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The No Screen Challenge

Discussion in 'Events & Challenges' started by Deleted Account, Jul 28, 2018.

  1. Reset. Couldn’t resist the task of solving a crypto challenge. Solved it 30 min after my deadline.

    Anyhow, this challenge makes a huge difference for me anyway, since going to bed a bit too late once every two weeks is a lot better compared with going to bed too late every day.
     
    Philosophical_Dad likes this.
  2. TangoTao

    TangoTao Fapstronaut

    so basically - my problem is - when i forget myself and spend too much time with the computer then i'm just wasting time, and also some clarity in my thinking/ creativity(that's what i observed in myself), but trying fix timing is just doesn't work for me, i guess maybe this challenge per say is not for me... but thanks for reply anyway.

    i can't quantify it, but i need to just keep mindful not to stay on screen for more then it's reasonable - cheers
     
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  3. Ok, so if I understand it correctly, you would like a challenge that could save you from binging screen time but not a challenge that forces you to stop at a certain time?
     
  4. Philosophical_Dad

    Philosophical_Dad Fapstronaut

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  5. Philosophical_Dad

    Philosophical_Dad Fapstronaut

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    TangoTao, I totally feel the same way about wasting time on the computer. (Other things can have the same effect, for example, TV.) Differently people probably need to address this problem in different ways, based on their schedules, lifestyles, psychology, etc.

    If you're interested, Nir Eyal's recent book Indistractable might have ideas that you'd find helpful.

    Good luck!
     
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  6. Philosophical_Dad

    Philosophical_Dad Fapstronaut

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    Yes, exactly!
     
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  7. TangoTao

    TangoTao Fapstronaut

    basically yes - for couple of weeks i kept strict regiment of all food done and electronic off by 6pm then after by 4pm but then at some point i lost the track of it - but also i just needed to be using the computer for my creative process at some odd hours - and when your inspiration comes... you cannot schedule enthusiasm - so its a tricky balance to find, but i want to get back to just spend more time off screen at some times(food also) frames, i got to perform at my best and cannot disappoint my muses when they come i also want to implement some form of polyphasic sleeping to facilitate all that... i want to implement some schedual but it rather gonna be in experimental phase for a while and then it will likely only last only for some time till i'll have to abandon it - but i guess that's the way of Tao....
     
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  8. Philosophical_Dad

    Philosophical_Dad Fapstronaut

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  9. Ok, now I understand you completely. You're in a similar position I was in, before I got kids! At that time, I hacked my sleep and was up for very long time periods. I would let my creativity flow for as long as it wanted, it was no strange for me to spend 38 hours in a lab before I decided to go home. I wanted to complete things before I would call it a day and so the clock was a slave to me, not the other way around.

    Then came the kids and I got forced into a completely new way of living - instead of being up the whole nights I had to conform to a normal 24-hour schedule where I would go up the same time every day. I tried to hack the sleep anyway, by going to bed very late and then drink more coffee the day after... Then after a few years and after I had joined this community I started The No Screen Challenge and decided to try for a period of time to NOT hack the sleep. Suddenly I realised my life was transforming into something completely different. Instead of letting everything flow the first day, just to get a terrible sleep and have a lousy day afterwards, I started to live a life where a lot more hours in total felt good. In the beginning it felt a bit sad to kill the flow of creativity and just stop with what I was doing but then when I felt how good I slept the coming night I quickly got a nice reward.

    That said, I started living a stable life with a little creativity every day instead of binging to creativity every once in a while... I also started enjoy everything else in a good way without feeling extremely tired several days a week. This was a fantastic change to me, my mood got better, my workout got better, my body felt healthier and so on. I started to appreciate early mornings and I started to go up earlier than my wife - something that hadn't happened for all the years we've known each other (~20 years). The only thing I had to do to make this change was to stop using phone and computer at a certain time and everything else would follow.

    If you think your journey could be similar to mine, I would recommend you to at least try for 30 days and feel the change. If you, after 30 days, still think this challenge isn't for you, then just stop and get yourself a clap on the shoulder - you just completed a 30-day challenge. If you think it did a hell of a lot of improvement to your life, consider taking it again :) You don't have to go for an insanely early time like 6 pm or so, just go for anything that will make you get to bed the same time every day. I had 22:25 as my deadline for a year or so, then I moved it to 22:00.

    :):):)
     
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  10. Philosophical_Dad

    Philosophical_Dad Fapstronaut

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    I've had a similar experience. For me, creative work is like a marathon: finishing something requires me to stay productive over the course of months, sometimes years. In the moment, it can feel tempting to try to finish up a component of the larger whole by "sprinting." But just as that's an ineffective way to run a marathon, for me, it was an ineffective way to get things done. By becoming more patient, and understanding that I'll get things done in their proper time, by working during the day, then leaving work behind and sleeping, I can stay at a higher level of focus and so get more done over the long run. This challenge has helped me stick to that and I've noticed I haven't gotten burned out or sick when, usually, stress and sleep deprivation would have caused both.

    That's my experience. Many great thinkers and writers worked similarly: consistently, at the same times every day, and then taking breaks and sleeping well.

    I know you're into the paleo diet. Extend that logic beyond food. How hard and how much were our paleolithic ancestors working? How much leisure time did they have? How much and how regularly were they sleeping?

    Anyway, I don't want to "debate." I just offer some food for thought. There is research on productivity and working consistently for shorter stretches vs. binging on work for longer stretches. That could be something to look into, with the caveat that different people are, well, different.
     
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  11. Philosophical_Dad

    Philosophical_Dad Fapstronaut

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  12. :emoji_astonished:
    Whaaat? Sounds crazy!

    Did you sleep in the lab?
     
  13. Philosophical_Dad

    Philosophical_Dad Fapstronaut

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    0/30

    I listened to youtube while working late last night.
     
  14. Nope! I worked non stop until I finished my things. My record was 38.5 hours inside the lab, don’t remember how long I was awake that time. :)
     

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