Reply To: How do you solve the problem of addiction please? (It is hard for me to concentrate on my 3D workflow)

[Austin Dunham]

@naiad  I think everybody has different tolerance levels for distractions.

It can be really easy to spend a ton of time on the Gallery, worrying about feedback on one’s projects, etc.

If possible it may make sense to carve out a time when you’ll be on whatever forums warrant your time, and that’s it.

Maybe it’s 1/2 an hour.  Maybe an hour.  You do whatever you need to in that time, then close the browser.  For myself I only look via the browser.  I’m not “subscribed” to anything.  I don’t get notifications.

It probably also makes sense to ask why you’re on the forums or galleries.

   Just to be social?

   To give feedback to others?

   To get general “likes” for your projects, or specific technical / critical feedback?

   I haven’t read the bit about a Progress Workbook, but I imagine only looking at it and/or updating it during that slice of time could work just as much as only browsing the web during a specific time.  (I’m not THAT disciplined.  If I’ve put in a fair bit of work, and my mind’s starting to feel sluggish, I may take a break, but I try to keep work time and play time separate.)

As you pointed out, it’s not that different from being on social media, or plugged into news feeds, or anything else like that.  For me, I don’t turn notifications on at all.  If notifications are important to you, I’d turn them off when you switch to “work mode”.  I can pose my question or provide feedback to others during whatever time I’ve decided to spend on the web, and if I don’t have an answer in that time frame it can wait until I get back.

If you don’t have the discipline for that, it may make sense not to participate.  It’d be similar to somebody who never brings Oreo Cookies or other snacks home because if they’ll be eaten in an evening or two.  If it’s not there. . . then there’s nothing to binge on.  It’s kind of a severe way of handling things, but if you find you can’t stop munching on those Oreos. . . maybe having Oreos around just isn’t the right move for you.

Edit: Sent to wrong person initially