How to Stop yourself from Tab-Hopping

How to Stop yourself from Tab-Hopping

You know the drill: Open your e-mail, click on a couple of links, your browser pops up with some interesting articles, you read them, find and click on more links on the side bar, jump to Facebook to let your friends know about this awesome article you came across, jump to twitter to do the same, whilst at twitter you find some interesting tweets with some more links, you click on those, you get to more interesting articles… [to be continued]

I can see you sulking behind your computer screen feeling guilty about the above, not to worry, it’s a common behaviour, and I admit that I sometimes fall prey to the above mindless surfing. Yes, Abu Productive falls into the above trap! But…the key is to catch yourself before the hours pass and you have no idea where they went. More importantly, the key is to redirect your purposeless surfing to a purposeful research/study/read.

We need to understand that the jump from tab to tab is our attempt to feed our pleasure senses in our brains with ‘mini-surprises’. Because the internet never failed to deliver a constant stream of such amusing news, it’s so addictive to find yourself constantly trying to look for the most recent, hilarious, or moving article or video clip you can come across online.

So how does one stop this mindless surfing?

1. Rather than trying to totally abolish it, control it. Give yourself 10 minutes of mindless surfing for every 90 minutes of work you do. Note: You must do 90 minutes of pure work first though.

2. Before you log online, make sure you know exactly what you want to get done, and write that on a post-it note and stick it on your computer. That way every time you’re wandering aimlessly online and you forget what you were looking for in the first place, a quick glance at the note will remind you why you went online in the first place.

3. If you’re bored at home, and really feel like doing nothing but surfing the web, try to think of interesting topics you always wanted to research but never found time for, e.g. some answers to fatwa questions you had in mind, or books on certain topics you want to know more about – just don’t allow yourself to drown in 20 open tabs with no benefit! Also, you could try picking up a book about Islam the next time you feel like learning new stuff online.

[continuing our story…]

So you arrive at those interesting articles, on an interesting site called ProductiveMuslim.com, and you come across this article and write a nice comment below and turn off the internet to focus on your work!


55 thoughts on “How to Stop yourself from Tab-Hopping

  1. Sabs 281 says:
     Thank you for the article :)
  2. mohdhafiz says:
    I’m glad to explore this site. A lot of benefit that can i get.
    Just pay your time here and you will earn some knowledge. :) smile.
  3. 'Uthman says:
    Yes, that is so me! I think the 90-minute pure work tip is a good idea. Will try to implement that inshaAllah. JazakAllah Khayr.
  4. Icaro says:
    it’s all true! how much time clicking every five minutes on the same link… Very usefull this site!
  5. Alnoor Design says:
     wow thanks! so true!! we are always in need for a constent reminders…stayin focused to my goal os always my issue…may Allah always help us stay focused on our goals and guide us to the right path!

    ps: loved the structure of the article…very creativly writen and the ending was masha Allah =)

    keep it up! 

    and please if there is anything we can help u wth let us know, im a graphic designer =))

  6. Sarahturt says:
    Aptly said, that was how i ended up here.. At least this link is beneficial :) Thanks for the tips!
    1. Yahiya Perothayil says:
      me too :)
  7. The_bhoti says:
     جزاكم الله خيرا يا رفاق
  8. Sherif Mousa says:
    Jazakom Allah Khayran . . I really found your website a great help and guidance . . keep up the good work . .
     
  9. shahid says:
     JazakAllahu khairan!! good article, excellently formatted.

    I know websites distract you from doing productive working and you end up hopping between tabs and links….thats why I started using Google Reader…..Just subscribe to your frequently accessed websites and skim through them all at one place…I advise others also use it..

    Shahid Hussain | http://www.hyderabadimuslims.com

  10. Elyes_bc says:
     thx a lot for article
    i’ll try to take it in consider
  11. Neechan18 says:
     indeed, you were right. I sometimes do the same thing and ended up being nothing. But I also do some research and stuff that would benefit me like this site. But yeah, you were right, I guess we have to control it. 

    MashaAllah, nice article.
    JazzakumAllahu khair (:

  12. Shiney says:
    wow…that is so me. I usually have about 3-4 tabs open on average and the keep adding on as I find interesting stuff. JZK for the tips!
  13. Greenhalal - Abdelmalik says:
    wonderful post . True that some are procrastinating (me) just surfing aimlessly on the web and loosing precious parts of time 
  14. Greenhalal - Abdelmalik says:
    wonderful post . True that some are procrastinating (me) just surfing aimlessly on the web and loosing precious parts of time 
  15. Mohammed Ansar says:
    For Chrome browser users there is a neat extension called stayfocused. Install this and control your browsing time. It works great. 
  16. Abdullah Eyles says:
    Salam alaykum,

    Very true!! Because I’m always “connected” at work and use the internet almost all day (sometimes for work!) I tend to get “withdrawal symptoms” when I can’t access the internet. It’s like a drug, may Allah protect us…

    Time to do some work!

    Wasalam

  17. Anonymous says:
    Exact!!! This is how we waste our time… Not being focused to the point…

    Truly guiding & productive…

  18. so. it wasn’t only me after all…:)

    jazaakaLLAH khayr for reminding us…I’ll close the browser now :)

  19. Ashmar says:
    very true .happens with me many times. This habit sometime a whole good day. Jazakallah for this wonderful note.
  20. Anonymous says:
    So true..jazakallah khair for the tip
  21. msalax says:
    mashAllah this is so me…browse at work for hrs and realize its almost the end of the day. Then i came across this site…may Allah reward you for your effects. im going to close my browser now :)
  22. Syaz_241 says:
    Glad to know it happens to a lot of ppl & I’m one of them. Alhamdulillah for the advices :)
  23. Khawlah says:
    Thank you :)
  24. RashAyesha says:
    Haha. Im guilty. Masha’ Allah very good article(:
  25. Luqman says:
    Jazakallah Khair.
    Hahaha, love the ending. :D
  26. Luqman says:
    Jazakallah Khair.
    Hahaha, love the ending. :D
  27. Suriaheart says:
    I went to this website http://www.onfacebreak.com
    Facebreak is where those who are experiencing addiction to facebook vent out their frustration on how facebook ruining their life.
    I totally can relate to this article and facebreak.com . I want to be more productive instead of checking facebook every single time for no reason..
  28. Tarik says:
    Thank u guys )
  29. Zainab Khan says:
    Thankyou for the useful read.
  30. Bela_khanz says:
     Brilliant. Truly depicted :)
  31. Nazai Nazar says:
    Thank U very much for the idea. Although I was a victim of such habit, I never knew that had such a name. at the same time, I wanted to stop this. Coz spending few minutes aimlessly floating on the attractions of the internet was too bad. It plundered me of my precious time. I t also resulted in giving me 100 ideas and thus forgetting my real purpose and left me unstable. Jazakallahu Khair. I always wouild like to see more updated and information from ur end. Salam….:)
  32. Ahsan Khaja Nazimuddin says:
    As-Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

    Masha ALLAH, La quwwata illa billah.  Excellent steps to invest our time
    for a successfull next life.  ALLAH AZ-ZAWWAJJAL, reward all your team,
    aameeeeen.  Peace and blessings be upon our dear prophet, salle ALLAHU
    alayhi wa sallam.  ALLAH JALLE JALALAHU bless you all tremendously,
    aaameeeeen.

    Your supporter
    Ahsan Khaja

  33. Madiha Sharaf says:
    “Feeding the pleasure senses in our brain with mini surprises.” So that is what it’s all about! I was thinking there must be an explanation for it!
  34. Tahera says:
    sometimes this habit do land in a good place, like PM tab. But mostly its a huge waste of time, and like channel surfing in TV this start from boredom and emptiness, and feeds these monsters more.When I start doing this I recite Aujubillahiminarshaitanirrajim several times and clear out some tough works,,and I have learned that from PM :-)
  35. Hafsa says:
    Lol, ending’s a true story. Jazakallahu Khayran!
  36. Sabrine says:
    Jazakom Allah Khayran…nice tips and we need more!! :) 
  37. Hala8chaoui says:
    wonderful work , im really fan , and what u are saying is so true ! hmmm actually i was surfing with no purpose when i tought about productive muslim and here i come accross this article ;D baraka Allahu fikum !! salam , go to my work now
  38. Mena Nina says:
    That’s typical me; thank you for the nice tips
  39. Mourad says:
    thanks for all of your articles!
  40. Farheen says:
    This article is for me :/ Thanks…Jazak’ALLAH 
  41. guest says:
    jazkallah:)
  42. Nicola says:
    jazak Allah khair for this article, as this describes me perfectly. You must have been watching over my  shoulder”" Will definately try harder, insha’Allah
  43. Nicola says:
    jazak Allah khair for this article, as this describes me perfectly. You must have been watching over my  shoulder”" Will definately try harder, insha’Allah
  44. Yasmin says:
    the note as a reminder sounds great! I am almost always reading at things I want to know about (e.g. sewing, scrapbooking) but I drown in 20 different tabs of them and get confused because ideas are overloading
  45. Mah Sis says:
    lol…at first glance..i thought u wrote my story…. pretty true behavioral problem..but i already started to control it … Inshallah will take hold of it
  46. mas says:
    that was how i ended up here too ^_^
  47. Zahra says:
    Uff… True!
  48. S.Sabrina says:
    thank you.. that always happened. :)
  49. Ameer Hussein says:
    JazakAllah. One thing I don’t regret from tab-hopping is finding this site.
  50. Amina Yussuf says:
    Thanks for the good tips.
  51. Sumeya says:
    JazakaALLAH Khair! Just what I needed to read. InshaALLAH, I will implement this on my road to becoming a productive muslim, Aaamen.
  52. Abdurrahim says:
    What I usually do is ‘Read it later’ – there are many apps out there like Pocket, which allows you to read an article/video later, so, whenever I come across a link, I do not usually read it, but send it to my ‘read it later’ app and read such articles when I have time. Thought this might help.
  53. ruhi says:
    thanks for the info..its really beneficial..keep up the good..love this site..

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