Why do I waste so much time on the internet when I have a lot of work to get done?

Question

Why do I waste so much time on the internet when I have a lot of work to get done?

What can I do to curb this behaviour?

seriously. It's a chronic problem. And it sucks. :/

Answer 1

Because the internet is fun.

To stop the problem, you are going to have to consciously not get on the internet. If the thought of not connecting for any reason fills you with anxiety or guilt or other emotions that you shouldn't feel, then maybe you should consider seeing a counsellor to work through it. I teach in a high school and I see a lot of internet addicted kids. The internet is a powerful thing, and we're only just beginning to understand its effects.

Answer 2

Your description applies to a good many people. In place of Internet you could write alcohol, promiscuity, drugs, and so forth.
Point 1 - You are not alone.
Work interferes with our image of ourselves in a more perfect place. Getting beyond that involves survival - if we don't work, we die and a vision - when I work I can / get to / am.
Point 2 - Work while hard has an up side
Try changing the work if that is possible, trading the dishes for vacuuming or some such. Divide the work into workable clusters so you have a feeling of accomplishment w/ suitable reward - said feeling being a reward of work.
Stop working a given period of each day/week. Most of the major religions recognize one day of rest. It's a time to do what you enjoy and toward which to hang on.

Answer 3

The only compelling reason that will make you stop surfing the net even when you are supposed to be working is when your boss takes notice of your performance, and he takes drastic measures so you could act on it.

And believe me, you would rather deliver an exemplary performance in the office rather than be known as someone who does nothing but surf the net all day.

It really makes it hard for you to act on it now because there are no mitigating circumstances that will make you stop it. Another thing is the fact that you continue to have access to it, therefore, that little devil in you will still tell you to just go surf.

Initially, you can begin curbing this behaviour by putting priorities in your work, and their corresponding schedules for completion. You can gradually work on easy tasks, slowly managing the complex ones until they are completed.

And after you have successfully met all the timelines for your tasks, you can then consider surfing the net as your reward. This way, you will be able to focus on your job, the very reason why you are there in the first place, consequently alloting time for some relaxation when you don't have much to do.

Your boss will be pleased with your performance, and you will be happy with the way you are doing, leaving your internet-surfing habit a secondary matter to distract your mind off of work.

Answer 4

I did that last year during after school. It's usually because your work stresses you out and you want to actally have some fun while pretending to work. Curbing the habit is easy.
If you're still in school, grab a hot new video game or computer game and make yourself finish the task at hand before you're allowed to play it.
If you have a job, try working away from the computer. If your job actually involves working on a computer, takes some time off for a minute, do some yoga or another excersise that aids in relaxing your mind and body. After that, close any other internet windows on your computer and get to work.

Answer 5

The way I think of it is that the sooner you get your work done the sooner you can 'surf the net' and you will have more worry-free time to do other things, (like spending time on the Internet). That way you can use the Internet as your reward for completing your work rather than thinking of it as an addiction.
Hope that helps. =)

Answer 6

Make a list of all of the things u need to do and post signs in ur house or little reminders to make sure u get them done. Create an agenda and highlight things that u have completed. It will give u a greater sense of organization and hopefully it'll stop ur habit of procrastination. Unplug ur computer if u have to, or limit ur time on going on the Internet. Have an alarm set to go off for 1 hour and then shut ur computer down and get back to work. Take short breaks if necessary, to keep ur energy up. Good blessings!

Answer 7

Because you're addicted to it, just like me and about a hundred thousand million other people!
Because it's a distraction from all the garbage (and work) in "real" life
Because it can take you anywhere you want to go anytime you want to
what can you do to curb it? well, you can sign up on the free netzero, they only give you 10 hours a month, then cut you off til the first of the next month. (or any other limited time ISP)
BUT...... internet junkie me, I figured out how to stretch even that into several hours a day...... look up web pages, quick copy and paste all the stuff into text document, then jump offline and read at leisure. you can even do this with email, paste emails into document, jump offline and read them, compose outgoing mail in document, then quick paste and mail while online. I did that for about a year, but it just wasn't enough, so am back to regular unlimited. ::::::::::sigh::::::::: gotta love it

Answer 8

I'm the same way, but I find the internet does not take much thought and after spending some time on it, I am able to get much more accomplished

Answer 9

This happens due to a condition called worksucksatitus. You usually develop this when the job you have or the task at hand just plain sucks. It is a very common illness and can generally be remedied with lots of alcohol and pot. Smoke 2 joints and drink 4 beers, you'll feel better by morning.

Answer 10

Cause you have no friends in real life
Cause you have nothing else to do
Cause deep down you like wasting your time on the internet rather than doing your work
Cause you are lazy