https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 11 May 2026 06:55:00 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-45387 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:10:42 +0000 Lena 45387@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hee, since I also keep YLF open in my browser, I often lose track of threads because I have so many tabs open. Or I think I commented on something when in fact I didn't (I think Ana mentioned this, too). </p> <p>Anne, congrats on swimming 3.6km. I'm a lousy swimmer, I'm always impressed with people who are better than me. </p> <p>Shiny, it's interesting what you said about deriving energy from online forums. Maybe I'm not as introverted as I think - I also get more energized from online participation. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-45262 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:19:50 +0000 shiny 45262@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anne, you spend a lot less time on here than I do, if that makes you feel better, LOL!</p> <p>I initially got addicted to YLF during a period of time when I had something going on in my life. I was on leave from work for several months and had a lot of free time to kill. It was either come here and distract myself, or sit around and fret and worry, or worse, surf and read up on information that would make me even more worried. </p> <p>I never talked about it here, because I wanted a place to go where nobody knew what was going on and everyone treated me normally instead of walking around on eggshells, if that makes sense? YLF was a wonderful distraction and it helped me get through a very challenging time. </p> <p>That situation is improved and I'm working again (actually just had my busiest two quarters), but I still find ample time for YLF. </p> <p>However, my kids are teens which makes a big difference. For one thing, they are old enough to take a big load off the chores - they do their own laundry, empty the dishwasher, etc. You'll see me posting frequently on the weekends that we're basically stuck in the house, all the chores are done, and the kids have friends over so we must make ourselves scarce while also occasionally wandering in to discreetly check up on them. Or we aren't at liberty to go anywhere because we are waiting around to pick up/drop off somebody. On weekends when the kids are at their dad's, you may still see me here on and off, because my DH really likes to catch up on his sleep. (That man can NAP! I've never been able to nap.)</p> <p>During the week, I still post frequently because I work from home. My hours are all over the map. A typical day may find me on a call with Europe early in the morning, then with the west coast from noon until 6 pm, then back on calls again as late as 9 pm with asia. That's a long day! </p> <p>I often start my day here because typing replies wakes my brain up and helps me think straight so I can then tackle my other work (I do a lot of writing, planning, strategy, budgeting, etc). So if my early-morning posts seem halfway incoherent, now you know why. :-)</p> <p>Like Nicole, I leave my browser open to YLF all day long, and when I need a few minutes break, or a listen-only conference call is boring me to death, I pop in and out again. Yesterday, all my meetings were cancelled - everyone wanted to watch the inauguration. We're also at the end of our quarter and things are winding down for the next, so it's slow. </p> <p>I work at home - and yet, I'm a huge extrovert who derives energy from socializing and being around people. Having worked at home for nearly 5 years now, I have learned to get my socialization kick from forums such as these. </p> <p>On the plus side, my experiences with internet forums have paid off in my work life, as I'm now our team's resident expert on social media. That's not all I do, but about 50% of my job is web marketing. I actually get paid to play on sites like facebook!! So fun! </p> <p>Upshot: I find I'm more productive, not less, when I participate in forums and other social networking sites. I think this is because I'm an extrovert. I find it energizes me. And often helps me reach a personal goal - such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and upgrading my wardrobe. And I learn things that end up - surprisingly! - being applicable to my job. </p> <p>With that said, from time to time, I force myself to unplug from my computer completely. For example, this weekend even though it snowed and we were stuck in the house for two days, I unplugged my computer completely and read a 1000 page novel from cover to cover. Oddly, I felt very lazy and like a total slacker doing that! </p> <p>P.s. I second the recommendation for flylady! And there are some wonderful flylady support groups on yahoo.... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-45260 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:36:55 +0000 anne 45260@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi - getting back to you after a couple of days with guests - Angie you are very kind and thoughtful - but please be clear that in no way have I had "enough of YLF"! It is precisely because I want to keep participating (and doing everything else) that I asked for people's input!</p> <p>Everyone else - I thought up detailed answers to each of you while swimming the other night ( I did 3.6km and am very pleased about it!) but will be sensible and not stay up late to tell you them all (remember the time difference - I should be going to bed when some of you are starting the day). You will just have to imagine my scintillating replies </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44895 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:00:22 +0000 Laura 44895@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anne, if it makes you feel any better, I spent 6 HOURS picking up and cleaning our house yesterday and I guarantee you that by the end of today (kids are off school) it will be returned to its original, messy state (albeit cleaner). It's a never-ending and sometimes thankless process. Like Nicole, I feel better (i.e. not verging on insanity) when my house is tidy, but at the same time, I know there are things I need to let go, because otherwise I wouldn't ever do anything but clean and pick up. I just hope I survive until the kids are grown - and then you know that all we'll do is miss the days when they were around to leave Lego pieces between the sofa cushions. Meanwhile YLF is such a lovely mental break from it all, when used in moderation (hehe). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44877 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:15:04 +0000 Angie 44877@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anne, please know that we will still love you if you AWOL!</p> <p>Don’t worry your pretty little head about this matter. We’ll take whatever precious “Anne input” we can get and that’s that. If you’ve had enough of YLF, then you are completely within your right to put your energy elsewhere. If you waft in and out of YLF cycles then that’s brilliant too. You are part of the YLF forum family no matter what </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44847 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:55:42 +0000 anne 44847@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Everyone,</p> <p>Thanks for all your thoughful replies. It is really interesting reading how you deal with this issue.<br /> I was particularly stuck by how many people "go through cycles" - I think I can resonate with this, and also with Susan's desire to "actually do[] the other things I love instead of just reading about others doing them!"</p> <p>As San said, it is a tribute to this wonderful site that it is so addictive. I think the interactive community nature of the forum is a new dimension in my 15 odd years of internet experience. With all your suggestions I feel much more equipped to handle it! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44664 Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:12:39 +0000 Lena 44664@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anne, this is an interesting question and it's fun to read everybody's responses. </p> <p>Normally I keep YLF open in one of many browser tabs when I'm online. I work from home, so I'm on the computer most of the time, and it's impossible to resist checking the news and reading a gazillion RSS feeds (both professional and hobby related). I'm also a master procrastinator. So my involvement with YLF sort of mirrors my general browsing pattern: I enjoy learning and participating, and at the same time I recognize I need to spend time doing other activities and try to limit my time online (heh, easier said than done). And like San, I get nervous about falling behind and not contributing. </p> <p>Like several of you, I go through cycles. There are times YLF helps me to deal with outside stress, and I use it as a reward for different tasks. At other times, I feel overwhelmed and step away and try to focus on activities that don't involve the computer: reading books, exercising, housework, cooking. Heh, and my lower back and wrists also keep me in line </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44642 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:56:17 +0000 marianne 44642@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I admit since I stopped working I check YLF more frequently. When I am at home with the kids, I don't have long stretches of time when I could sit down and focus on a project. When I get a minute here and there, I check email or my blog aggregator or YLF, but often I don't have enough time to respond or even look at the pictures. Of course during the snow storm we were stuck at home and it seems like I was on a lot.<br /> I agree with the strategy of setting aside time for it, and I echo what AJ says about the way conversations progress. Even though there are days with so many new threads that I can't keep up - and I also only check it from the main tab. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44624 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:44:48 +0000 Anonymous 44624@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is an interesting topic since the success of YLF is exactly why we are addicted to it. It's a friendly chit chat session and very alluring. I do feel I spend too much time here but I am also afraid of getting so far behind and having to catch up. I learn so much from everyone's questions and delimas and I'm a more rounded person for it, IMO. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44609 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:28:50 +0000 Antje 44609@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What a great question, Anne. I had been quite curious about how others fit YLF into their day as well. I'm a little like Nicole in that my YLF involvement is cyclical. I do hit times where I feel "addicted" to the point that I neglect other activities or other people and also where I just feel "enough already" with hunching over a computer screen. Then I basically force myself to take a break or tone down my engagement. I took a complete break for more than 2 weeks recently, over the holidays, not just from YLF but from all online activities; I spent less than 5 minutes online per day, which included a quick glance at my personal and work email. It was blissful! But then it was also really fun to jump back into the forum when the break was over, I started working again, and started enjoying browsing, socializing, and learning online again.</p> <p>It's hard to juggle everything. I have a busy life, with a full-time job (for another week, more on that later), a partner and a child, and a great circle of friends who are important to me and who I want to see regularly; I enjoy spending time with my family at home but I also really enjoy getting out of the house and socializing, both with my partner/child and with my friends. And yes, then there is the house cleaning and the errands and all that other stuff that interferes with life So fitting YLF in isn't always easy, and I've sometimes incurred my partner's annoyance about me chatting with my YLF friends online rather than spending quality time with her in the evening; I've also sometimes fallen behind stuff at work because I love to "reward" myself during the workday with a little peek at YLF and get stuck for longer than I should... Usually it all works out, though... I must say, though, that YLF has replaced other online activities to a certain degree, so it isn't that I'm spending more hours online now, it's just that I spend less time on social networking sites, reading news, or catching up on celebrity gossip. And that's just fine with me :-)</p> <p>What I do worry about is that YLF might have too much pull over me when I leave my job (which is a week from me). I'll be home for a while, figuring out what's next, and I will have to find a way to enjoy YLF without having it take over my day! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44600 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:46:14 +0000 Violet 44600@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi Anne, I commend you for running a household with a husband and three young kids. I am married, no kids and my husband I both work full-time jobs. Even with just the two of us, I get behind on housework. Some weeks I am super-motivated, but sometimes (like this past week) things have fallen by the wayside. I can't imagine how much harder it would be with three little ones.</p> <p>I work a job where I am at my desk pretty much all day. I check YLF/Facebook and other sites first thing in the morning and then at lunch time. Sometimes I'll check back during the day when I need a break from work.</p> <p>I too feel totally lazy sometimes and I tend to procrastinate. I am trying hard to break out of that cycle. Once I do a really big cleaning on the house, I do my best to try and keep up with it a little bit every day so it doesn't pile up.</p> <p>Since I sit in front of a computer at work all day, I don't like sitting in front of a computer too much at home so most of my YLF time is during breaks at work.</p> <p>I think you have a good plan with only checking YLF at certain times during the day or rewarding yourself after certain tasks are done.</p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44579 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 14:47:37 +0000 dee 44579@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't have a problem with this site in particular, but generally I spend too much time online and would like to cut back. I find it helpful to take vacations from the web - a few days off, only looking at online resources for school/work. It helps to realize that nothing changes too much, and that when you come back there will still be plenty of posts and stories. Good luck! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44577 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 14:36:46 +0000 susan 44577@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Our nest is basically empty so I definitely have more free time than you do, but I still get aggravated at myself for the amount of time I spend on this forum! One of my "resolutions" is to spend less time on the computer and more time actually doing the other things I love instead of just reading about others doing them! I think I will start setting my timer so I don't lose track of time.</p> <p>BTW-Check out Flylady.net<br /> This website literally changed my life-I'm not kidding! I wish I had known about the system when my kids were the age of yours. I would have been so much more calm and organized! Good Luck! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44568 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:55:10 +0000 Nicole 44568@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anne,</p> <p>For me, my involvment is somewhat cyclical. I go thru addiction, withdrawal, and healthy participation fairly regularly. Usually some event in my life needs my attention more than YLF. I usually leave the YLF site open on my browser and check it for a few minutes. Sometimes I'll devote more time (like an hour or so) if I have the down time. If I closed my computer every time I walked away, I probably would spend more time online because I'd be going thru the process of turning on and logging on. If my computer is just on and the YLF site is open, it only takes a moment to hit refresh and see what's going on.</p> <p>I've also established a bit of a routine when it comes to how I read the entries. I only read from the "recent conversations" tab (unless I'm searching for a specific thread). And I hit certain threads that I'm interested in, or that I may be able to partake in. If the thread title sounds like something I have no knowlege of, I usually skip over it until I have more time to go back and read.</p> <p>But aside from how to keep from obsessing over this (or any other) site, I think it's important to prioritize. I can't stand a cluttered disorganized house, and I can't stand walking on my kitchen floor and feeling the grit that comes in this time of year. So picking up and vacuuming are high on my priority list. I don't expect to always have a spotless house. If anyone has issues with the state of my house, they know where I keep the vacuum and dishrags. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44567 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:23:26 +0000 chelle 44567@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I reward myself with YLF too. I try to visit often for short amounts of time. Clean the bathroom...take a few minutes online. Finish the dishes, go online. I just give myself a time limit and then look forward to the next visit. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44561 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 06:12:10 +0000 Amanda 44561@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Anne - when I was studying for my exams last summer and working completely from home, I found it so easy to get distracted by YLF and a couple of other sites. Instead of taking a quick break, I'd be on-line for an hour. In my case it was somewhat temporary because I'm no longer working at home all day. On weekends when I am home I now set times that I can check email and visit YLF so that I don't end up distracted from what I want to accomplish. I finally realized that the posts don't change all that frequently and that I can read in the morning and in the evening and catch up. </p> <p>I don't have children but I know from my friends and sister that having young children can be overwhelming and it means the house will never be completely tidy. Housework is always a repetitive process (which is why I tend to let it slide). Hopefully your idea of "rewarding" yourself with YLF after accomplishing a list of tasks will help. You'll feel better about the house and about the time with YLF. In the long run, this will be temporary -- the kids will be big before you know it so enjoy them! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44538 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 03:12:00 +0000 Laura 44538@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I too use YLF as a distraction and it's such a nice little mental break. However, you're right, it's a little hard to tear yourself away sometimes Well, if you're like me, you regulate the kids' TV watching, so I guess we should regulate ourselves too! Since I started participating in the forum, I will say (on a positive note) that I hardly watch TV anymore, so unless I'm going out, books and YLF are now the major ways I relax at the end of the day. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44529 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 02:24:28 +0000 anne 44529@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks Maya,<br /> I did use the YLF/Facebook break thing to similar advantage last night while tidying. I think the problem is getting distracted in the daytime while the kids are up! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44526 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 02:19:14 +0000 Maya 44526@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is such a funny question Anne. Well, when I used to be up all night dong homework, I would often take a YLF/Facebook break here and there and it actually made working easier because I could recharge and refocus my thoughts. I think I spent less time here simply because I had to, and when I have to do something, it just gets done. I too am a procrastinator, but I really had to be disciplined and strict with myself because once you fall behind, there is really no way to catch up. I also "quit" YLF for a short period of time this summer while job-hunting and fixing up my portfolio. So I guess when I really need/want to, I can stay away (though I did miss it terribly and I would still keep up with the blog posts).</p> <p>Now that school is over, I find myself VERY addicted. I had a bad bout of tummy flu last week and basically spent the entire time here! I guess I'm in an easier position than you, as I do not have kids to look after nor do I have a house to attend to. </p> <p>I do have quite a long work day. I get up at 6 and get home at 7 in the evening. I'm usually tired enough that I don't much feel like going out like most normal people my age. I save that for weekends. So I guess when I get home, spending a relaxing evening on YLF and chatting with "real" friends through the magic of the internet is fine with me.</p> <p>Now that I have an iPhone, I'm always checking up while on the train...but really, it isn't as though I'm able to get anything done on the train anyway. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44519 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:48:01 +0000 anne 44519@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gosh I have just read todays blog and can't belived I just wrote this on the 1 year anniversary. What poor taste, I apologise! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/addicted-to-ylf#post-44515 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:35:46 +0000 anne 44515@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So here's the situation (only tangentially related to fashion)</p> <p>Yesterday I had a bit of a wakeup call when my long suffering husband, after some prodding, related his frustation at all the mess in our house and how his efforts to combat it don't last!<br /> Now there are several reasons for this, the most obvious being that we have three children, aged 1, 3 and 5! However the truth is that it is partly my fault too. I am disorganized, a procrastinator, a bit lazy., get overwhelmed and get distracted. And one of my distrations is YLF!</p> <p>I don't want to give you guys up completely this time, but instead want to ask how you handle the alluring nature of YLF with your other responsibilities?</p> <p>My current plan (as of last night) is to restrict going on to YLF (with the possible exception of while BFeeding) until a certain time in the morning or until after a cetain list of tasks have been done.</p> <p>I tidied for 3 hours last night and have been doing more this morning, so am hoping for a better looking house when DH comes back from an overnight trip mid-afternoon. But I need to work out a plan to keep it that way.</p> <p>On a fashion related way, I have let YLF get in the way of having enough time to get dressed, put on an accessory or my contacts etc. which is rather counterproductive...</p> <p>Angie, hope you don't mind my bringing this up - it is only because I love your site and this forum and want to be responsible about it </p>