I looked at stats at least a few times a day.

Whenever an article reached the top of the subreddit r/programming, I would stare at the live analytics to see how many people were there, and which subpages were being clicked.

Looking at statistics can’t change them. But our actions can.

When I realised that these dopamine hits feel good in the moment but I’m not gaining anything from the observation, I decided to stop checking stats.

What worked for me was to block all sources of statistics. The more time the brain saw a blocked screen from freedom.to/dashboard, which locks all my devices, the easier it was to automatically stop opening a new tab and going to pages with stats.

I don’t have clear data, but given how much blocking helped me since the beginning of the year: I bet not looking at my stats improved them significantly because the energy I saved was redirected into acting.

And yes, sometimes I unblock myself, just to check the progress, but with a timer.

Do you check something unconsciously to get a dopamine hit? New e-mails, messages, statistics, likes?