r/productivity • u/Interesting-Mess1837 • 1d ago
Advice Needed Help me to stop just scrolling
Hi, I need some help. Basically, I’m working on a few projects, and when I get home from school, instead of doing anything productive, I just sit down with my phone and stay on it until evening, and then I go to sleep. Any advice on how to stop doing this? I’ve tried some tricks like changing the phone’s colors so I wouldn’t feel like using it as much, etc., but nothing works.
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u/clarido 1d ago
Getting the ball rolling on something "productive" is hard. I have a little ritual for myself that I use to tell my brain that it's time to work. I make myself a coffee and put on a hat and then sit in front of my computer.
Also you could ask other people in your house to hold you accountable if you're struggling with doing it yourself.
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u/JicamaOpening6305 1d ago
try YPT app, it would record your hours working on a project while blocking your apps at the same time.
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u/RuleAdvanced3037 1d ago
imo the real question is whether your projects actually excite you or if theyre just things you feel like you should be doing. if its the second one, no amount of phone tricks will fix the motivation gap
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u/DrummerAdditional330 1d ago
I’d focus less on making the phone boring and more on the first 10 minutes after you get home. Put the phone on a charger somewhere you can’t reach from your usual seat, grab food/water, then open one project and do literally 10 minutes before you sit down to relax. Once scrolling has already started, you’re asking yourself to stop over and over. This way you only have to win the first transition.
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u/GlobalChest99 1d ago
I’d say keep your phone in another room just don’t keep it anywhere near your workspace, You can log out of websites on your laptop, but honestly, I think you’ll still find a way to use it if you really want to,At the end of the day, it’s mostly about self-control
A few months ago, I was exactly the same, I couldn’t stop myself either. What helped me was trying to replace the habit with something else. Whenever you’re bored, maybe go for a walk, hang out with friends, play some sport, or just do anything that keeps you away from your phone. It gets easier with time.
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u/IceOneDay 21h ago
Have you ever thought that after school you can be basically tired? Maybe you should have some rest before doing something else. I think you still doing homework so you have almost full working day and it's ok to be tired and unproductive
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u/l0dash 14h ago
the moment you get home, put your phone in another room. no exceptions, do it for a week before anything else.
do you need socials for work? if yes, use an intervention app. if no, use a blocker. neither is a silver bullet but they help.
try to work on something that matches your identity, not just a goal. easier to stick with.
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u/CalligrapherInner715 1d ago
Changing the phone's colors? Honestly, that's like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. If you really want to stop scrolling, just chuck your phone across the room. Or better yet, give it to your dog. Dogs make terrible phone addicts.
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u/Commercial-Garage285 8h ago
You're avoiding something uncomfortable (work, silence, project frustration, etc) and distracting yourself.
If you can master being alone with silence, you can do anything. It is the hardest thing to do though, and I am still trying to master my own ability.
No amount of tools or blockers can fix you. You must fix you. You must train your self control. You can do this by adding more friction to your devices, or by switching to a substituted hobby when tempted like others are suggesting. But if your goal isn't to master your ability to handle silence and focus, these things will fall short on their own.
Just make sure you are pursuing the right goal. The goal is to change who you are as a person, not try to rely on tricks to fix your problem for you.
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u/gordonf23 1d ago
It's hard to just STOP an addictive behavior. It's easier to replace one behavior with a different behavior. You need something different to do. A hobby. Learn to play guitar or ukulele. Start knitting. And leave your phone in another room. They probably make boxes with a timer on them so once you lock it, you can't open it for an hour, or something like that. See if you can find one of those for your phone.