Conquering an Addiction

The first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem and so I'll admit that I have an internet addiction problem. When I have to grade, or prep a class, or write and edit an article, the computer offers me a way to escape the drudgery and empty my mind for a little bit. The main issue with this addiction is that I absolutely have to use the internet for my job. While an alcoholic can avoid a bar and a smoker can stay away from cigarettes, my job requires me to encounter my addiction on a daily basis. Another issue is that the internet can actually be helpful. When I'm in the middle of a challenging or mind numbing task, taking a quick break can help me come back to my work refreshed and ready to go. Notice that I wrote "quick break." It's not always a "quick break." Sometimes it's a "rest of the work day break." Or a "just look at one more thing break." Thus the resolution that I look at each website only once a day. I have cheated on that resolution. There have been days when I wasted the entire day instead of being productive. But I'm making progress. In fact, I actually eliminated a website from my list of daily things to check. And I'm getting better at only checking on the different sites when I'm needing a break from work - work first, then play. I have not conquered this addiction by any means. Play is still a lot more fun than work. But I'm getting better. And now that I've written this, I have some work to get back to...