What are some good ways to avoid distractions? I often find myself watching YouTube/Netflix or on steam for endless hours before realizing it
Let's say it's your phone first thing in the morning that is causing this problem. You could put your phone and charger far away from your bed. Then establish a sequence of actions that take you from bed to desk, without getting anywhere near your phone.
This is not an all-or-nothing method, where you fail even if you miss one step in the sequence in your routine. You start by making one or two adjustments and then build on your success.
The idea isn't to work exactly 8 hours per day. It's to get a sense of how much of my time is going towards work-related activities.
You're just doing surface-level work if you're able to watch Youtube videos.