4 Tips To Help You Stop Wasting Time Online

No matter who you are or how you like to spend your free time, it’s not hard to admit that the pull of online life can come for us all. While the internet has given us many wonderful things – the chance for you to read these words, for example! – it’s also true that an entire world of information is out there, and if you’re not careful it’s easy to spend your entire day/week/month/year or even lifetime exploring it.

While the internet is certainly wonderful for the most part, most would agree that it’s easy to overdo it and spend way too much time here. There seems to always be one thing pulling us in a given direction no matter what it is, be that a headline that catches our interest, a blog we love, a YouTube video deep dive, a social media ping, a Twitter/X argument, or a shopping session. These are just a few examples.

If you’re a little frustrated with how much time you’re spending online as of late, it can be worthwhile to consider a few alternative options not only to fill your time but to prevent bad habits. In this post, we’ll help you do that:

Bookmark Essential Sites

It’s easy to find yourself going down a rabbit hole if you’re not careful. A good way of avoiding this is to craft a curated list of go-to websites that streamline your online habit from the moment you launch that web browser, no matter if you do it from your phone, tablet, or desktop.

This means you’ll have your frequently visited sites ready to go, perhaps our blog, and then your options like financial management or your note-taking app. Many people can find it helpful to organize their bookmarks into categories – that might include work, education, entertainment, news, and so on, and then use extensions like “tree style tabs” for browsers like Firefox to keep them organized. However, all browsers can offer this functionality.

Keep Your Gaming Time Limited

Gaming can be a fantastic way to unwind, but like many good things, moderation is essential. Setting boundaries around gaming time helps prevent it from taking over your day. Remember you don’t have to have a problem or be a huge gamer to get lost in some modern titles, as many are explicitly designed, like social media is, to keep your attention. 

Some people find help using timers or scheduling apps to keep their gaming habits limited to certain times, while others prefer to simplify what they consume, for example enjoying pure Mahjong websites instead of other games designed with flash microtransactions and constant flashing signs designed to work on our “reptile” brain. Those who enjoy gaming can sometimes prefer to treat it as a reward after tackling other responsibilities during their workday, and that’s a smart way to go about it too.

Apply Internet Filters

If you want to avoid your bad habits in advance and know you’re unlikely to stick to certain websites, then internet filters can be very helpful. These (usually free) tools allow you to block certain websites or limit time spent on specific platforms. For example, some people use filters to prevent access to social media or entertainment sites during work hours, which can be very handy if you’re remotely working and prone to distraction. 

Interestingly, parental controls can be for personal, adult use (even if you’re not a parent or child), allowing you to set boundaries for your own internet usage. This way you don’t even have to think about it, you’ll have pre-emptively limited sites you’re trying to avoid like gossip subreddits or unhelpful news sites.

Use Your Local Library

Outside of your favorite blogs, it’s a nice habit to look for more tangible and substantive information if we can. Libraries are waiting for us to use them, and there’s something really special about physical books as a conduit for learning still, as they give us a sense of patience and willingness to dive more deeply than a quick article can.

Better yet, libraries often host local events, sometimes workshops, and definitely book clubs, which allows you to get involved in your local area. The quiet study spaces in libraries can be ideal for focused work or reading if you need a break from your home station, even if you remotely work and are used to your home desk. Of course, if you want to know something you don’t always need to avoid online searches entirely, but heading to the library more often can be a fantastic substitute for wasting time online.

With this advice, you’ll be sure to reign in your online habits and enjoy life more serenely.

See more wellness posts here

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.