The Internet is simultaneously one of the greatest inventions ever forged by human hands and one of the worst. It’s a tool that allows us access to infinite information and entertainment, and opens up entirely new avenues of employment, but at the same time, can cause productivity to drop directly through the floor if you aren’t careful. It’s incredibly easy to see your efficiency drop like a stone – one minute, you’re happily working on a project. Then, suddenly, two hours have passed and you’ve downloaded a gigabyte of cat pictures and somehow wound up watching a movie on YouTube while browsing Reddit.

I’m sure most of you – particularly those of you who work online – have been there. The question, then, is how can one avoid falling prey to one of the Internet’s less esteemed features.

The good news is that it’s entirely possible. The bad news is that it takes a level of discipline that many of us might not possess.

Avoid Social Networks

Some of you might disagree with this one. After all, Facebook makes people better employees, right? Be that as it may, it’s also been linked to narcissism, low self-esteem, anxiety, lower grades and chemical addiction. Whether or not going on a social media site helps you feel less stressed is irrelevant – when you’re on Facebook or Twitter, you aren’t doing work, and social networks tend to be rife with so many distractions that simply going online to “check your messages” could end with you deciding to engage in a Ray William Johnson marathon.

The fact is, nothing kills productivity faster than going on Facebook, particularly when you have work to do. Your friends (and, God forbid, your Farmville account) can wait – neither of those are going to pay the bills, are they?

Use Music

As I’ve said before, a good way to refocus yourself while you’re working is to put on some music. Nothing too flashy or intense, though: just something that’ll relax your mind, pump you up, and help keep you on track with what you’re trying to get done. Different songs work for different people, however; it’s up to you to find out what sort of music is most conducive to keeping you working.

Stay Focused While Researching

This has happened to me more times than I’d like to count. I’m doing research for an article, and the source I come across contains links to several other sources. And those links contain links to more sources. And so on and so forth, until, eventually, I realize I’ve spent hours reading about a topic which has nothing to do with what I originally set out to research. If you need clarification on a point, that’s fine. Otherwise, you need to make an active effort to only read the stuff that’s relevant to what you’re working on.

Take A Break Every Now and Then

No, I’m not talking about a Facebook break or YouTube break. It’s all too easy to burn oneself out while slaving away in front of a computer screen. Every hour or so (varies by the individual) take a few minutes to get up and stretch your legs. Go outside for a bit. Get some fresh air. Whatever you do, get away from the computer and give your mind (and eyes) a rest; a chance to refresh.

Remember to Eat

Your brain needs food and water to fuel itself just like any other muscle. The problem with the ‘net is that it often tends to be so distracting that some of us forget to eat or drink. If need be, plan out specific points at which you’ll get yourself food or water, and set an alarm so that you don’t miss them.  That might seem a touch extreme, but unfortunately, it might be necessary.  Otherwise, you’re going to find yourself feeling worn-out and exhausted in short order.

Oh, and one more thing: eat healthy. Don’t stuff your body full of greasy, fatty garbage.

One Thing at a Time

I’ll readily admit it – I’m guilty of multitasking. I do it all the time. Right now, I’ve got ten tabs open in Chrome, two articles in progress in Word, an image I’m touching up in GIMP, a to-do list I’m poring over in Evernote, and I’m organizing my desktop. Believe it or not, what I’m doing isn’t all that impressive, and it’s more than likely sending my productivity straight into the toilet.  I know it’ll be difficult – believe me, I know – but your best bet is to focus on only one task at a time. Don’t divide your attention, and don’t try to do multiple things at once.

You’ll just end up with five partially completed tasks, instead of one completed one.

Image Credits: [Serendip] [Signal] [Bandmate Loops][Mastering Health and Fitness][Thomas Craig Consulting] [iFood]

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