Use social anxiety to your advantage in staying on task.

[starvinmarv]

I don't exactly think I have social anxiety, or if I do its perhaps limited in scope. One thing I do know is that I don't like is to browse facebook and twitter in a very public setting and surrounded by people I don't know very well. This also includes looking up random things about TV shows I watch or going on any social message boards. (honestly also facebook newsfeeds show way too many large pictures of people that I am not friends with but often are using the same library spaces as I am, that alone is enough for me to feel weird about it)

For most people, I would say these things constitute a majority of one's distractions while working on a computer. I recognized this, and decided to change up my work environment while at college. I decided that whenever possible, I would do work at the library, on a library computer, in one of the most populated areas with maximum visibility (though in a quiet section.)

What I found was that my desire to not have everyone looking at my screen was stronger than my reasons for going on those sites in the first place, and what ends up happening is that I find myself spending a majority of the time doing the schoolwork I came there to do. I also think that using a library computer rather than my own laptop also helps with this, as it limits my options in a good way.

I don't do this exclusively, but I found it definitely helps, if only as an effective placebo.

[Fuzzy12]

What a coincidence I was just thinking about exactly this!!!

I agree with you. I was the first to choose a desk in my office at university and I chose a place, which overlooked the rest of the room (because I don't like sitting with my back to the door or windows) but where my screen could not be seen by anyone. It was the most coveted desk of them all but it hasn't served me well at all. It's too much of freedom. I need that pressure and the thought of someone looking over my shoulder to be productive.

The place I currently work in has very tight security settings. I'm pretty sure that they scan e-mails and check your browsing history so I strictly don't do anything that isn't work related. (I still browse for rubbish on my mobile while at work ).

Maybe I need to move my desk at uni as well to artifically create a more overlooked situation. I'm sure the others in my office would love to trade desks with me.

[Osakhomen]

Yeah, I don't like people looking at me while I'm on facebook or stuff like that either.

[starvinmarv]

Yeah, I think for me at least, it all stems from the idea that I assume everyone has the same capacity for observation and peripheral vision that I do. I pretty much observe and take note of everything that's in my field of vision. Sometimes I wonder if it is even possible for people to walk by other people and not see them, because I personally find it almost impossible to take note of every person that passes by and otherwise. I'm by no means implying that I can recall all of these things at some later time, my memory is actually pretty terrible in most aspects.

So pretty much I'm thinking, if I can take note of what everyone else is doing on their computer, (not that I'm purposefully invading privacy, just nothing that it can be done easily) then everyone else can just as easily observe me.

[starvinmarv]

Originally Posted by madiaz3

Yeah, I think for me at least, it all stems from the idea that I assume everyone has the same capacity for observation and peripheral vision that I do. I pretty much observe and take note of everything that's in my field of vision. Sometimes I wonder if it is even possible for people to walk by other people and not see them, because I personally find it almost impossible to take note of every person that passes by and otherwise. I'm by no means implying that I can recall all of these things at some later time, my memory is actually pretty terrible in most aspects.

So pretty much I'm thinking, if I can take note of what everyone else is doing on their computer, (not that I'm purposefully invading privacy, just nothing that it can be done easily) then everyone else can just as easily observe me.

Woops, meant to say find it impossible not to take note of everyone that passes.

Originally Posted by AshT

This used to work for me quite well...then I stopped caring lol.
Now I work with friends with the rule 'You see me on something I shouldn't be on. You win one cigarette from me'. This is working quite well for now but only when I'm on medication and can remind myself of such a rule before I click onto something stupid :P.

Haha, it's true I probably shouldn't care as much as I do. I probably wouldn't if I went to a large or even average sized college, but mine is very small and you run into the same people all of the time.

[pechemignonne]

The problem is that eventually anxiety can egt to the point where it is dysfunctional very, very easily.

[AshT]

This used to work for me quite well...then I stopped caring lol.
Now I work with friends with the rule 'You see me on something I shouldn't be on. You win one cigarette from me'. This is working quite well for now but only when I'm on medication and can remind myself of such a rule before I click onto something stupid :P.

[Drewbacca]

Or...
Just make really difficult passwords and don't write them down. That's how I stay off the distractive sites like facebook during school hours. It also keeps me from posting here, although I still have a tendency to snoop.

If you really need to get serious, try an add on like StayFocused: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/d...gcngdelahlfoji