games for an hour or two per week? This feels like it'd set OP up to burn out...You can't even have a meaningful conversation with someone in 20 minutes. It may work for you but it's not going to work for everyone. Besides, sometimes when you're sad or tired or just need a break, you just want to relax and do something more mindless. And even video games aren't just "mindless" entertainment. What if you want to take a break in between work?

tjr 4y ago
It does seem harsh compared to my recent reality. But I remember my internet usage in the 1990s... going to a library and signing up for a 30-minute slot to use the internet... or later using the internet from home, but only for a few minutes at a time lest I block the telephone line too much... While definitely a shift from what I do today, maybe going back to that style of internet usage would not, in fact, be so intolerable!
BeetleB 4y ago
> Besides, sometimes when you're sad or tired or just need a break, you just want to relax and do something more mindless. There are plenty of options beyond social media. Take a walk. Do some hobby, read something physical, etc. The issue with social media is that compared to most alternatives, it's easier to lose track of time, and easier to get addicted. Not sure how old you are, but as another commenter pointed out, many of us spent a good chunk of our life - even adult life - without constant-on Internet. The quality of life was not at all worse.
pmoriarty 4y ago
"No using the internet for more than 20 minutes a day unless it's work related? Only playing video games for an hour or two per week? This feels like it'd set OP up to burn out..." The internet and video games didn't even exist for almost all of human history, and people didn't burn out merely for lack of access to them. Unplug and enjoy the world.

Bedon292 4y ago

While I don't do only 20 minutes. I found that setting the digital wellbeing setting on my phone really helped. Focus mode during the day time on weekdays, to prevent stuff while trying to be productive. And timers on a few apps. I used to scroll through far too much twitter, but putting an hour cap on my phone helped with that a lot. It helped break the habit, and depending on what is happening in the world, I may not even hit the cap many days.

nop_slide 4y ago

> -- Limit video game use to one or two hours per week I was doing really good with all of these until Elden Ring came out. Now my side project hasn't seen a commit in a few weeks :)

lawwantsin17 4y ago

Buttons840 4y ago

> Limit video game use to one or two hours per week I would feel more focused and productive than usual if I spent a day on a video game. Games are usually focused time, whereas social media is a low level misery but not being able to stop, hoping between sites, looking for something entertaining but not finding it. Deliberately act. If someone casually asks "whatcha doing?", you should never answer "nothing". Deliberately playing a game isn't doing nothing, taking a nap isn't doing nothing. Social media isn't necessarily doing nothing, but for me it usually is. Ask yourself, did I decide to do this? What is my goal? If your goal is passing time, stop.

synicalx 4y ago

I sort of disagree on two things; 1. Video games, in moderation can be beneficial for focus in much the same way reading a book can. You have to concentrate on a single task for an extended period of time, and lack of concentration is often punished. Obviously playing for 8 hours a day is a problem, but an hour or two here and there is nothing to worry about. 2. I'm a morning person, so getting up early and doing something useful before 8am totally works for me. But a lot of people just can't function that early or don't have the luxury of being able to get up that early (shift workers, for example). I'd suggest instead of targeting 8am specifically, just target the first wakeful hour of your day as the time to get something done by. If that's 8am - great, if that's 6pm - that's cool to.