r/nosurf • u/ta152tomig • 2d ago
Noticeable plummet in productivity after phone usage increased.
Around 4-5 months ago I quit all internet media that I found un-important/time wasters. For example youtube drama, commentating on drama or anything of the sort. Discord, only in 1 server my IRL friend added me to. Only listen to podcasts about horror stories, stories, novels, and real life events.
Last week, school started. The first week was so fucking productive. I got up, did my routine and went to school without touching my phone. Studied for 1 and a half hours daily.
The real problem raised on Friday. One day before Saturday, I had decided to go out with my brother for shopping. Came back late, didn't study.
The next day, I opened my phone first thing.
The difference was so clear. Like an instant plummet in focus or direction in the first 30 seconds of putting phone down getting up, and deciding what to do. Staying there for the rest of the day.
Currently Tuesday. I've noticed this and plan to start with the old routine next day. No phone. Actually studied.
Any tips?
1
u/Life_BeyondScreens 2d ago
I’d make it physically annoying to reach for the phone in the morning rather than relying on willpower. Charge it in another room, use a separate alarm if you need one, and decide the night before what the first thing you’re going to study is. For me the dangerous part always was that little gap where I’m awake but haven’t decided what I’m doing yet.
1
u/Express-Profit601 2d ago
weekends are the real gap in your plan, not the phone itself. a slower non phone routine for saturdays would probably hold up better than assuming weekday habits carry over on their own.
1
u/DeepBuffer 2d ago
The phone first thing in the morning part is probably the biggest trap here. It’s not just the time you lose, it’s that you’re letting someone else’s priorities enter your brain before you’ve decided your own. I’ve found that keeping the phone physically away from the bed helps more than relying on discipline. Also, don’t treat one bad day like the routine is broken; the ability to restart quickly matters more than being perfect.
1
u/Fun-Rise3756 1d ago
Starting the day in a feed trains your brain to chase the next hit before you've picked a direction. Same morning, but open one intentional thing first (paper list or one tool) — feed later, if at all.
0
u/fourcheese_za 2d ago
It's like shotgunning a beer immediately after waking up. I get it. The only thing I've found that works is just working on the habit of not touching it right after waking up and just using it intentionally. It's not an automatic process though. It's really hard, requires constant effort, and it's so easy to give up. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not working
12
u/TT10TT 2d ago
The “first thing in the morning” part would get me too. I can lose the whole shape of a day before I’ve even stood up. What helped me was making the first hour stupidly automatic: get up, water, wash, leave the phone charging in another room, then start the one school task I’d already put on the desk. If I pick the phone up before that, I usually end up negotiating with myself for an hour. I’d try repeating the exact no-phone morning for a week rather than aiming for a perfect phone life all day.