How to Use YouTube for Work Without Getting Distracted

You need to learn how to do something. There’s a useful video on YouTube.

So you open it.

A little later, you’re watching something interesting that has very little to do with the problem you came to solve.

When YouTube is part of your work, try giving each visit a defined job. Write down the question you need answered, go directly to relevant material, turn off autoplay if it gets in the way, and decide what you’ll do with the answer.

Write the question before you open YouTube

“Watch something about design” leaves a lot of room for browsing.

A specific question gives you something to look for:

• “How do I export this file with a transparent background?”
• “How do I replace this part?”
• “How does this spreadsheet function handle empty cells?”

These are examples, not a required formula. The point is to name the information your current task needs.

You can also decide what a useful answer would let you do. Perhaps you need to export a file, complete one repair step or fix a formula. That gives you a practical place to stop and try the work.

Go directly to the material you need

If you already have the video link, use it.

If you need to search, use the question you wrote down. Check whether a result addresses that question before committing to the whole video.

You may need several sources, particularly when instructions are unclear or depend on a particular product version. Keep those visits connected to the question you’re investigating.

If another topic catches your attention, you can save its link for a separate visit. You don’t have to decide its value while you’re trying to finish something else.

Turn off autoplay if you want to choose each video

YouTube’s autoplay feature can start another related video after the current one ends. On a computer, you can turn it off using the autoplay switch at the bottom of the video player. Settings can differ between devices, so check the device you use for work. YouTube’s autoplay instructions

Turning it off gives you a stopping point between videos. Recommendations will still be available, and you can still choose another video when it serves the task.

Pause to use the answer

When you reach the part you needed, pause the video and try the step.

For example, if you came to fix an export setting, make the change and inspect the resulting file. If you came to understand a formula, test it on the data you’re working with.

You may discover that the answer is incomplete. In that case, write the next question before continuing your search.

This keeps the task connected to what you’re watching. You have a reason to return to the work, assess what happened and decide whether more viewing would help.

Put your task in view before entering YouTube

Caliph can add a reminder at the beginning of the visit.

With YouTube selected in Caliph’s Chrome extension, opening the website brings up your saved tasks first. You can see the work you intended to do and choose whether this visit belongs to it. If you need the video, you can continue after the pause. If you opened YouTube automatically, you can choose a task and set up a focus session instead. See Caliph

Caliph provides the reminder before you enter the website. YouTube’s own controls, such as autoplay, govern what happens while you’re watching.

Decide what happens after the video

Before you begin, leave yourself a simple instruction:

After this video, I’ll try the export again.

Or:

Once I understand this step, I’ll return to the draft.

You can also choose to keep watching for enjoyment. The useful distinction is whether you’re still working on the question you brought with you.

For your next work-related visit, write down that question and the action you’ll take when it’s answered. Keep both visible while you watch.