It's very easy though to procrastinate when in 'command' of a web browser.

Removing the device removes the temptation.

Typically I can be in the middle of something else, sit down in front of the laptop to quickly check the news or something, and end up walking away from it a few hours later. It's very easy to get sucked in. I guess I'm weak minded.

One trick that works for me: having separate devices for separate activities. E.g., I have a tablet that I use for long-form content and pretty much nothing else. I consciously know that I could pretty easily log in to Facebook on the tablet's browser. But since I've never once done it on that device, my lizard brain doesn't know.

I recently bought a new phone that feels physically different than my old one (Nexus 5x vs first-gen Moto X) and I haven't yet used Facebook on it. I think I'm going to keep it that way; I so far haven't found myself automatically going to do it the way I would on the old phone.

"having separate devices for separate activities" This is the answer. My tablet has successfully replaced my PC when it comes to reading twitter feeds, techcrunch and other IT related content. On top of that, i find myself using it only in bed, for 30-50 minutes, right before i put myself to sleep. I am now planning on buying another PC just for work, place it in another room and get rid of the distractions for at least 8 hours per day. In the past i was using Dexpot for managing multiple desktops, but i found out that the temptation of switching and browsing through garbage content was still pretty high.(not just web content, but my own content as well) I'm working on it...

Thanks for sharing. I'm starting this today.

Good luck, and feel free to email/tweet me to discuss further. My big tip: don't ever yield to the temptation to check "just once". I've made that mistake and it's very hard to come back from.

I can easily go a bit tab mad. And noticed this in myself ages ago. At work I vowed not to look at sites that weren't work related. And instead checked personal email/sites before or after work. I was more organised. I even used to sit on the train and plan my days work. And it paid off.

These days I'm more and more distracted, have issues concentrating, and I don't have a smartphone, which I'd probably gravitate towards. It is in part, why I don't own one.

I also have congnitive difficulty reading from the screen, so if I stumble across something I think is worth reading, I send it to my e-reader. There I have a ton of unread articles. But I do tend to do one at a time, and it sticks better.

The young ones seem to be able to happily multitask, they sit next to each other on the bus or in cafes talking and surfing simultaneously. I find multi-tasking increasingly difficult, they don't, what gives?

My take on multitasking is that it mostly doesn't work, at least not for cognitive activities. But, I guess it depends on your definition of "multitasking" and "working/not working".

There are, perhaps, some activities which most people can multitask at - such as, driving a routine route while carrying on a light conversation. (But even that might distract from one or the other) But try something more complex - such as even trying to carry on a simple conversation while driving in an unfamiliar area or when you're lost - and quickly you'll find you can only focus on one thing at a time.

So, my sweeping generalization of people surfing and talking simultaneously is that if the two activities are very unrelated, (different topics) it's likely far less attention is being paid to each than the level of attention you're giving to reading your single article.

I am pretty sure in the past that it has been shown that talking on a moble increases the chance of crashing a car. It was a while ago that I read it so I can't provide a reference.

Anyone who thinks they are a good multi-tasker is disillusioned. Multi-tasking requires context loading and unloading, which always seem to have some challenges associated with it that are less than obvious. Don't sweat it. Being able to focus on one thing is a gift!

A gift that I seem to have lost over the years.

Quiet contemplation. That thing you used to do when you got an early night, that may have helped your brain get into order, or possibly aroused the senses, and led to panic.

My partner monopolises the main living space, and always switches the TV on. She's out with the tablet and surfing in seconds. I don't have a mobile internet device at hand. So it can feel lonely and desolate. Once I also pulled out my laptop alongside the telly. So do get it. It does feel rude if one sided. Especially when you are left watching some crap that you wouldn't put on yourself. I could fetch my book, but I find it difficult to read while the telly is on. One day I might challenge her to a conversation.

I enjoy space and silence. In the garden I can just stand and listen for an hour or so at a time. I'm almost completely vacant. It feels good, but I'm not sure if it is good for the brain.

The home vs shop bought items rings true. I can make a bean burger without much effort. And I have a good idea what went into it. But if I buy one, I'm not sure how old the ingredients are, how long they have been stored and what other processes those foods have been through.

I have gotten it into my head that these are pretty much low-nutrition non-foods, and as such, I only eat them on the rare occasion.

Is this a U.S. thing? Is it the same in the U.K.?

Fibre is more than roughage, it helps nurture the microbiome.

That's a shame. I was wondering if I could use a Pi0 with an old USB camera as a cheap IPCam.

You can. Just get a USB webcam. The GP just said you can't use the CSI webcam.

Configuration can be a pain. Sane defaults help and smart UIs help not to mention good documentation.

I've been playing with some software over the last week that has wiki for documentation and an active user forum with people willing to help. But it's completely disordered and incredibly hard to discover. Half the battle with usability is making it easy to use and understand.

That's what I do. Once to get rid of food debris. Then start with toothpaste. Then floss, rinse, and a quick brush again with toothpaste. But sadly too little too late with my teeth. They are screwed.

I rarely ate sweets as a child and avoid sugar. I rarely eat processed foods. Drink is another matter. I most likely have harmed my teeth from drinking beer/wine/smoothies and from being too rough when cleaning. I really miss my younger healthy teeth.

My teeth have felt horrible ever since they failed and were drilled and filled. And now bring me a lot of misery. Look after your teeth! Healthy teeth are incredibly attractive. IMHO.