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Comment by kortex | Hacker News Reader

"Trivial inconveniences" are a big hurdle when trying to build a habit, but are a great tool for breaking bad ones. Anything you can do to break the dopamine loop helps, however small it may be. I've had success with:

- setting long passwords to social media that aren't autofilled (saved in bitwarden) and logging out after each session

- nerfing addicting parts of webapps (plugins which block the facebook news feed but allow messaging/groups helped a TON)

- forbidding dedicated social media apps and only using "worse" internet sites

- router DNS blockers, even if I can get around them, the act of having to bypass it raises my awareness I'm doing something subpar for myself

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Getting rid of the apps I think is the most effective - and as a bonus - much less opportunity for intrusion and manipulation.

Although if we are specifically talking about social media such as Facebook then I mainly advocate at this point just to dump it. You can still use the separate messenger app and function even with a fully deactivated account.

Instagram I found (for myself) relatively easy to spend a small amount of time on every few days but the amount of advertisements has just gotten insane. After not logging on for 3 days or similar it appears to now be giving me about 5 ads for each real post of someone I follow (half of these are "suggested posts" which are not true advertisements but are really not much different). You would think they would be able to track the fact that when they do this I almost immediately close the app and use it less. I am just amazed they do not start with at least a few page scrolls of no ads and then slowly transition them in.

I stopped using FB in the traditional way by unfollowing literally everyone. however I use it much more for groups now. I really get a lot of value out of local community groups in particular.

My method is using private browsing to open addicting websites. This way their address will not be saved in history and I'll have to type it which sometimes stop me from doing that in mid-way. Also helps with automatically logging out.

I've done this with YouTube and it's been extraordinarily effective for me. Without the history associated with my account, the recommendation engine just shows me the default junk, preventing me from falling down rabbit holes when I just want to watch some video. For keeping in touch with channels that I still want to follow, I've subscribed to them via RSS.

If you need an extra push to enforce that you only use private browsing, you can install any browser extension that blocks sites and then tell your browser to not permit that extension to run in private windows.

We sound like casino addicts who voluntarily try to be banned from casinos.

At least we’re only losing time, not money. But we’re still losing health, by staying in bed too much because of social media…

The problem is that whereas casinos are strictly recreational, a lot of YouTube content is actually extremely informative and educational. The problem is that going to YouTube just for the educational stuff still subjects you to the addictive stuff.

For me the educational stuff is the addictive stuff. I have to force myself to stop watching people talk about doing things and actually go do things myself!

Just as there are far fewer producers than consumers, so too are there far fewer do-ers-of-interesting-things than people who only dream of or fantasize about doing interesting things.

time is more valuable than money, we lose out big by getting addicted to nonstop videos.

Au contraire. You can always make more money. The only thing you cannot make more of is time.

There are also extensions that block all recommendations. Makes YouTube a much calmer experience. Go watch one video. Now...you are done.

Yup, I use Unhook and it was a game changer. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/unhook-remove-yout...

With youtube, on the phone, setup an alter account, go to settings, switch on "pause watch history" and "pause search history".

You can then see how sick that algorithm is in recommending and pushing junk. Only now its junk you will despise.

A few other suggestions too:

- if you need an app, turn off notifications at least (and move it occasionally to another folder)

- turn on iOS Screen Time so you have that second to re-think if you want to use the app in the first place (pattern interruption)

- turn your phone colors to greyscale - I know it sounds odd but I had it like that for a couple of years or so and it made me reduce phone time, more productive and less stimulated by the phone (even for a good long while after turning it off)

This one never did anything for me. But then, I was never into scrolling things with pictures, much more into reading text.

Do you know why it worked for you?

Grayscale also worked for me-- even beyond looking at images (only Wall Street Journal seemed somewhat immune). The lack of contrast or something was just so jarring and served as a reminder that I am trying to stay focused.

Yeah same. In my simple mind I liken modern apps (esp. social apps) a bit like a casino - there's so much colors and "things going on" that it just feels a bit too intense for me over time. And color was one of the few app-configurations (along with muting notifications, adding Screen Time, and maybe complete uninstallation) that I had control over.. at least on the desktop web you can have extensions block some stuff for you. I tried greyscale mode on desktop too btw but to ruin the surprise for you - it SUCKED! :-)

Adding to that list: disable mobile data for Safari and Chrome so I don't mindlessly browse on the go or during lunch.

Great suggestions, I'll add:

- Get a really slow phone

I found my phone/news/Facebook addiction grew significantly when I upgraded my previous iPhone 4S (took a few seconds to unlock, another few seconds to open an app) to my current iPhone X (everything was/is instant). Previously I had used my phone as a tool, I had to really want to look at Facebook or Google a thing before opening it, now I just open it almost by muscle memory and the tsunami of news and Facebook just washes over me and I feel like I am powerless to stop it.

I find trivial inconvenience essential for establishing positive habits.

They make me focus on my intent to establish a habit.

Habit establishing requires perseverance in the face of a bit of bother.

The big hurdles are the big hurdles. Small frictions get smoothed by repetition…or by simply becoming ordinary parts of the process.

Willingness to do things that suck is the nature of positive habits.

To a first approximation if it doesn’t feel a bit unpleasant at first, it probably isn’t a positive habit.

Interesting take on how habits feel at first as without system 2’s input (From Daniel Kahneman’s thinking fast and slow) habits carve their way into our brains basically seeking the most reward or dopamine. So without constant monitoring of system 2 we end up as entertaining craving systems, seeking patterns to satiate the urge for dopamine. Good habits may be bitter at first but the rewards are reaped in the long run.

this so much. I had tried giving up twitter but the convenience was always there. Then one day I had enough and told a gun nut to set himself on fire. Now whenever I am tempted to get on twitter, I have that offensive "delete this tweet" screen show up to remind me that I shouldn't bother with this crap. I'm all the better for it.

> and logging out after each session

I started using a Cookie AutoDelete plugin for privacy reasons; but it's also been great for this purpose, so I don't have to remember to log out.

I never archive my passwords on social sites and the idea to reset every time is a real burden. This helps too.

As an indirect consequence of switching to a Linux smartphone, All those soul sucking apps/services are immediately lost. I can still access them through Firefox if I want, But without push notifications(Say notification pollution) of a native app I can do it systematically on a pre-determined schedule.

Also, OP mentions that the Pomodoro timer didn't work for him. I find that the task of manually triggering the timer is a distraction and chore by itself; So I created a butt triggered productivity timer which starts automatically when I sit on the chair before my workstation and it has done wonders to my productivity and health(Taking a walk during break).

Also:

- delete browser bookmarks, desktop icons, "favorites" ...

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