1. every day get dressed before I use the computer room.
2. meditate. every. morning.
3. every day do 30 minutes of some kind of exercise.
I've been succeeding at #2 and #3, but #1 was sabotaged by another habit, allbeit a good one.
Clearing my wallet and updating my accounting is entrenched in my morning routine (to good effect - no more chasing loose receipts around my desk like a brood of chicks). But that still puts me in front of the screen before I'm dressed. I need a trigger to go from my morning cuppa at my computer to my meditation in my hammock chair ... My new friend Block Site has been helping my "internet diet", but how can I get a nudge to just leave the computer?
How to turn the computer into a manager
Google: "How to set a time limit in osx" ... Ahhh, so that's what "Parental Controls" is for.Diving into System Preferences:
- Parental Controls: (unlock) I set a daily limit: 5 hours (!)
- Energy Saver: set sleep for midnight
That gives me a clue how to sleep the screen after 20 minutes using a little Applescript. It's sort of the opposite of a "pomodoro timer". Instead of reminding you to take a break and get back to work, it reminds me to put the keyboard down and step away from the computer by putting the computer to sleep. I quickly cobbled together a "quick action" in Automator. I have to manually start it thru the Services menu each time I sit down (as Automator can't tell when the computer wakes). That's a work in progress, but at least if my intention is not to spend the rest of the day here, I can make my decision before I begin.
Let's see if that will be enough to get me focused on necessary tasks.
To facilitate commitment #2, I've "delegated" the role of Meditation Guru to my old android. I still seem to procrastinate meditation, but I managed 6 of 7 days.
For #3, Google Fit is a boon: it cheerfully tracks my progress thru the day with the occasional beep to let me know I've gotten off my duff. *But* after a week, it just decided to increase my activity goals (since I was doing so well and had surpassed the goals for the week by Tuesday). That sounded like a great idea ... until it quashed the allure of the Great Outdoors with an unreasonably heavy dread. Fortunately I can edit the goals in the app, so I reset them to the WHO minimums. After all, my personal goal isn't to be an athlete: I'm aiming for good healthy habits that aren't deterred by any feeling of guilt or disappointment. By resetting the goals, this is an easy win every day.
My "internet diet" has been partly successful. I started with one site (youtube) and found out that I don't even miss it. But, even without the continuous flow of videos on the side, I was still investing too much time playing backgammon, so I added that to my scheduled block list.
I did get derailed when I engaged with an external crisis yesterday (note to self: don't volunteer to help solve problems without considering the time and mental costs), but that was the only day I didn't meditate or go for a decent walk. And the only day I sought out youtube as a sleep aid.
Most importantly, my sleep is becoming more regular. I'm falling asleep before midnight without a dose of youtube (up until last night, but that wasn't enjoyable enough to bother repeating). I've been generally wakeful in the daytime except for one day: that's the only day I drank a caffeinated tea late in the day as a pick-me-up for a public event (which could be the trigger for poor sleep the night before). I'm still ruminating and waking up dreaming about unresolved issues. Hopefully that will fade away with more regular meditation.
Let's see how Week 2 goes ...
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