distraction nir eyal

 Distraction - escaping from discomfort 

Judgement?

If distraction is doing things we don’t really want to do, its opposite would be traction, the things we DO want to do. It’s interesting that both words come from the same latin root, and both end in the word “action” – reminding us that both traction and distraction are things we do, not things that happen to us. But that’s not how most people think of a distraction. Most of us think that when that app notification pops up it distracts us – but it’s not the technology distracting us, it’s simply an external trigger which prompts us with some kind of stimulus in our environment. What we do in response to that external trigger is either what we want to do – traction – or what we don’t want to do – distraction. There’s also another kind of trigger, which in many ways is more important – internal triggers. The same homeostatic response we have to physical discomfort applies to our psychological pain as well, so when we feel uncomfortable emotions like fear, boredom, and loneliness we have all kinds of solutions we turn to to make these uncomfortable sensations in our heads go away, from Facebook, to Google, to Reddit.

Fix the Source or Learn to Cope

For the other uncomfortable sensations we seek to escape, like boredom, uncertainty, loneliness in our lives, we can either fix the source of the discomfort or learn to cope. That is, where we can fix the problems causing us emotional discomfort, we should

internal triggers : Loneliness ; boredom ; fatigue ; fear ; escape

internal triggers> external triggers 

work environment may create internal triggers 

low control and high expectation --> work environment

Fix internal triggers

Cope with internal triggers 

1. Note the sensation-  what i am experiencing

2. Be curious- why we feeling this; do not ignore , what i am trying to escape 

3. Surf the urge -  leaf passing by river . in 10 min timer , do that sensation , and see why it occurred , why i feeling. emotional discomfort it passes. in 10 min do what is distracting me. it passes 

Checking message - only at fixed times.

Only checking at fixed times, or after a certain delay has elapsed after notification, lets you manage the internal trigger.

Time management is plan management

first , difference between traction and distraction in moment

why i will focus on the activity(mostly study) , it was not in my agenda in first place. surely , i will be distracted in seconds 

Plan ahead - implement- what to do ; when to do. 

If I did not reserve time , someone else will. BE it kid/spouse/parent/tv/video/nonsense/bs

I have to define traction to separate distraction. That is done by planning 

Plan Time Not OUTPUT

I have been planning output not input. Therefore , I keep pushing

Get rid of low-value work. I am a knowledge value worker. Am I being outsources to do low value work? Can I further outsource?

Communication to concentration

Email Rules/ Message Rules

Rechecking email - l label them and schedule those labels 

reply to urgent messages 

ok . 30min block toh ho sakta h. 30 min baad koi reply jaaye in urgent email. it wont create impact

gmail delegation

Schedule so called distraction but before that plan the traction and the effort and input.

Technology Distractions

DND MODE And HAT

are these triggers serving me or am I serving those triggers ?

Keep only those triggers which making me to go towards my traction and plan.

Delete else

Entering pact with yourself. like that an alarm app; app forest. app timeguard 

priority wise : I | Family | Work

Bundle temptation and something i do not want to so 

Switching between two visual task is disturbing

Self compassionate

1. Manager internal triggers

2.Schedule time for traction

3. Hack back external trigger

4. Pact with myself

Well Do i  believe i will achieve my goals? If yes, giving power to myself.

When I am saying this is difficult , that is blocking any excuse that says I am giving those things/people more power than what it deserve

Which sphere must you center your time in before you spend time in the other spheres?

ans: myself

You can typically sacrifice some _____ for better concentration in today's world.

ans: communication (for me verbal too)

It is only possible to be distracted if you have _____.

ans: no set plan for time

In psychology of akrasia, an agent intentionally acts against her own judgment about what it is best to do. ... Because the akratic acts for a reason but against the conclusion of her practical reasoning, there must be a way of acting for reasons other than through reasoning about them. This way is desire.

The homeostatic response is our brain's ability to motivate us to escape discomfort.