Fellow YouTube/Internet addict here. I'm trying a few things:
- Disable the YouTube app on my Android.
- Use Newpipe from F-Droid instead when I really need to watch a tutorial or something (very rare). I find it a little less addictive.
- Leechblocker extension (available on Firefox on desktops & Android).
- Use uBlock Origin filters to hide the YouTube feed and recommendations on my laptop.
- Using a feed reader with selected feeds instead of binging HN/reddit/blogs.
- Not using YouTube for music or background noise. Instead, use mynoise.net and download music from Amazon/Bandcamp/etc and build a music library.
- Find alternative stuff to do. In my case, anything from hobby projects to trying to walk 10K steps per day to meeting up with friends to trying a new journal/knowledge base app (Logseq) to organizing/rearranging my apartment and shopping for furniture.
- On a related note, take care of your health so you have energy to do the right things. Get an exercise routine, eat better, sleep at the right time, get enough time outdoors and with other people.
I don't feel like I've really kicked my bad habits yet. But maybe the vulnerability never goes away entirely, and the important thing is to always keep trying.
- Disable the YouTube app on my Android.
- Use Newpipe from F-Droid instead when I really need to watch a tutorial or something (very rare). I find it a little less addictive.
- Leechblocker extension (available on Firefox on desktops & Android).
- Use uBlock Origin filters to hide the YouTube feed and recommendations on my laptop.
- Using a feed reader with selected feeds instead of binging HN/reddit/blogs.
- Not using YouTube for music or background noise. Instead, use mynoise.net and download music from Amazon/Bandcamp/etc and build a music library.
- Find alternative stuff to do. In my case, anything from hobby projects to trying to walk 10K steps per day to meeting up with friends to trying a new journal/knowledge base app (Logseq) to organizing/rearranging my apartment and shopping for furniture.
- On a related note, take care of your health so you have energy to do the right things. Get an exercise routine, eat better, sleep at the right time, get enough time outdoors and with other people.
I don't feel like I've really kicked my bad habits yet. But maybe the vulnerability never goes away entirely, and the important thing is to always keep trying.