How to control excessive Browsing ?

Its very simple, close all your tabs and stand up right now

just one click and you are free

 

It's almost like with some folks who quit smoking, they need to hold a pencil or an unlit cigarette in their hand as a physical crutch, at least at the beginning anyway.

I found the Nofap site to be a perfect substitute for web browsing or the wasted hours I use to give to porn. Just give the computer time to healthy recovery on Nofap site instead or other recovery sites - there are plenty of journals and postings to read, browse, and interact with.

Because MO is such a self-centered and narcissistic pursuit and sickness, it is better in recovery even if our whole agenda isn't about me, me, me - my exercise, my eating well, my meditation, my reading, my Nofap, my being more confident, etc. While all these things are good, we may be just indulging in the selfish narcissism all over again, a big part of PMO addiction. Hence, it helps if we engage with others in recovery and support them, too. It always serves a double stroke toward self-healing as well, so why not unite this with our better use of computer time.

Best wishes, guy.

 

My browsing addiction predates my PMO addiction by like 2 years. The only thing that can keep me off the computer is having something more important to do. So that's my main recommendation: stay busy. Dedicate time to self-improvement and other important things.

SelfControl is a an app I use when I'm on a deadline -- it can only block 24 hours at a time, which leads to bargaining and short-term decisions. It's possible to block sites on Mac indefinitely but it can be reversed. I use that method as a reminder to think twice and not go to a site.

 

Begin by logging off on all devices, you can even turn your wifi off for an added buffer.
Then type up and print a document that has the following questions:

• Why am I choosing to access the internet right now?
• How long will it take me to complete this task?
• Is this task:

A.) Urgent and Important
B.) Important but not Urgent
or C.) Not Important or Urgent (Waste of Time)
If it is category C, then don't access the internet.
If it is category B, then cluster the task with others that can wait for a predetermined time.
If it is category A, log on but with the strict intention of finishing the task in a preset amount of time. Then immediately log off, don't go to any other sites.

Tape this document somewhere, such as the top of your laptop, so you always see it. Try following this set of rules and stick to it. If something is urgent and important and is expected to take 10 minutes, do it in 10 minutes then log off. Task done. Then, when you have the impulse to start browsing, go through this checklist first every time. If you don't have a good reason to get on the internet, you don't log on.

This simple protocol will cut out 99% of the bullshit and wasted time on the internet. It is remarkable how much time is opened up in life for constructive, meaningful action.

 

I can absolutely relate with you here, I can spend far too long on the internet.

I was talking to my mom the other day, and she said this to me; "show me what a person does and I can tell you what they value".
We weren't talking about my habit of internet surfing it just came up in conversation, but it did get me thinking.

I'd say I spend a disproportionate amount of time using the internet in a collective sense. Over the past few days I've really been working to cut down on it and it's been going great!

So back to the bolded thing my mom said. If you were to imagine yourself from the perspective of a 3rd person camera kind of looking over you, what would they see? They'd see you slumped over on your computer just clicking from one thing to the next: youtube, to huffpost, to facebook, to this, to that.... just mindlessly consuming all this stimuli.

Now, you may be thinking, "well I know I have other interests and passions that I do! The internet is just something I do on the side!"

Well, "show me what a person does and I can tell you what they value".

So like you, I've been really trying to change my behavior when it comes to internet use! I value other things! For me, I go to the internet out of habit, it's easy to sit dow in your comfy chair, open the screen, then boom! Entertainment at your finger tips you don't even have to move! It's instant and there.

Then I look over at my guitar and think, "gee I really want to be a better musician I should probably be playing!".... All the while in my head, I think of myself as a creative musician who loves and cherishes music.
"show me what a person does and I can tell you what they value".

And yet... my butt doesn't move.

But a practical tip aside from all that jumble of thoughts up there would be this: ( I'll use an example too)
- make it a hinderance to get on your computer when you get home or whatever the situation
- put what you do want to be doing in a more accessible location than your computer.

Ex.
If you watch to much tv and you want to play more guitar: take out the batteries from your remote control.
- Place the remote on one end of the room, and the batteries on the other.
- Leave your guitar out on the couch were you would sit to watch tv ordinary.

This way, it's actually easier for you to do the thing you want to do and harder to do the thing you don't want to do!
It's a neat trick.

Hope something from this helps you out!

 

** also, atleast for me, as someone who has been wrestling with this for a while, there is no instant external fix with this. It's just something were you've got to put in some effort to change your habits. It's not something that's just gonna passively change you know, it's going to take action, effort, and diligence. So really, the problem is totally internal.
"Wisdom lies in the power to choose"

Hopefully you and I can get a grip and realize what's truly important to us!
Best of luck man

 

I have the same issue. Waste so much time on the internet. One piece of advice i have is when you are doing an activity (web browsing, gaming etc), stop and think for a minute how this activity helps your development. If you find that it doesn't stop doing it and do something that does.

 

PC and TV are some of the most potent forms of stimulation. If you don't have much to do then these two things will dominate what you do. From my perspective, it's better to allow yourself some time to do these things but try to add other things as well that you enjoy. There are plenty of other things to do, it's just making it a habit. Keep it simple, replace it with something else like reading, exercising, music, w/e floats your boat. Make an effort to do it less and in no time you'll spend less time on the computer and more time enjoying other things.

 

That is a very good point!!!! I never thought about PMO in that way. Reading that I realise that, me personally, I am very self-centered, always thinking about my things. Maybe we should give more to others.

 

This.

In the end this is all it was, and all it will ever be.

Just stand up and walk away.

To moderate your usage there are apps and software to help with that.

Cultivating self discipline in general will be the key however.

 

This is a good risk management protocol. Much of relapse occurs because of unconscious "drift".
Putting stopgaps or buffers in place to minimize unconscious drift provides an added measure of security.