Hi I’m 17. I’ve always be addicted to my phone brought it everywhere with me, on it to the time I wake up till I go to bed.

I want to change my ways. The thing is I am a people pleaser and I don’t want to upset others so I have to answer them when I see the notification and my grandad says I spend too long on the phone to my boyfriend for a example. He said I was on there for three hours and he said I should be on there for 20 minutes a day.

How should I prioritise myself.. I’m struggling what to do because me and my boyfriend are long distance so it’s crucial to have communication and im serious about my future and I want to stop my phone addiction and everything.

If anyone could give me advice I would strongly appreciate it..

Thank you, Angel

I recently completed reading the 7 habits book and liked the system it introduces, and was wondering if there is an iOS app (preferably with a web interface option) for that, thanks in advance 🙏

And suddenly, *poof*, i'm immediately a distracted mess.
Can't really do much work while running or in the shower.

This is unsustainable.

So my question might not be right for this sub but I am really curious about it as I am struggling with this right now.

I stay focused most of the time throughout my day but at times particularly weekends, I just cannot be productive and am just always turned on and that takes away almost all my time and energy too. I then see soo many incredibly successful people like Albert Einstein or Ganges Khan or so many kinds and emperors and business men who despite this continue to achieve greatness. Doesn't the sexual urge become a Hindrance?

Hi, so I decided to quit smoking, but still I will allow to smoke 1-2 if I am out and crave one. Does the nicotine withdrawal happen again if I smoke once a month? I have quit for 2 days, been smoking for approx a year, half a pack a day. The withdrawal is not the bad, just some dizziness and headache, but I dont want to go through it again.

I don’t have any medical issues, and I’m not sick or anything like that.

I sleep well, usually 8-9 hours a night, work out at the gym twice a week, do 40 minutes of cardio daily, eat healthy (with just 2 cheat meals a week), and avoid overstimulating my brain with stuff like TikTok, shorts, news, or TV.

I work for 4 hours (tracked) and take breaks after each hour.

But after about 4 hours (or 5-5.5 hours with breaks), my brain starts feeling fried.

During this time, I also drink 2 coffees.

I’d like to work 6-8 hours a day (real, focused work and tracked).

Has anyone else dealt with this problem?

Or found a solution?

I know some people take Xanax or other drugs, but I’m not interested in that.

Hi, I am a person with ADHD who has struggled to stay focused and productive throughout my life, and I'd like to share one trick i've used to prevent myself from going onto distracting sites on my computer. This is a bit of an extreme method so its mostly for people who struggle with self control like me.

What you need to do is go into the file that redirects internet requests into your computer (for macbook, type sudo nano /etc/hosts in your terminal). There you will see a list of website links. you can insert the following: 127.0.0.1 distractingwebsite.com (insert your website there).

What this does is it tells your computer to redirect you to the default homepage whenever you try to access that site. This is especially good for people who often find themselves pausing their google extensions or using different browsers as it will fully prevent you from using that website on any browser. This might not be for everyone, but for me, it has helped massively so i just wanted to share it :) (i especially use it for youtube)

What are the best noise canceling headphones. Just the best. Price doesn’t matter. It is for sleeping In a noisy place.

I'm looking simple yet effective system. Any specific template or concept or any advice.

Hello everyone, I'm sorry if the form and the terminology of this post will be absolute ass, but I've never really resorted to asking this sort of question, especially in the English language. I'm not sure how common this type of issue is; therefore, I'm sorry if it's the gazillionth time that it's been addressed. Anyway, thank you for your attention.

I'm a young university student who has been struggling with being productive when there's no "immediate reward." I don't have any problem whatsoever being productive if, at the same time, I could be wasting my time playing some games or hanging out with friends, but as soon as all of my "sources of entertainment" disappear, I instantly lose all of my spirit. (I know that the term "source of entertainment" sounds pretty dehumanizing as a concept, but it's really just a way to group everything together without needing to be extra specific.)

I know it may sound paradoxical, but if, let's say, I woke up on the day a new DLC dropped for my favorite game and I planned on playing it for 15 hours straight, after 3 or 4 hours I would automatically stop and do something productive instead, such as studying or playing some music, maybe cleaning my room, idk. On the other hand, if I could dedicate the whole day to being productive because I'm lacking sources of entertainment, then I'd certainly spend my whole day on TikTok or YouTube.

I'm aware of the fact that not every day can be a banger; I'm not trying to go against nature, but this problem becomes extremely serious throughout periods like these. Throughout the year, I've taken all the possible exams but two (which, btw, are not necessary to get into the 2nd year, so I'm not throwing a whole year away because of this), and I was planning on preparing them during August and taking them in September. As you can probably predict, due to the absolute emptiness that my summer has been thus far (since around mid-July), I'm yet to start preparing for either of the exams, and I came to the conclusion that I will simply not take them to, at least, enjoy September, in which my sources of entertainment will be back.

I've spent countless days and nights trying to figure out a solution, but the problem bests me every single time (it's realistically been a problem since I remember; summer is always a total nightmare because of this). The fact that I work all year to spend what should technically be the best part of the year rotting in bed really crushes my mind, and this just cannot keep going. (I would also love to know if this problem is a well-known issue with a proper name.)

Thank you for reading the whole thing.

Hello. Can you share some tools or ways for blocking programs (games), websites? I would like to block them for a certain period of time so that it would be VERY HARD to access them during this time.

It’s mid-August and recently in Southern Rhode Island, the days have been cooling down and we’re getting some rain.

I find myself waking up earlier, going to bed at a more reasonable time, wanting to go on long runs, read, put more energy back into my career and make the house cozy. I’m overall happier when fall approaches and cold weather kicks in. I love the feeling of bundling up, being slightly too cold, the quietness of everything – people calm down more and I can move faster around them.

When we’re not doing summer things, I just want to relax with my feet up on the couch and be lazy. I work from home and need WAY more coffee to stay focused. I end up sweating a bunch and just being overheated and feeling overworked at the end of the day. But when it’s cooler and grey I need less to stay sharp and don’t feel burnt out after work.

Does anyone else get this boost of energy with the small hints of fall? It’s like with cooler, grey days I can put a warm light on and focus better. I have no idea how to make sense of it.

My name is Annabelle_Sunshine and I'm an internet addict!

I spend too much time on Reddit, YouTube and mobile games. I used Stayfree and find it good. The problem is that there are 2-3 channels on YouTube that I find genuinely useful.

Are there app/website blockers where you can block an entire website (like YouTube) expcept a couple of pages/channel?

I won't dive into the usual issues like procrastination or laziness—those are just the typical hurdles. Instead, I'll share a plan I've come up with. I haven't started it yet, so I can't guarantee its success, but it might be useful to someone else. I am sure that it will help me improve a lot if I stick with it. So, here it is.

- Goal

Your goal needs to be clear and specific. Here's mine:

"I want to earn at least $1000 per month from writing, starting from November."

To make a goal specific:

• Make it measurable: "earn at least $1000 per month."
• Define the method: "from writing."
• Set a time frame: "starting from November."

From today onward, I'll focus on working towards the November goal. This means building a stockpile of chapters and creating a following, as I’ll need these elements to start earning in November.

To achieve this, I need to prioritize the following:

1. Cut out distractions.
2. Ensure good sleep.
3. Eat healthily.
4. Stay physically active.
5. Develop a habit of writing daily and consistently.

- Cutting Out Distractions

First, you need to identify your distractions and then take steps to eliminate them from your life. Here are some common distractions and the free methods I will use to tackle them:

1. Website Blocking on laptop:
   • I use the LeechBlock NG extension in my browser to block distracting sites. I set the time limit to 1000 hours. While the extension can be disabled, I trust that I won’t do that, and the block will serve as a reminder to me in case I search them.
2. Discord:
   • Discord is a major distraction for me on the laptop, and the only social media distraction. Although I haven't found a free tool to block or hide it, I’ve taken a few steps: I’ve unpinned the app from the taskbar and deleted the desktop shortcut. If you know of any free solutions to block or hide Discord, please let me know! I haven’t uninstalled it because I plan to use it for a "cheat day," which I'll explain later. Edit: I got cold turkey to block discord. Alongside the above steps obviously. These 'safety measures' should be enough.
3. Mobile Distractions:
   • On Android, I use the built-in Digital Wellbeing settings to block access to Discord and a few other manga apps.
4. Adult Content Filtering on mobile:
   • I found a game-changing solution for blocking adult sites. Go to your phone's settings, search for "Private DNS," and add the address: adult-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org. If someone thinks this is unsafe then do let me know, so far it works like a charm.
5. Do Not Disturb Mode:
   • I always enable Do Not Disturb mode on my mobile to avoid interruptions.

These steps should help reduce distractions, but it's important to recognize that they can be bypassed easily. What you really need is commitment. These tools are just reminders and aids; their effectiveness relies on your dedication. I believe they’ll work for me because I understand my own tendencies, and I hope they will be helpful for you as well. Remember, think about the positive changes you can achieve if you stay committed and continue working towards your goal. The effort you put in can transform your life for the better.

- Good Sleep, Healthy Eating, and Staying Physically Active

Good Sleep

I don’t have much advice here since my sleep pattern has always been good. I aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night, which works well for me. If you have trouble with sleep, consider establishing a regular sleep schedule and creating a restful environment.

Healthy Eating

I don’t have specific tips for healthy eating because I don't have strong food preferences—my diet is pretty standard. However, it’s important to avoid junk food, sugary drinks, and alcohol. If you’re struggling with alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs, I don’t have personal experience with these issues, but seeking professional help or support groups could be beneficial.

Staying Physically Active

Staying active is essential. If you can join a gym, that’s great. If not, you can do bodyweight exercises at home. For more ideas, check out my 'Daily Plan' for inspiration.

- Cheat Day, Point System, and My Daily Plan

Before I dive into my daily plan, I want to talk about the concept of a "cheat day." I believe having a "cheat day" can be incredibly helpful for maintaining consistent productivity over the long term. To manage this, I’ve devised a point system.

The week will be divided into six working days and one rest day or "cheat day".

How It Works:

• Productivity Points: Each day, I plan to be productive for a set number of hours—let's say 10 hours. For every productive hour, I’ll earn a point. I’ll track these points in a notepad or physical notebook and note the total at the end of each day. By comparing daily totals, I can assess my progress and identify any areas for improvement. Here journaling will help a lot!
• Earning Stars: If I manage to accumulate 6 or more points in a day, I’ll award myself a star. The goal is to earn up to 6 stars by the end of the week. These stars become my "currency" for cheat day.
• Cheat Day Rewards: Each star allows me to indulge in something I’ve craved during the week. For example:
  1. 1 star = 1 hour of rewatching Gintama :)
  2. 1 star = 1 hour of reading a fantasy fiction book (since I tend to get absorbed in reading, I reserve this for cheat day).
  3. 1 star = Maybe a pizza?

On cheat day, I can use my stars to enjoy up to 6 hours of “time-wasting” activities. The rest of the day remains free for productive work, allowing me to "cheat" the cheat day by getting ahead on my goals.

Alright, here’s my daily plan.

First off, I’m going to try to stick to a fixed sleep schedule. I usually get 7-8 hours of sleep, but the timing is all over the place. The goal is to wake up between 5:30 and 6 AM.

Morning Routine:

• No phone first thing: Even if I have to stop the alarm, I’ll put it right back down. Ideally, I want to get to a point where I don’t even need an alarm. That’s the dream.
• The plan: Drink a lot of water, freshen up, do a quick stretch (literally just a minute to loosen up), eat something light, and get straight to writing. The idea is to start being productive as soon as possible without adding too many steps beforehand.
• Writing time: Write for at least 2 hours using pomodoro.
• Shower time: After writing, take a shower.
• Breakfast: Fuel up for more work.

Productive Blocks with Breaks:

• Get back to writing or dive into another productive task.
• Take a 10-minute break to stretch, meditate, do some eye exercises, or go for a walk. I might read the newspaper if I haven’t already.
• Rinse and repeat with more productivity.
• Around lunchtime, I’ll take a break, eat, and go for a walk with some good music (inside if it’s too hot). Stay hydrated all day, that’s key.

Afternoon & Evening:

• Back to work after the walk.
• In the evening, I’ll do some bodyweight exercises and maybe jump rope since I can’t hit the gym right now.
• Before dinner, I’ll either write in my journal or do some more work if I’m feeling it.

End of Day:

• After dinner, I’ll go for a walk outside now that it’s cooler.
• Before bed, I’ll read a physical non-fiction book or write in my journal if I haven’t already. Maybe plan the next day too.

A few things to note:

• I’ve got the whole day free because I just finished university and don’t have a job yet, so I need to make the most of this time.
• The routine is a simple work-rest-work cycle, but the “rest” part is key—no devices except for music. It’s all about walking, exercising, stretching, eating, meditating, reading a newspaper or book—just staying active.

If I stick to this six days a week, I can really enjoy my cheat day, whether that’s watching Gintama, catching up with college friends, or bragging about my word count to my Discord buddies.

I spent way more time writing this than I planned, but I hope it helps someone out there. And hey, if you’ve got any suggestions for improving this, I’m all ears!

uys i will be turning 34 next month and i feel like i am lost in life. I am married with minimal job. Me and and my wife are planning kids but i still feel like i am not ready. I know what i have ot do but just dont do it. I have changed my lige and i am not lazy like i was used to but still it is not enough. I am trying to be discipline in life but sometimes it takes so much time to do task from my point. I deleted facebook, instagram etc and only have youtube but i am still not focused in life. I feel like i am lost and wont be able to do nothing in the future.

1. How do I manage time effectively?
2. I write daily tasks on my Google tasks app but I can't complete it . Suggestion needed how do I complete a task which I start?

I fall asleep at 5 am and wake up at 11 am. Just please dont type things like "move your beds to the site" or "listen to relaxing music". Every time i tried not sleeping trough the night so i would reset my " sleep clock" i ended up falling asleep and when i tried to set my alarm clock i would just not wake up. I had like 5 alarms and none of them woke me up. Please, im out of ideas and im so tired of it.

Hi guys, lately i notice something weird in my behavior with my coworker, when someone explain a topic for me, my brain zone out , and im just waiting him to finish his explanation to start over and understand it by myself i feel that i develop a habit of self learning till it block me from learning from other any solution for this

So I went into a long thought since yesterday about why I work so hard to improve in games but not in real life. I found multiple reasons and one thing led to another, and finally I concluded that in my case it all comes down to the fact that in games I somehow celebrate small wins, i.e., if I'm playing BGMI (formerly PUBG, which is a shooter game) and I kill an opponent, that itself feels like success, or maybe if I make it to the top 3 in a match (which lasts about half an hour), that feels like success. The thing is, because of this mindset I allow myself to feel happy about these small successes. But on the other hand when it comes to real life work, I can't get myself to feel happy every 30-60 minutes of studying for example, because it feels like there was no difference in my life whatsoever because of that. But in reality, there's lesser difference in my life if I win a BGMI match, but that still somehow makes me feel happier, whereas learning something new doesn't because I start evaluating the purpose and future use of it. How do I change this mindset so that I can enjoy working hard in work in a similar way as in games?

I’m actually so desperate at this point. I have been struggling with this for over a year and I do not know what to do. It’s waking up early. When I do wake up early it’s honestly life changing my days are a million times more productive and it’s great. But I rarely do. For the past year I’ve tried every trick you can think of. Sun rise lamp, heater, drinking water, phone and alarm across the room, phone and alarm across the house. Nothing works. Last night i literally woke up at 5 am turned on the heater went back to sleep woke up at 6 tuned the alarm off went downstairs and turned the alarm off I had down there went back upstairs turned the heater off and went back to sleep which it took me 20 min to fall back asleep. And I was fully awake and conscious the whole time. It’s not a matter of if I’m getting enough sleep I’m getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night it’s just a willpower/discipline issue. Every night i always feel like I’m gonna get up early I always have a great mentality and then once that alarms goes off it’s like I’m a whole different person and I don’t think rationally at all. And “just get in the shower” or “just drink a glass of water” Ive tried those things. Literally had a glass of water on top of my alarm and I just moved it and turned it off. I put my alarm in my shower and just tuned it off. I’ve taped pieces of paper on my alarm and to the door out of my room telling myself why I should get up and writing stuff on the paper to motivate myself to get up. And nothing works. I’ve run out of stuff to do. At this point I need something I’m forced to do no matter what or it will have consequences to get up. Cause I can easily get up for school or something but when it comes to myself there’s no way.

Hi everyone!

I've looked through a lot of different focus apps like Forest, Flow, Study Bunny, Yeolpumta, etc, and while I do really enjoy using them, I don't think having to use them with my phone or iPad is good for concentration.

I want an app or site for PC (preferably free or a one time purchase) that has a timer and a way to tag sessions (by subject), and then view study reports from past days/weeks/months/year.

I'm having a hard time finding a good one, I know of Pomodoro Timer but it only lets you tag stuff by a todo task instead of a subject, and it's a monthly subscription for certain features. Would love to hear if you guys have any suggestions, thank you!

Does anyone have any tips for fixing my sleep schedule? School starts on the 26th, and I have to wake up at 6 in the morning. Throughout the summer, I've been going to sleep at 2-4 a.m. and waking up early in the afternoon. I want to be able to get 8-10 hours of sleep so I can have enough energy for school.

My job requires me to pretty much be available to employees and managers constantly. Having my office door shut is typically frowned upon. A big part of my job is answering questions - simple things like helping employees change passwords, print paystubs, payroll questions - but the interruptions are frequent and can take upwards of 15 minutes.

How can I stay productive with my own work, while managing everyone else’s needs as well? I’ve committed to having my office door shut for 1 hours a day for focused work but I’m struggling with a good method for keeping track of my tasks. I’m a notepad/to do list person, I just need a good system.

So over the summer, almost everyday I had the chance to make music it was because I had nothing planned. But I felt right away that I had pretty much no urge to make music those days, but did at night on the ones where I was doing something for most of the day. Plus, school just started and I have wanted to make beats after every day I’ve had so far, but today when I don’t have school, I haven’t felt it. The main problem is that I found that only 5 songs I’ve ever released (I have 32 total) were made on a day where I didn’t do anything else that day. So, I was seeing why this would be happening and how I can make myself want to make music on days like that, or good things I can be doing during the day to want to make music

This is probably one of my biggest issues: staying consistent.

I'm great at making plans, but man is my consistency a problem.

I've tried it all:

⛔️ A day planner

⛔️ A bullet journal

⛔️ A virtual planner

⛔️ Setting different alarms

⛔️ Trello, Asana, Monday, and other software

⛔️ Pomodoro

None of these have worked at keeping me focused and consistent.

It sounds like a ridiculous excuse, and I feel ridiculous about it because I've always believed if you care, you do the things.

I ask myself sometimes if I'm broken or my brain doesn't work. I don't know if I need a different tool or counselling help (already in counselling for trauma, anxiety, and depression).

Any advice or tips appreciated.

I feel like my mornings heavily show what the rest of my day in gonna be like. Like if I have a super productive morning I’m gonna have a super productive day or if I have a really lazy morning I have a really lazy day.

I've just been in the situation, and I KNOW my way doesn't work. So, I'm curious, what do normal, successful, productive people do in situations like this? It's very specific, because I'm curious about what exactly happens between this type of incident and getting it done.

I'm watching a movie, and I get a text message: “Is someone following up on next week’s event so that this morning’s debacle doesn’t happen again?”

Here's what I do: My thoughts immediately multiplied like mice in a science experiment. Is someone? Are you asking me? Why me? Why not you? Or James? Why does everyone always ask me? I already have thousands of things to do. What do I need to do? Who do I need to talk to….

And then I stopped myself. I don’t need to answer right now. I can watch the rest of this video. I put my phone down and concentrate on the video. Here’s what will happen next though. I’ll forget that text message. It won’t exist until he texts again and says, “Did you get my message?”. My heart will sink, and my inner critic will start her monologue about how useless I am, how pathetic not to remember something for three minutes, how unreliable, and can you not JUST GET YOUR STUFF TOGETHER???

What’s the neurotypical’s answer to this? I know they can single task. I know they don’t forget text messages. I know they too have thousands of things to do. I assume they have inner critics. What is it that you do differently?

good afternoon everyone

I have recently realized that I am in dire need of a better personal organization/time management system, mainly for my school assignments. I am looking for an app or program that has a planner and a to do list that syncs across multiple platforms (eg; phone, computer, even a server maybe)
I do not mind if it costs money, although preferably I want something open source.

thanks in advance - carter

I am currently using Skedpal for my task management. I find it very effective, enjoy the app, and it works. However, I find I have to maintain it with manual updates and need to also ensure I am keeping my outline organized as it can be quite complicated.

I looked at motion before but it didnt support task templates which was a big deal. I think now they came out. The other big thing is it doesnt support GTD style capture inbox which I think is a big deal. however, I am wondering if I could just use apple reminders and maybe it wouldnt be such a problem.

Another big factor is I run a business. I am constantly being asked to participate in meetings. Skedpal does not do a great job of holding my calendar. I am curious if motion historically does a better job of that or not to ensure my colleagues dont schedule over my tasks

Curious if anyone has recently bounced between the two and what your thoughts are?