Time management & being distracted by mn/internet!

[Jemster]

I'm trying to become more organised and decluttering is in progress. Trouble is ever since I discovered this site I'm addicted and can't stop looking and reading posts as many are so helpful. Spending too much time on it though.
How much time do you spend online and do you set yourself limits, certain times of day only etc?

To be completely honest I keep coming to the same conclusion every time I take stock of my life - every single area of my life would be much better if I was more disiplined with my internet time, especially this site.

I have tried various things - complete ban (I won't allow myself to come on here), set times (only after DC are in bed), time limits (max 15 mins), rewards (can only come on when I get x, y and z done).

As to how long I spend in a typical day...10-20 mins in the morning before work/school run then 1-2 hours after work off an on (not just MN) and the more at the weekend. I think that would be fine if I was doing everything else I wanted to but I'm not.

I have a 'healthy' relationship with most websites I use e.g. facebook - I will check if I feel like it every few days and won't stay on long. I haven't managed that yet with MN. I have found that if I ban myself for a couple of days then I'm not as interested afterwards but that quickly goes and I am back 'on' it again!

I am going to try a longer ban now. I am hoping it will be completely successful in that I completely lose interested because I have been forced to replace this habit/use of time with something better in that time.

Thank you! I'm OFF!

See this programme called 'Freedom' that restricts your access time.

here

Very popular with authors!

Good luck

I veg out on the net in the evenings while my husband veges out in front of the telly. The good thing is that, unlike telly, I dictate when I'm looking at the screen.

There are programs out there that will block social networking sites or time you out of them. I know one famous author recently said that it's the only ways she'd get any writing done. That's more a thing for people who must use a computer and who get distracted by the 'net.

Other than that, I'd say your best bet is to set a timer for doing chores and then set it again for being online. So, set it for 30 minutes and blitz the kitchen, fold a bit of laundry, and then have a little mumsnet time.

Having a to-do list at the beginning of the day can help if you don't set unrealistic expectations. There's a bit of a buzz from seeing how much you got done.

Personally I have a routine of checking a few of my usual sites for a couple of minutes in the morning just to make sure nothing major has changed then I get on with my day. MN is mostly kept for downtime in the evening. If I'm not mad busy I will check in for a few minutes at a time during the day otherwise I leave it to an evening thing. Like another poster said, it's their equivalent of tv watching (I do both at the same time).

Katy great ideas thanks. I think I may try leaving phone upstairs while I do jobs. Evenings are a good time for me but I find I just have to have a quick peak in the day which turns into a long peak!

Slattern that's what I need to do, save it for the evenings. I must try as I could be getting much more done at home if I didn't keep checking it all the time.

I tend to find it frustrating when nothing much has moved on, so I find by leaving it (my iPad) alone for a while more has happened and therefore more entertaining. (I have a very low threshold of boredom!).

I am back on already - my excuse is that it is a snow day...this is such a bad habit!

I shall check out that time limiter I think.

At one point, I installed LeechBlock on my Mozilla Firefox browser, and it was great. However, it had to be disabled with a subsequent Firefox update, and my time management went to hell again!

Of course, anything of this nature has to block smartphones, too!

When you find the answer let me know please

I've only just joined MN this week and it seems I'm never bloody off it!! I have a check in the morning while DS has his bottle, I tell myself I won't be back on until tea time......that lasts 30 mins glad I'm not the only one with this problem.

Forgot to add, my Internet stopped working the other day and it was amazing the jobs I got done