We’re obsessed. Stuck in a one-sided relationship with the web. We could be focused somewhere else, yet we can’t get it out of our minds.
“Did anyone comment on what I shared?”
“Oh, that looks interesting. I’ll just read this one article… “
“LOL, that was hilarious. I gotta share that now.”
We are in madly in love with distracting ourselves.
Take Instagram for example. First, we “Like” a friend’s Friday night post. Second, we check to see if it got any Likes or comments. Third, we tell ourselves, “Oh I’ll check my feed, just for a second…”
However, the obstacle isn’t social media itself, rather the result of social media – Black Hole Browsing.
Black Hole Browsing is the 21st century’s most compelling psychological addiction that no one is talking about (probably because I just made up the name). It’s the internet’s plague, sucking the productivity from our minds and into Facebook newsfeeds through its merciless cycle.
Next thing we know, we’re 45 minutes lost in the cycle. What a nightmare. But good news. The cycle can be stopped. And no, it doesn’t rely on willpower (cuz we all know how well that works).
Rather, a FREE tool, which can be set up in 30 seconds.
Meet StayFocusd – the website-blocking Google Chrome extension. StayFocusd blocks distracting websites after a set amount of time, breaking the Black Hole Browsing cycle entirely. After the daily clock expires, I get this beautiful message:
After downloading StayFocusd from the Chrome store, it can be set up in three easy steps.
Step 1: Write down all websites that distract you.
Websites that distract me most, causing Black Hole Browsing, are Facebook, Twitter, Lululemon, Shoefab, etc.
Step 2: Set maximum time allowed for all websites each day.
I set my maximum time allowed to 10 minutes per day, which blocks all websites listed. This forces me to move quickly when through the “distracting” websites. If something looks intriguing, I’ll save to Pocket for later.
10 minutes too little? Cool. Work your way down. Start at an hour. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is you start somewhere.
Step 3: Set active days and hours websites are blocked.
I block web pages every day of the week, for all hours.
Why? I don’t want to waste any of my life mindlessly browsing online, not merely weekday business hours.
Studying for the boards, the school exams, or just accomplishing your goals in life requires discipline. Good news is tools such as Stayfocusd can help for FREE.
Ask me any question! I am extremely passionate about dental assisting education and efficiency. It is my mission to make all SmarterDA Dental Assisting National Board® Examination takers to become successful, so reach out to me. If I don’t have an answer right now, we will find it together!
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Author: Claire RDH, MS
Claire is the founder of StudentRDH and SmarterDA – exams prep solutions for the dental hygiene and dental assisting students. The online solutions deliver content of the highest quality through the latest e-learning technology. According to some students, studying is now “addictive!” Prior to her career in the dental field, Claire Jeong was an education specialist at Boston Children’s Museum. Claire is licensed to practice in the United States as well as Canada. She provides personalized mentorship and can be reached at ClaireJ@SmarterDA.com and support@SmarterDA.com.
Disclaimer: DANB®, is a registered trademarks of the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (“DANB”). This article is not sponsored or endorsed by or affiliated with the DANB.