Habit blockers

We waste time
        <p>There are certain habits that are not nocive enough for us to notice the wasteful (if not subtly detrimental) effect on our lives. For some people this is Netflix or TV, Reddit or Hacker News, Facebook or Twitter. Everybody needs to <em>zone out</em> once in a while, but <em>zoning out</em> as a habit usually is a sign of avoidance. If you want to know if your habit is of any use, try to remember: what do you recall from your last <em>consumption</em>? If nothing comes up, or what you remember is useless to your life, it may be worth considering making space for more transcendental endeavors.

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          Wouldn't it be interesting to attempt other forms of distraction? To expand our realm of possibilities? 
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        <h6 class="aside txt-n4">We should block habits that are not useful</h6>
        <p>
          The purpose of having habit blockers in your life is not to completely block you from your habits. Escapes are ocassionally useful. It is certainly better to watch a TV show than it is to drink oneself to sleep. The purpose is to observe what happens when you block the natural flow of your attention. So, if every day you come home from work to turn on the TV, simply disconnect it and place a book nearby. Next time you arrive, you'll slump on the sofa and reach for the control to discover the TV won't turn on, and instead of plugging it back in, you might just give the book a chance.
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        <h6 class="aside txt-n4">Have an alternative at hand</h6>
        <p>Blocking redirects the flow of attention so that it finds a different route. See what arises: attempt a new recipe for homemade dinner instead of pizza and Netflix, block Facebook and instead chat with your friends to find out what's been up with their lives, play a different kind of video game than what you're used to. It doesn't have to be "healthier", virtue also lies in amplifying your realm of experience in the degree in which you find it comfortable.
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        <h6 class="aside txt-n4">Attention will naturally redirect itself to different sources of distraction</h6>
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        Attention works like the flow of water: it follows the path of least resistance. These paths are our habits, and they grow wider and deeper as we allow attention to flow through them throughout our lives. Your servant blocked Reddit on his personal computer five years ago, yet there are still days when, slumping on the couch the browser toolbar is filled with 'redd', only to find it doesn't autocomplete. "Ah, this is the sign that I am asleep"—is thought. Then a more healthy source of distraction is found.
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        <h6 class="aside txt-n4">Distraction is necessary, do not fight it</h6>

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          Do not be tyranical in your blocking of sources of distraction. If we inquire into the need for distraction, we usually find that it's necessary to disconnect from the worries of our working life. Embarking in an inner war to banish it will only exhaust you. There are thousands of ways to distract oneself, yet we tend to flow where the water has carved it's way, ignoring vast expanses of experience that are available to us. It can be as simple as watching the news on a different chanel.
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