Amphibian220

What made you choose a vegan diet? I know that milk products can be an issue but Its very hard to stay healthy without healthy meat.

The more correct wording on my part would be, how will you balance your studying with other activities to keep your morale high? I think we are all talking about tackling different needs to avoid exhaustion. If all i do is study without sports, family relations, being part of community, healthy eating, traveling- this is unsustainable in the long run.

with me watching a game of hockey on TV once in a while helps me for two reasons: I haven’t got a strong attachment to it and it allows me to rest. Anything else is like a narcotic, even news are designed in a way that it is hard to stop watching it. And about emotions, when I confront them, I get fear at first, but then a sense of resolution and real achievement when I start acting to solve an issue.

What was your daily average on non violent video games?

Boredom is bluff. The greatest achievers in the world rightfully perceived it as such and anchored their motivations in intermediate goals. A great mission is great to have, but if we build up intermediate goals like in school years- all those test papers, coursework, then we will begin to see the reality of great goals and handle boredom. I remember a guy who set a goal of becoming president of his country and even set up a time line of particular specific measurable goals needed to achieve that. Way to keep himself busy.

Glad to have you in this community. What will be your rewards for a good day’s work? We do need cravings after all, otherwise desire to get things done can disappear.

I share the objective downsides of television and gaming. I will not press it but respond if a child wants to know why I don’t partake in a particular activity. i can explain how the game designers study traits of the human reward system and specially tailor systems to create a dependence on the video game. The rewards of video games are illusionary, but the rewards of physical exercise and healthy activities are not. Video games negatively affect the eyes, back, discipline and development. This sincere conversation can generate a craving in a child to live a higher quality life and to follow sports, family and educational events instead of time wasting.

A thread in time saves nine. I keep seeing the “one last time” mindset in myself, but I am thinking about the other craving, the craving for a healthy body and soul. what if I start pushing my limits as before and get out of the comfort swamp? The game gives a sure thing, even before a gamer start playing it he knows what he is getting, but its the pursuit of a great goal that creates all those unexpected emotions and challenges that mean a life of difference.

In a scenario where I am feeling ill and my sport activities are being neglected, I am most likely to relapse. For about three days I have been recollecting my gaming experiences with a certain dopamine release. I also mentally constructed a game concept. This is a relapse because I wasted my time on a thing that only leads me to a loss of potential. I think i failed in actively seeking job opportunities and looking after my health. Skipping health and decision making is a No Go.

Yeah, I see them as playing on the target’s fears. All the click bait videos that claim to have that recipe for success but only aim to waste your time. Many Internet sites have become insidious in how they want to grab your attention. For me one challenge when I dropped internet distractions was to find other methods for resting. Which appeared pretty hard to do. But as I worked towards it, I became content with ordinary activities like basketball .

Matt, what do you think would be an alternative other than the TV in that burnout situation? I played basketball for an hour today even though I was feeling physically tired. I feel like I need to make a move in reviewing my career. From your posts I can tell you were tired, But you managed to secure a new job. I think your reactions to problems and health should improve with this experience. You have just shown you can do it. Repeating better modes of behavior must increase your robustness over time and make situations more controllable. Then you getter better health, more benefit for your family in the way of an authoritative male. I just heard one of the authors whom I have been following for some time talk about the rising matriarchy in the world. He claimed boys increasingly take their mothers as role models and not their fathers. When fathers used to be role models in the west, it was a time of knights who acted with great power and ability, did not let fear press on them, wore very nice dresses adorned with precious stones and fine tailoring. It was a time of real money too he claimed, when bankers yet hadn’t invented the inflationary fiat currencies (or IOUs). And then I got a feeling that young men today relative to that period in history have a lower of quality of life. he was talking about nobility, but we can fashion ourselves into men of principle just by being more assertive and consistent with good recovery programs.

@SteDG88 The relapse happens because of an absence of a narrative or a plot. The video game provides the super stimulating promise of an alternative world tomorrow, with an exciting storyline, sequels and achievements. Then there is a community of gamers, developers, clans etc. When a gamer goes on a detox, he may not be able to build up a narrative with allies, foes, progression towards measurable, lucrative and particular goals. his goals may not be very well crafted. This is what starts pushing him back into a virtual world. Its very important to carry on looking and tracking your progress in different fields. Because you won’t score digital points, share your successes with family and close friends who will encourage you and support you. Hope this was of help.

This subject got my attention because I wanted to know: Are fun, relaxing activities totally programmable? What is it that makes a certain activity arouse interest and others not? At a Gaming convention event I once saw a middle aged man given a chance to play a beta version of an upcoming triple A rating video game. He spent a few minutes at the computer and left. On his face I could tell he was absolutely not immersed. So what was it in this man’s experience that didn’t excite him? I think he grew up in a setting where values were so different and so he was wired differently, the experience didn't produce any interest. Which brings me to the issue of setting yourself up in youth to like things which are not sustainable. Whatever the stage in life, don't set up friendships and habits about harmful things. This sunk cost fallacy that Cameron talks about isn’t just about an expensive rig or “game library”. It is about memorable events from childhood that set up such a trap. The transition can be very lengthy. Cam even mentions that his attachment became so strong he even has nostalgia as he thinks about gaming days. But, the time invested into forming new habits soon stars forming new connections in your brain and hence new values and allows you to be content without harmful activities. I discussed the similarity between shooter games and paintball and there is a lot of overlap. The only thing is paintball cannot be abused. As I played non-stop for over 4 hours, the physical strain is a controlling element that disallows the kind of harmful relationship that one can have with games. And so I need a week to recover from the match until the next game.

What you made me think about by going over your career choices is that it is important to keep looking for options and new opportunities. I can continue working in my current job without bothering about better options, but if I check employment and education opportunities once a week I may across a much better option. In fact its good for mental health to have a change of profession towards something more challenging and requiring new learning. That is what I think from experience. I also feel physical strength building is important for effective work. Well done on the successes, are you thinking about the next detox ? I keep coming back to this subject because the school years are so much more effective as a way of life than a 10 hour desk job. So the detox can be directed at having a healthier way of life.

Having quit the video games, social networks, the internet quick gratification videos, I continue seeing consumerism propagated across all the media platforms. I detect it in advertisements, but more worryingly in people’s expectations. You always have to own something extra to be happy, like a newly released car, or phone, or personal computer. These things signal that a person is an achiever whereas in fact this can be far from the truth. If you are in an endless chase for better versions of clothes, gadgets, parties you are still getting suckered badly. Great life mission is something that cannot be traded for any material value.