I would describe a lot of environments around us as being frictionless, because of how easy it is to change between tasks in a digital setting. This is great to keep in mind if you reduce friction towards things you want, such as to make it easier to get started on meaningful work, but not so much when it is for stuff that has been designed to keep you stuck there, such as social media feeds. Being able to switch between any video or article instantly isn't necessarily a good thing because it can promote a type of zombie-watching, where you aren't present but keep watching. In such a state, you don't retain anything, but you keep "wanting" more.
Having an environment with useful friction creates boundaries in space, which create boundaries in your attention. This allows you to allocate time to work, and other time to rest, without being stuck in this awkward middle ground limbo where you aren't doing anything particularly useful for your life, but also aren't resting or enjoying yourself. Zombie-watching isn't enjoyment, it is quite the opposite in fact: it is apathy.
I'm writing this because I think it is useful to deliberately add back boundaries and friction in your work environment. You might want to straight up remove your access to internet, such that you can focus your attention on the task at hand, without any opportunity to distract yourself, which would break your flow and any possible enjoyment from being productive. Another option would be for instance to install a browser plugin, such as Leechblock, which can add a delay to certain webpages, or simply block them during a certain period of time.
Those changes might seem needlessly contrived, because after all, shouldn't you be able to stay focused and avoid distractions? But the thing is that it is much easier to change your environment than to change your habits and your ability to pay attention. And they also allow work to be more enjoyable, because they allow you to get in a sort of flow state for a defined period of time, and then out of it when you're done with your task. Boundaries are useful because we need a diversity of experiences, including meaningful and useful work, but these healthy tasks are often more uncomfortable than zombie-watching, which can honestly ruin your life if you keep it unchecked.
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2024-07-22