How to break a YouTube habit

[trenton]

I waste a lot of time in YouTube.  The most valuable information comes from high conscious resources.  The problem is that I constantly slide back because I find it very easy to get pulled aside by a variety of funny videos.

I have a plan to deal with this.  I can cut off YouTube completely and go to actualized.org directly for any videos I want.  There is also a part in spirituality about high conscious resources that I can go to.  They might bring me back to YouTube where I easily get pushed off track.

Do you have other strategies for cutting off time sinks?  Can you share examples of other time sinks and how to avoid them?  The internet is my biggest concern because The distractions are endless.

The more time wasters I get rid of, the less stressed I will be to keep up with all of my upcoming demands by eliminating habits like procrastination that bothered me all throughout high school.

[MrWolf]

Start practicing and stop watching. 

If you want to stop smoking, thinking about having to stop smoking will make you smoke. Dont try to change things. They will just multiply. Just observe them really closely. Not thinking! Observing. 

[LastThursday]

58 minutes ago, trenton said:

I waste a lot of time in YouTube. 

You could waste a lot of time in any activity. The word to pay attention to is "waste" not the activity itself. I'm sure YouTube has plenty of high consciousness vids, you just have to find them.

You just have to be more aware of your own intent. If your intention is just to relax and have some fun, then that's ok, don't beat yourself up. If your intention is to develop yourself, then use that to guide your actions. It's a matter of building up a habit of strongly focussing on what your intention is at any particular moment.

17 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

If you want to stop smoking, thinking about having to stop smoking will make you smoke.

Environment plays a great role too. If you're addicted to doughnuts, you should probably avoid Dunkin' Donuts the triggers are too strong. If @trenton is actually addicted to YouTube he should probably avoid it, at least until his intention is strong enough to override his default behaviour. The internet is big though, go somewhere else for high consciousness resources.

Edited December 1, 2020 by LastThursday

[MrWolf]

8 minutes ago, LastThursday said:

If @trenton is actually addicted to YouTube he should probably avoid it, at least until his intention is strong enough to override his default behaviour. The internet is big though, go somewhere else for high consciousness resources.

You cant avoid an addiction.

[LastThursday]

3 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

You cant avoid an addiction.

Once an addict always an addict eh? Thing is it's not true, addiction is not a static thing, you can become unaddicted again. Avoiding strong triggers can be part of the tools to use against addiction. Trust me, keeping away from smokers when trying to quit makes it a lot easier. And I can now stand with a group of smokers and not crave a ciggy: I'm unaddicted.

[MrWolf]

47 minutes ago, LastThursday said:

Once an addict always an addict eh?

I never said that. I said; Dont try to change things. They will just multiply. Just observe them really closely. Not trough thinking! Observing. 

Maybe I should have included that this is the way to stop, but I thought that was obvious.

 

If you stop by force the object of desire will just shift. This is basic psychology. You can only get rid of it by castrating it through observation.

Edited December 1, 2020 by MrWolf

[LastThursday]

@MrWolf you say tomato I say tomato. I'd say we've both got valid observations.

[mandyjw]

Find something you care about more. 

[MrWolf]

33 minutes ago, LastThursday said:

@MrWolf you say tomato I say tomato. I'd say we've both got valid observations.

Not at all. You say tomato Im saying the exact opposite of your tomato.

Edited December 1, 2020 by MrWolf

[MrWolf]

But hey lets just let the point stand by themselvs. Im not looking for a battle. So lets not let that hijack this tread. I just dont agree with your observations, thats all. All best

[PurpleTree]

56 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Not at all. You say tomato Im saying the exact opposite of your tomato.

otamot?

[Hello from Russia]

Unsubscribe from 98-99% channels you watch and kill their "Recommended" grid with browser extension. Probably delete youtube on your phone as well or Download some 3rd party app that blocks recommendations. 

You can't battle  these recommendations and clickbaits unless you're as conscious as Buddha. They are designed to target your current life problems and the creators do very cancerous stuff with copywriting (often borderline unethical)

[Average Investor]

Next time you getting sucked into those feelings take a moment to introspect and see what feeling you are avoiding. I have found that compulsive usage of stuff like that is typically just to remove a feeling. It might even be that you don't want to be with your own thoughts or emotions. Take some time while you are using it to do that introspection, then allow yourself to fully feel the emotion. Take a deep breath and let go of the feeling. Go ahead an keep doing this behavior, but do it while using this technique. If you can manage to just do that you will notice results if you can keep at it. 

It isn't going to help you to become so strict and just watch stuff from actualized. In fact I would say that would be more harm that good even though I love the content too. You don't need to be overly strict on yourself to get the results you want. In fact you might find by just actually letting yourself enjoy something that you will find that you need less and less of it. Also, learning to introspect and feel, when you have actually had enough of those funny videos. Once you have had enough it will be much easier to stop watching them. 

This can help you get an actual sense of why you want to keep watching as well.

 

[hyruga]

 

[AdamDiC]

download Coldturkey software and permanently block it on your computer.

or just stop using it and figure out what you are running away from.

If you were passionate about your life would you be spending hours on YouTube?

[SonataAllegro]

Coldturkey is really helpful, you literally cannot use whatever websites you put into it and you can't turn off the block or delete the app while a block is going. Ultimately the solution is to change your whole relationship to youtube but you have to start with a good chunk of time away from it completely. A month, I'd say. 

[Yog]

I use LeechBlock extension for Firefox, the Chrome alternative is StayFocused.

I block everything, all web pages all the time, except some that I consider important like: Banking, ordering food, google drive, work check in/out, lets say.

LeechBlock has an override option. I have set it to allow all web sites for 20 minutes. In order to engage the override I have to manually type a 64 random char password that LeechBlock generates.

If I want to completely change the options and allow everything, I have to retype a random character password, I have the screenshot of the password locked in a password protected archive, which in turn is located in a password protected USB.

This puts environmental pressure on me and because it is such a big torture to get to the internet. I just do not do it.

I am trying to have an hour, or two a day where I can purposely and intentionally use it. Not just click around mindlessly .

Sometimes I engage the override, find the videos I want to watch before the time expires, line them up in couple of browser tabs and watch them that way. If a video ends, or the tab is refreshed, it will get blocked. Works quite good. No mindlessness.

[Origins]

@trenton Honestly this is ridiculous. Get a grip on yourself.

[hyruga]

Oh this is another watch youtube to get rid of youtube addiction but this guy has got good points.

[AlphaAbundance]

Once you realize watching this youtube addiction isn't getting you anywhere you want to go then you may naturally DESIRE to stop watching YouTube

The problem is -----> not fully understanding that YouTube is wasting your life, making you its little bitch and eliminating your potential 

Notice that continuing this will leave you in the same place 2 years from now, that you are now. You already know everything you need to know for years of action. Cut out almost all theory for the next few months.

Develop

• Clarity, Why, Vision
• Discipline, Focus, Willpower
• Motivation, Visualization, Feeling like you want to do it (OPTIONAL)

Edited December 2, 2020 by AlphaAbundance