Ways to keep myself motivated or at least off the internet at work?

Sipex

Okay, I've got a bit of a problem I've been struggling with at work. I surf online more than I should and while I still manage to keep up with my work load I want to nip this before something bites me in the ass.

Now, I've tried cutting forums cold-turkey and it doesn't seem to work as well as I'd like. If I don't consciously make the decision I may space out for a minute and find myself opening a forum a minute later. I've got A.D.D., had it since I was young, so I tend to lose focus if I get lost or confused with work and then find myself surfing forums or doodling in meetings.

Now, short of medication, what can I do to help me curb this habit?

In addition, anyone got any recommendations on what medicated routes I can take to help my A.D.D. for those times where I really really want to listen, I just have trouble concentrating?

Chanus

For the internets problem, you're pretty much just going to have to stop doing it yourself. You're at work, be responsible.

For the medication issue: See a doctor.

TL DR

Leechblock for Firefox

RocketSauce

I haven't been diagnosed ADHD, and I suffer from this as well. So do a lot of my coworkers. I think it has to do more with boredom than anything.

Something that has helped with me is listening to music while I work.

Deebaser

Timothy Leary Come Check Out This Theory wrote: »

Leechblock for Firefox

Wow, that looks awesome and would help me out incredibly. Too bad IT won't let us install firefox. G'damnit!

Sipex

Same here, we have IE.

Well, currently I'll just keep going with cold turkey method, persistance and whatnot.

Also, the A.D.D. thing doesn't hurt my work too much, just the points where I involuntarily space out and realise I'm doing something else. If I could get something like leechblock then this wouldn't be an issue anyways. I'm more concerned about when I WANT to listen and I just can't for the life of me.

edit: I'll bring in my MP3 player tomorrow and see if that helps.

Beltaine

I do the same thing.

Then I go home and do it some more

And it's not the usual Facebook/Myspace/Youtube bullshit. I have a couple of forums I frequent, and they usually send me off on tangents about different subjects.


I'm weak.

Sipex

A deterrant for IE I'm going to attempt.

Anyone watching this thread for solutions may try it too. If it works I won't post here again, if it doesn't work....welll.

Using Notepad or some other text editor, open the file named "hosts", which is located in the following directory:
Windows XP & Vista = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 98\ME = C:\WINDOWS
Add the following on its own line in the hosts file, using the sites that apply to you:
127.0.0.1 metafilter.com flickr.com
Save and quit.

edit: No dice, don't have access to save over the file

Chalkbot

A simple solution to your internet browsing habits is to take on more work. I don't know if that's an option where you work, but I've noticed that it helps me when I fall into a similar habit.

If you do the type of work that just never ends, then try setting personal goals for the amount you get done on a daily basis, and reward yourself for making those goals at the end of the week.

Backstop

I tried that (and leechblock too) but I found I could not keep myself from just going back and taking the sites I wanted off the block-list "just for a minute".

What it comes down to is I think I'm craving conversation and interaction. Maybe if I had more friends and hobbies IRL I would not be looking for entertainment while on the clock.

Kyougu

Podcasts keep my mind occupied, but not enough to distract me from the actual work.

Dr. Frenchenstein

sounds like you need more work, i know i do.

tell your boss that you have a bit of free time and ask if there are any projects that need doing. or try and figure one out and present it to your boss (improve some process or something). that shows initiative and that you aren't trying to bone the company. there is always the possibility that he will say "nope, nothing needs to be worked on except your daily stuff"

My old boss told me to "look busy" and i hated that shit.

Spacemilk

I have the same problem as Sipex, I think, and personally getting more work wouldn't help.

I already have enough work, and I'm getting it all done on time, but I could be doing it faster/better if I too didn't post on these forums like crazy.

It's more like... I'll space out, come back and think "eh, lost my spot with what I was working on, might as well take a break" and then the break turns into 30 minutes of forum/Internet browsing. It's like I'll take a break to read about something for 5 minutes, so then I get excited about it and want to read related articles or the Wikipedia article about it... before I know it I've wasted a ton of time learning about something new and I haven't done any work.

It's really a self-control issue. That's what it boils down to. Anything that can help that - whether it's mental aids, self-rewards (hasn't worked for me but maybe Sipex?), or the addon stuff - is what is needed.

The FF addon would be bee-yoo-ti-ful if my company let us run FF. (and even if they did that, they probably wouldn't allow addons) We use IE6, bleargh.

MoSiAc

Dr. Frenchenstein wrote: »

sounds like you need more work, i know i do.

tell your boss that you have a bit of free time and ask if there are any projects that need doing. or try and figure one out and present it to your boss (improve some process or something). that shows initiative and that you aren't trying to bone the company. there is always the possibility that he will say "nope, nothing needs to be worked on except your daily stuff"

My old boss told me to "look busy" and i hated that shit.

I'm stuck in this exact same issue right now. I've come up with stuff to do at work but it's all pretty much up to date now and I'm back at square one with no projects and we haven't even had a staff meeting in six months....

Usually what I try to do is find things that I can study so I can do my job better, but I also need to always have the internet on to do my job, so I can't just turn it off.

DragonPup

Books help.

Stabbity Style

Yeah, I'd recommend audiobooks or podcasts (This American Life is always good). It'll keep your mind occupied while you work.

Willeth

Podcasts are also my solution. If you're craving discussion, that's pretty much exactly what you want.

John Matrix

Wow, that leech is great, I removed everything but pvponline and penny arcade.

Enc

I too had this trouble when I started my current post, and it occasionally creeps up on me still.

Here's how I solved it:

I realized that as a chronic procrastinator and internet browser, I needed to set some firm rules for myself in order to be able to get my work done. The first of these, and the most important, was the ten minute rule: Every hour, on the hour, I can spend ten minutes trolling forums or reading online. Once that ten minutes is done, I would stop and do all the work I had until I ran out or the next hour passed.

The second concerns this, being get everything done as soon as possible so that trolling forums and the like is not a detriment to your behavior. I make a habit of doing every possible bit of work I can possibly think of as soon as possible, and as such I have an incredibly huge amount of dead time and I'm considered to be great at my job because of it. It's not at all for posterity's sake, but so that I can have as much downtime as possible without the annoying stress of missed deadlines and such.

For high stress times, those big months at the end of the fiscal year or when work is coming in particularly heavily, I rely on the first rule more than ever, and often short it down to just five minutes each hour.

Another consideration is a seconding of music. I stream a different music station to my office (and to a single earbud when I was in cubicles) each day. Well, its really just 5 repeated each week, but all of them are types of soft and upbeat jazz, electriconica, or ambient. Nothing so distracting that you'll focus on it over your work, but all with enough energy to keep you focused and make the time pass more quickly.

Do these two things and I think you'll be able to continue foruming without the worry of missing things.

Sipex

Enc wrote: »

I too had this trouble when I started my current post, and it occasionally creeps up on me still.

Here's how I solved it:

I realized that as a chronic procrastinator and internet browser, I needed to set some firm rules for myself in order to be able to get my work done. The first of these, and the most important, was the ten minute rule: Every hour, on the hour, I can spend ten minutes trolling forums or reading online. Once that ten minutes is done, I would stop and do all the work I had until I ran out or the next hour passed.

The second concerns this, being get everything done as soon as possible so that trolling forums and the like is not a detriment to your behavior. I make a habit of doing every possible bit of work I can possibly think of as soon as possible, and as such I have an incredibly huge amount of dead time and I'm considered to be great at my job because of it. It's not at all for posterity's sake, but so that I can have as much downtime as possible without the annoying stress of missed deadlines and such.

For high stress times, those big months at the end of the fiscal year or when work is coming in particularly heavily, I rely on the first rule more than ever, and often short it down to just five minutes each hour.

Another consideration is a seconding of music. I stream a different music station to my office (and to a single earbud when I was in cubicles) each day. Well, its really just 5 repeated each week, but all of them are types of soft and upbeat jazz, electriconica, or ambient. Nothing so distracting that you'll focus on it over your work, but all with enough energy to keep you focused and make the time pass more quickly.

Do these two things and I think you'll be able to continue foruming without the worry of missing things.

This, I like this.

I'll put myself on the Enc plan.

Beltaine

My problem is I do Tech Support/Network/Server Admin.

There's a lot of hurry-up-and-wait when you're working on systems. Usually during the "wait" part, I turn to the next machine, or fire up the browser while what I'm working on finishes in the background. Then I just get carried away.

Sipex

So far enc's idea is working. I worked a full hour without getting distracted because I knew I could come on for 10 mins at the end. Thanks!

Namel3ss

Sipex wrote: »

So far enc's idea is working. I worked a full hour without getting distracted because I knew I could come on for 10 mins at the end. Thanks!

I am going to try this as well.

darkmayo

ugh I know this feeling quite well, when I am bored and not challenged I surf. Thankfully my stint at this site is almost done and I will move off back to stuff I enjoy.

Sipex

And another almost full hour. I finished my current project though and leave in 10 mins so I didn't think it was prudent to start something new now.

Enc

I'm glad it helps you.

Zombie Hero

I have this problem too. Lately it seems when i actually start to focus on work, i start falling asleep. It's pretty terrible. I'm a grad student, so it isn't like i can get fired, but i will never graduate at this pace.

I will also try the Enc method, and see if it works.