One Way to Beat Bad Online Habits and Be More Productive This app can give your willpower the muscle it needs to keep you focused and on track for success.

By Jason Fell

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

In this always-connected digital world, many of us find ourselves unintentionally creating bad habits. Do you check Facebook and Twitter numerous times throughout the day? Do you open your email often for no reason?

This is called digital procrastination, behavior science expert James Clear says. Digital procrastination can be a productivity killer.

While some of us think we have the willpower to avoid bad online habits, going it alone can be tough since each distration drains your willpower. "Willpower is like a muscle," Clear explains. "Every time you use a little bit of it -- to resist going to Facebook or BuzzFeed or whatever it is -- you're flexing that muscle. By the end of the day...your willpower fades.

"This is why you find yourself binge eating at 9 p.m. or making some crazy online shopping purchase at 10 p.m.," he continues. "You're like, 'Why do I do this now? I know this is a bad choice.' It's because your willpower has been drained throughout the day."

One tool to help beat these bad digital habits and save your willpower is called Freedom. It essentially blocks social-media sites and any other site you want to block over any given period of time. "It takes the decision making out of your hands," Clear says.

For more, check out the short video above.

Related: The Surprising Strategy One Man Used to Eliminate Procrastination

Jason Fell

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing the Entrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Thought Leaders

How Gangster Al Capone Inspired the Launch of a Family-Run Company That Has Thrived for 95 Years

Marty Ozinga, the fourth-generation CEO of Ozinga, explains the legacy and future of the powerhouse construction materials company.

Marketing

4 Ways AI Is Revolutionizing Targeted Advertising — And How to Balance It's Ethical Implications

AI-powered targeted advertising revolutionizes marketing with hyper-personalized promotions. However, ethical and transparency questions hover over this progress.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Making a Change

Learn ASL with This Bundle, Just $40 Through March 24

Learning American Sign Language can open up your mind and business potential, and this bundle makes it easy with 55 hours of content on the alphabet, essential phrases, and more.

Business Solutions

Host Your Website with iBrave — $90 for Life Through March 24

iBrave is an advanced cloud web hosting platform.