"No surfing the internet" week, anyone? - Page 2

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by tinybutterfly

I wish I was one of those people who CLEAN when they get stressed out.

No joke. If I were like that, my life and home would be a lot more straightforward. Unfortunately, around here, cleaning really means "massive decluttering project", and that makes me more stressed. It's probably the single biggest stressor that makes me hide online.

All that said, I am getting a little more of a handle on my online time, but it's slow going. And, anytime I'm not feelnig 100% (like today - mild cold and achey muscles from a hike I wasn't really in shape for - two days ago), I come back. I also have certain things I have to do online on a daily, or close to daily, basis, so I can't just stay offline during the week. It's all a work in progress.

[confustication]

Oh gosh, I need to jump on here as well! However, DH is away and we're staying in touch mostly by Skype.. so can I leave the computer on and connected... but then ignore the Siren's call?

I really need to focus on the kids and the house- but I do so love my internet escapism and adult interaction!

I think I'll start by limiting my time to kid-sleep time when everything else is done.

[Smokering]

OK, last week was kind of a bust... again. I think my problem was that I wasn't really motivated - I felt I should do it, but I didn't want to.

This week, however, I've decided I do. So I made a list of cleaning tasks and cannot surf the internet until I've done one of those per day, plus published a web article and done all my editing (again, per day). Yay!

How's everyone else doing? Should I take it that silence is a good sign?

[Baby_Cakes]

I like this idea, I SO need to spend more time w/DD and taking care of my house. I think I need to do it in baby steps, though. Logging on once per day would be a good place to start. I think every time I walk past the computer, I need to see if any of my threads have replies, or if anyone updated anything on FB.

I think I might limit my computer time to once per day in the am. I need to do this. I don't really like who I am anymore either.

[PoetryLover]

Yeah, I belong here, as well. Every day I have so many things to do and feel buried beneath tasks, and I probably spend much more time than I should online. Every time I see this thread I feel guilty.

Signing out~

[Aubergine68]

Saw this thread and thought I'd pop on to cheer you ladies on...

I gave up internet for Lent a couple years ago (except for on Sundays). I feel I was able to break some bad habits of choosing the net over my family and other priorities. I put my mission in my .sig on MDC and actually got a couple PMs holding me to task the day I broke my "fast" here! It was funny!

Something I learned was that I crave internet down time when I am tired. When I do get enough sleep, I have the energy to actually live my life the way I want to.

[goldenwillow]

I am in as well. We purposely didn't have the internet for 6 or so months and I was fantastic. I too read a ton of books and honestly felt like I was getting small projects done around the house.

See you next week!

[MichaelsSahm]

Very good idea! I am doing baby steps too though because I have family in Europe who email daily. So maybe check, once in the AM, once in the PM and keep it at that! That or make a cleaning list and keep myself to it and not log on till they are done!

[tinybutterfly]

Good luck, everybody!

I am going to go mostly off-line until after Christmas. What I have been doing is not working and I need to break this bad habit!

So...I am only going to check my e-mail a few times a week. I am going to put my laptop away in the closet and I will have to use the icky PC downstairs. It's temperamental and slooooow.

When I come back I may try only surfing on the week-ends and use a timer. Or maybe I can get on a few times a week and for only a certain amount of time each day. I'll have to figure out someway to limit my internet time.

We can do this!

[journeymom]

"No surfing the internet" week, anyone?

I agree, this is an excellent idea.

Edited to add, OK now I've read the rest of the posts. Wow, I recognize (in myself) a lot of what's been said here.

About six years ago I instituted a 'no tv on weekdays' rule, because the tv watching after school was waaayyy out of hand. The kids regularly weren't starting their homework till after dinner and the afternoon was usually wasted. The results of the new rule were wonderful. The kids 'woke up'. I'm so pleased. I really should have applied the same rule to myself/internet.

Smokering, thanks for the idea.

[fireweed]

i'm in too! must check my email once a day though for business.

signing off....

[Smokering]

OK, I'm online because I got my major task for today done (cleaning the fridge plus posting an article). Want to know what helped? I opened the curtains in the living room. I don't have an office, and usually keep the living room in a charming lair-like gloom so I can see the screen. When I have to squint, I feel much less inclined to go online!

I think you can also get software that "blocks" you for a pre-arranged time... I'm not sure if it blocks you from just the internet or the whole computer, though.

[tinybutterfly]

I'm popping in. I DESPERATELY wanted to see the new layout! I LIKE it!

Anyway, I have good days and bad days with the internet thing. I am not coming here, I logged out of one my other fave chat pages, BUT I found a new place to hangout. : /

I am back on fb, too. Too much.

Obviously I still have a lot of work to do.

AND I never put my computer in the closet.

I am working on it.

Someone upthread mentioned adult interaction. That is a big draw, too. My dh works looong hours and then when he is home, he is tired and we don't talk all that much. Online there is always someone to talk to if you want to talk.

So hello and goodbye!

See you all soon!

[Devaya]

I'm relieved to hear that I am not alone - I too have problems not checking email, Facebook etc everytime I walk past the computer, and every time DS is engaged in actually playing by himself I tend to go online when it would be SO much more productive to do some cleaning *ugh*. I think the social interaction is key, I have big needs for social interaction and they just aren't adequately met in my everyday life as a SAHM. What's worked for me recently though is taking 3 weeks off from FB (And announcing it to everyone first), that seemed to save TONS of time, and not switching on my PC till at least the late afternoon, unless there's something specific I need to check. I find having recently acquired a phone with internet on it helps too as I can deal with emails as they come up rather than thinking 'Oh but I have to check my email' and use that as an excuse to get sucked into 'the portal'. It def is an addiction with m e, and its funny b/c I've been so critical in the past of my ex who is a total TV addict, but I am just as bad with internet (but TV bores me so I would walk away from it and go on the PC instead!) At the moment I am back on FB but am very rarely posting anything, just occasionally reading status updates and commenting... but I know its a slippery slope! It makes me so disengaged from my son, it's terrible.

[JayGee]

I so need to join this thread!  The internet (specifically MDC and facebook) are my escape and I'm finding myself escaping more and more.  We are moving in 2 weeks and I find myself procrastinating stuff like packing, sorting, organizing, making phone calls, etc. by "just checking my e-mail" a million times a day.  I know I'd be horrified if I could tally up the amount of time I spend with my fanny parked in the computer chair.  I've tried only checking in first thing in the morning and I get really anxious and antsy during the day.  Addiction, anyone???

I'm turning this time suck off right now, and won't turn it on again until after the kids are in bed tonight.  Promise.