[ChildOfChaos]

Do you use any blocking/restriction tools or really just programmed yourself to only check once and for five minutes a day? I'm really bad at that, it's so easy for me to just randomly check and then lose a bunch of time. To be honest that is exactly what I am doing now :(, over the years i've just never been able to break this habit.

[criddell]

> I've just never been able to break this habit

You probably haven't really tried other than what most people do - declare to themselves that they won't look at Twitter (for example) and then feel bad an hour later when they notice they are looking at Twitter.

I know he doesn't have the best reputation around here, but James Clear's book Atomic Habits has some pretty good advice about building new habits.

If I were trying to stop reading HN, I would start small. Tell myself I won't reload it for 30 minutes (or whatever - some small easily achieved goal). I would keep setting small goals like that and then start to stretch the time. I would also need something to replace the activity in those time when I reach for HN reflexively. I keep a guitar at work that I'll noodle on or I'll read for a few minutes, write something to myself, go make tea, step outside for some sun and air, etc...

[alexjplant]

Check out LeechBlock. It's a browser extension that lets you define block lists and time limits that periodically reset so you can, for instance, limit yourself to 10 minutes every 4 hours of browsing Hacker News. It's one of my favorite productivity tools.

[97s]

No. I found that if I used blocking programs, I would just unblock them. So I just ended up making a stance on what was most important in my life. I tried to fill any voids with something that I needed to do or something I enjoyed doing. The moment I would open it I would be like, NO, do this instead.

Eventually it just became natural to do other thing instead.