Steven Bartlett with Nir Eyal
Playing a video game can be deliberate; answering work emails can be distraction. The difference is whether the action serves what you intended to do with that time.
Distraction is the opposite of traction, which means any action planned with intent is traction, including playing video games or watching television, as long as it is done purposefully.
Because all human behavior is driven by a desire to escape psychological discomfort, time management is fundamentally pain management.
Instead of relying on strict abstinence to avoid bad habits, use the ten-minute rule to delay gratification, which proves you have agency and reduces the psychological reactance that triggers relapses.