I was once so addicted to computer solitaire and Minesweeper that I uninstalled them from my desktop and laptop, along with every other game that came with Microsoft Windows.
I’m in the same boat with game apps for my phone. I’ve never played Angry Birds, Words with Friends or Candy Crush Saga – because I knew if I started, my workdays would be shot.
It’s harder to avoid goofing off on social media. Because I write about how people and companies use social networks to find work and advertise job openings, I can’t just shut off Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, especially during the day.
Some people have enough self-discipline to avoid cyberloafing. But if you’re like me, you may need some outside assistance. Here are some apps and strategies that have helped me and others avoid digital distractions:
Block websites you use to goof off with
I swear by StayFocusd. The free browser extension for Chrome lets me block Facebook and other time-wasting websites by time of day, day of the week or both.
I’ve adjusted the settings so on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. I give myself a total of 15 minutes on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, BuzzFeed, and my other top time wasters.
If time runs out while I’m on one of my blacklisted sites, a message takes over the screen that says: “Shouldn’t You Be Working?”
I give myself unrestricted access after work and on weekends because a girl’s gotta have a little fun, right?
Similar website blockers and timers include:
• Freedom, which blocks your Internet connection for the amount of time you tell it to (Mac, Windows and Android versions available; $10)
• Anti-Social, which blocks social media sites (Mac and Windows; $15 by itself or $20 with Freedom)
• SelfControl, which blocks access to email as well as websites (Mac only; free).
Set a timer
I know self-employed and home-based workers who use a timer to work a certain number of uninterrupted minutes or hours.
Once they have, they treat themselves to a brief interlude of checking email, Facebook or Instagram before resetting the timer for more work.
The Pomodoro Technique takes the timer system to a whole new level. The technique, which dates to the 1980s, divides any kind of work into 25-minute chunks with 5-minute breaks in between.
A Pomodoro book and courses explain more – and the website sells a cute red tomato timer (“pomodoro” means tomato in Italian). Get more tips on the Pomodoro blog.
Disable alerts and notifications
What you don’t see or hear can’t distract you.
Adjust the settings on email, social media accounts and phone apps so you don’t get pinged, beeped or digitally prodded when new mail hits your inbox or someone “likes” or comments on something you posted to Facebook or Twitter.
Instructions:
• Facebook: Click on the small arrow at the top right of the main screen to open a drop-down menu.
Select “Settings” and “Notifications” to turn off sounds and other notifications on the Facebook website, mobile app and text programs.
• Twitter: Click on your account image at the top right of Twitter’s main screen to open the “Profile and Settings” drop-down menu.
Click “Settings” and use “Mobile,” “Email notifications” and “Web notifications” to adjust when and how you want to be alerted if people retweet, favorite your tweets or send you direct messages.
• Gmail: Use the “Settings” icon on the upper right side of the main screen to open a drop-down menu.
Select “Settings,” then find “Desktop Notifications” and select “Mail notifications off” to stop getting alerts.
• Outlook: From the main screen, go to “File,” then choose “Options,” “Mail” and “Message Arrival.”
To turn off notifications, uncheck the boxes for “Play a sound” and “Display a desktop alert.”
Work away from the Internet
Another way to avoid digital distractions is to step away from electronic devices altogether.
Author Barbara Kingsolver, whose books include “Flight Behavior,” “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” and other bestsellers, works in an upstairs room in her farmhouse in southern Appalachia on a computer that’s not connected to the Internet.
“I check email elsewhere in the house,” Kingsolver wrote in an FAQ on her website. “My companions in this room are the likes of Virginia Woolf and George Eliot, who peer down at me from the shelves, and a blue fish named Bruno. They are all very quiet.”
You may not own a secluded farmhouse, but perhaps you can persuade your boss to get the Offline Chair – an upholstered office chair with high sides and back designed to cut out noise and a built-in phone pocket that blocks mobile and Wi-Fi signals.
“This allows the user to get a moment of quietness without constantly hearing the sound of a ringing phone,” wrote the chair’s Polish designer, Agata Nowak.
Do a reality check
What’s that? You don’t think you spend that much time loafing online?
Here’s how to check: Install the free RescueTime app to track exactly how much of the day you’re idling on websites, social media and software applications.
The app compiles the data into a weekly email report and even assigns you a productivity score.
You can use it to set goals (“I’ll give myself two hours to write this report”) or create alerts (“Buzz me if I’ve been on Pinterest for more than 60 minutes”).
Read more: eight easy ways to boost your productivity.
Michelle V. Rafter specializes in covering jobs and employment issues. Send your questions about job hunting, careers or workplace issues to her at michellerafter@comcast.net or find her on Twitter @MichelleRafter.
