NEW VIDEO: I Quit MMOs and THIS Happened
Realworlder
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Posts posted by Realworlder
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You did deserve the praise because the poem was good. Writing poetry is pretty cool, and even if it might be hard to share it, it is a form of art and people like them, there is nothing to worry about. I think that it is incredible that you reached more than 200 days, as you said it is getting closer to a year, day by day. GQ, and journaling is such a fantastic habit. It is nice that it also brings some stability to your days. I would love to visit Japan someday too. Especially since I started watching a lot of anime, I got intrigued about the Japanese culture. I considered trying to learn the language in the past too, but I never got to it. I have a friend who studies it, and she said that it one of the more difficult languages to learn. However, that makes it that much cooler if you can actually speak it. Apparently, people in Japan are super excited when you know it, even only a little.
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1 hour ago, Kuymak said:On 6/6/2020 at 12:30 AM, ceponatia said:
I can relate to your experience. I often have the same problem. It’s a dangerous situation for me because I am tempted to grab my smartphone and surf mindless the internet. And then it's even harder to sleep.
I recommend throwing phone/ other screens as far away from you at possible around bedtime. It was my doom, well it still is, but I try to stop all screen time at least 30 min before sleep. It makes a tremendous difference. Moreover, I would recommend reading if you enjoy it. I am a massive advocate of reading, so I tend to be biased, but I think it is a great hobby to pick up.
The cravings will get weaker with time, but I am afraid that they might hang around longer than we would like to. I still think about some games which I had on my list that I wanted to play. But it is essential to recognise the craving and cravings on different activities.
Enjoy your weekend. Climbing sound like fun!
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18 minutes ago, mks said:
True!
I really like Elastic Habits so far. They fit the "real me" really good. Second day it worked
and am excited to build more habits tomorrow (never had this with a strategy yet - most are
force yourself through it... don't like it and never worked for me.)Elastic Habits are really refreshing and exciting.
That is awesome! I have not read Elastic Habits, but from experience, I found this is the best way to move forward. One of my favorite books on building habits would be Atomic habits by James Clear. From what you mentioned, it seems like there might be many similarities between this and Elastic Habits. I like the comparison of habits to boiling water. To reach the boil, you need to increase the temperature to 100C. That is the point when you see a notable change, but you need to increase the temperature degree by degree until you reach it. If you stop on 99, 98, 97 .... you will so close, yet there will still only be a water in your pot and not steam. And habits are the same, every little step counts but the change, especially to the people outside, will only be visible once we hit that sweet point of boil. That's why it is essential to focus on the process, not the result. Journey before destination. And trust me, the results will arrive sooner than you think! The consistency is the key 🙂
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When it comes to building habits it is about the small steps, small easily achievable goals that you can improve on from day to day or week to week. Anything more can work as a compass for your journey but it never should be your destination. "Make today a tiny increment better than yesterday!" And you will achieve greatness, there is no one better to compare ourselfs to than our past self.
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On 6/10/2020 at 5:41 AM, gargamel said:
I wanted to share my personal favorite Black Metal album with you guys Batushka - Litourgiya. Masterful Polish band. I love Orthodox Christian (in Old Church Slavonic language) singing in it.
That is a really interesting take on Christian music. Do you like Skillet? They are Christian rock band I think they have lot of great songs.
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@Erik2.0 Dumbbells are great. It requires a bit more control but it does not force your hands into such an unnatural position. As books said it is great that you are finding balance in hobbies. In fairness that's probably needed, considering that gaming was able to fulfill so many need simultaneously. Dating sites are not worth it, it just feels like a social media on steroids where you keep on trying to make people like you based on your profile. It sucks that it is harder to meet people in real life these days but even that will change with some time.
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13 hours ago, GrainSiloEnthusiast said:
Today is day 20.
I had another "using dream"... a gaming dream. A relapse dream.
In the dreams I always end up realizing "oh shit, I'm not supposed to be doing this" just like my drug dreams.
This is the second one I've had. I didn't pay the first one any mind but apparently it's a recurring thing now? Great 🙂 Just great...
Maybe it's a good sign though, I've had more using dreams than I can count about drugs and I am going on 20 months clean.Dreams are a powerfull tool that our brain uses to process stored information into memory. They tend to reflect things that are on our mind, moreover when we quit something that played a huge role in our life it is deeply engraved in our brain and it takes time till we adjust to life without it. This creates conflict between subconscious which seems to be missing something but your conscious mind knows that it needs to stay away from the addiction. I think it is a good sign, as you said. It shows you your internal conflict, but more importantly you waking up with the realization that this is something wrong, something that you should not be doing is just an evidence that you mean your sobriety seriously.
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I know that for some people the blue light blocking glasses help but I try to avoid any screens at least 30 min before sleep. Any screen activity seems to be able to disrupt my sleep. Even bright light these days, I usually keep my lights dim in the evening so if the lights in the hallway are on, it can make it harder to fall asleep. Do not worry, with time you will find new things that you will enjoy. You can try watching different genre on tv, I started watching more documentaries, and it is a nice change of pace compared to anime and other shows.
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17 hours ago, Erik2.0 said:
I'm thinking of giving American comics another try as I have access to some of them via hoopla. I know there are massive comic sites you can illegally read on, but I don't feel comfortable using them. Anyone know if there's a pay site where you can read all the good manga/comics on?
There might be more, but the only legal one that I know of is Crunchyroll. It might work with your VrV account, but I am not sure. I remember seeing somewhere that you can link them the accounts together which should give you the access to the manga as well. It should have the most popular manga on there. Hope it helps 🙂. Also, Parasyte is great! Definitely one of the better anime imo.
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11 hours ago, GrainSiloEnthusiast said:
was never good with instruments, it's never too late to learn!
Remember, skill matters way more than "talent." Anyone can build skills! No matter how "naturally gifted" someone is, hard work and perseverance is the only thing that gets you anywhere. I was considered "talented" as a kid when it came to drawing, but I soon fell out of practice, and became too insecure to continue, setting me back by several years. I had to work like hell to get back to just being an average artist! You should totally snag yourself a cheapo keyboard and start learning, it's so much fun! I got mine for $60 at a pawn shop, which is cheap for an instrument. Even if you have to save up a little bit for one, I think it's well worth it. Music is so therapeutic, even when you have no idea what you're doing!That's a good point. I might give it a try someday. Unfortunately, I do not think I have the time to start learning the instrument at the time. I 100% agree with that; small steps are the ones that lead to significant changes. Nothing is done overnight. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Thanks for the advice though I had no idea that you could get it this cheap.
11 hours ago, GrainSiloEnthusiast said:Woke up at 10:50, fell asleep not long after 2 last night. So a little bit better than yesterday, because I didn't spend another 45 minutes in bed nodding off.
It's so completely impossible for me to wake myself up without checking my phone lately, and it's so annoying... just laying in bed and thinking makes me drift back off,
and I don't have enough energy to just jump out of bed like some people can. I wake up completely exhausted and fatigued no matter how much sleep I get.
I don't have that much going on on my phone though, no social media or games, so I just check my email... check my messages if there are any...
usually by then it's easier for me to not fall back asleep. There's probably an underlying issue causing the fatigue but there's a LOT of factors so I'm not sure what.
I'll do whatever it takes to not sleep until 14:30! Checking my phone for 10 minutes is not going to ruin my life. I can change that routine later anyway. Baby steps.As you mentioned before, baby steps. It takes time. But it is not impossible. Fixing my sleep schedule was one of my hardest habits to change. Now about a month later, I can comfortably wake up around 6AM, and I used to consider myself a massive night owl. The main thing that helped me was to make a good evening routine to slowly wind down before bed. Focus on more non-screen related activities before bed + dimer lights, if possible. And to get out of bed, there are several apps which force you to do something such as scan QR code somewhere or take a picture that forces you out of bed. I used Alarmy in the past, and now I use Sleep as Android because it connects to my smartwatch. I would say that having a smart alarm made a big difference, too, especially in terms of the morning fatigue.
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@Reza Welcome back. I struggled with league too. The best and one of the most painful decisions that I have made was to delete my account permanently. It meant that I was burying a considerable part of myself. But without it, the whole me would be slowly suffocated by gaming. For some people, moderation might work, but I have failed that way too many times to learn. Well, if we do something for several hours a day, the habit is so strongly engraved in our brain that it is easier to avoid it altogether. Reading is a great habit! Good job on deleting social media too. Keep up the good work 🙂
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@GrainSiloEnthusiast Congratulations on the 10 days, you will reach your goal in no time. Well, the piano seems like a great opportunity to try learning something new. I am kind of jealous, haha. I wanted to learn the piano when I was younger but never got to it. Although I was never good with music, so there's that, I guess. Keep up the good habits.
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@Erik2.0 Thats fair. Well done on the bike ride. I wish I have a bike here. I might actually have a look for one. I would enjoy the possibility to explore much more of my city than by just running. Well now that things normalize and you get busier you do not have to worry so much about finding so many hobbies.
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@Erik2.0 I am happy to see that things are going well. Do not worry, we all get sad and lonely at times. Moreover, this lockdown crap does not help it, but things are slowly improving, which is good. I foun that watching tv does not cause it only in case when I can talk about the show with friends. Otherwise it feels just like a form of escape and there are better activities to do to clear our mind 🙂.There are dedicated mats for puzzles that allow you to roll them with the puzzle inside, and it is supposed to hold it together. I was considering one, but then I found an old pinboard which is big enough for the puzzle, so I decided I do not need to spend more money.
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22 hours ago, Erik2.0 said:
I'm glad I didn't buy that chair yesterday. It ended up making my back kind of hurt so why buy something that's worse than what I already have. I don't know if I want to go to a fourth Office Depot to see what chairs they have. I'm pretty discouraged by their selection after looking through three OD's so far.
Maybe have a look at a lower back support addon to the chair instead of the pillow. I am not sure in what condition is the chair that you already own, but I know these things can make quite the difference sometimes. They are more breathable and firmer compared to the pillow, so it might be worth a try. It is cheap too, and in most places you could return it if you do not see improvement after few days.
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16 hours ago, Erik2.0 said:
@Marek Thanks for being here. It's helped me to have you here as well to talk to and support each other. Code Glass huh? Maybe I'll give it a try too. I don't get along with most shows but I'm willing to give them a try. I haven't rewatched hardly anything in my life. I've noticed a lot of people do this though with things they like. I can see the benefit in it. I once rewatched a Star Wars movie on a flight twice and ended up liking it more for it. Good luck with your puzzle and show.
Same here! There are only a few movies and shows I like to re-watch. From anime it would be Code Geass and Death Note, mostly. I just love seeing the master plan and strategy unfold. I remember the awe I had when I first watched it, but I can still appreciate it even now when I know what will happen.
16 hours ago, Erik2.0 said:Getting some exercise yesterday was a process. I tried pressing heavier and my wrist hurt a lot. Now I think I'm going to go back down weight. I felt like I could maybe try benching again, but I was having major shoulder issues with that. Basically I'm hard up for a pressing weighted exercise because my shoulder and wrist are still messed up. I don't know if benching or chest press will workout. Maybe I'll be stuck with just close hands push ups. Eh. It's okay.
Did you have an injury in the past? I had and still have some issues with my shoulder. What helped me a lot was a lot of stretching. I actually blame gaming for this one too. From constant sitting and playing with mouse I have a pain in my shoulder. I guess even the wrist took some damage, but it is fine for most part. The main things that helped me the most was to change from barbell bench press to dumbbells, which allows a more natural shoulder rotation. And then this stretch:
It depends though what is causing your shoulder pain, but I heard from a few people that this helped them with pain when pressing as it worked for me so might be worth a try 🙂. Now I am doing also this shoulder flexibility routine which is more advanced but I can feel the difference already: https://www.bodyweightwarrior.co.uk/blog/15-min-shoulder-flexibility-routine
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@Erik2.0 Congratulations on your amazing achievement! It is great seeing you doing well 🙂 I am happy for you! Books said it well, you have helped many people on this forum, myself included. Keep up the exemplary work and there are more good things to come!
On 5/24/2020 at 3:16 PM, Erik2.0 said:@Marek Thanks Marek. Coloring is going well lately. I have no experience with puzzle preservation. I hope you find a way to preserve it though. You could tape it together with clear tape but I think that would not work. Maybe a frame would work if you were careful with it. I'd want some kind of adhesive keeping it together though. You can google it and see what people do on YouTube. Good luck on your puzzle. VRV.co is an all anime streaming service. They also have cartoons that aren't anime, but still cartoons.
That is great that you are enjoying it. Neither do I so I will need to figure out something. I will keep you posted 😄. That sounds like a good service. I am thinking about rewtching Code Geass but I will see if I manage to find time for it.
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@ToastyMuffinHello, and welcome to the forums. It all takes time, keep that in mind. But it is wonderful that you made the first big leap, and now you are on the journey to change towards better habits. For me, the sleep schedule was one of the most significant improvements once I managed to actually fix it. It took me weeks of struggle to finally make that change. Also, I would recommend focusing on easy, relaxing tasks which can still lead to a state of flow. Coloring worked well for me, while listening to audiobooks/music. It is relaxing, but once I got started, I had the urge to finish the whole page or at least make some progress. Same goes for reading, I find it easier to get lost in fiction compared to non-fiction. One thing that constantly popped up throughout my journey is that small steps lead to significant changes over time. I wish that we could just snap our fingers, and things would turn 180, but after endless struggles and failures, I got to acceptance with this fact. All the best and good luck on your journey!
@apatton090 It depends on what you are into. I would recommend fantasy, especially Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson. (My favorite genre and currently favorite author) So I might be a bit biased haha, but both series are masterpieces in my eyes. From self-help books, I would recommend Atomic Habits/ Power of Habit (best books on building habits imo.) or 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson. (I have not finished this one yet, but so far I can tell it is a great book, I agree with many points in the book that Peterson makes.)
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@Erik2.0 Happy to see you enjoying the coloring so much. Reading your posts makes me want to go color another picture. But I am not going back to it before I do the puzzle haha. I finally made some progress on it, and I think I found a way that should help me solve it faster. That is a bit stressful as well because I need to figure out a way what to do with it once I finish it, hmm. I am hoping that just a regular A3 picture frame would be able to hold it without the messy gluing process. Good job on the workout and routine, keep it up!
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@gargamel I think that honesty is the key on this path to recovery. It is easier to paint illusions around oneself and the escape within them. The funny thing is that the procrastination/ escape is usually the initial trigger to this endless escape cycle. I believe that momentum plays a huge role in what we do during the day. Once this cycle gets rolling, it is harder to stop it with every passing minute, with every excuse that we give ourselves. That's why some days just feel fantastic when you get a good start in the morning and then more and more victories compound on top of it.
I think this is the power of this forum to makes ourselves accountable. Especially on the days that we are not satisfied with ourselves, sharing here drops a massive burden off your shoulders. At least that is what works for me. Usually, when I feel the worst, and I just want to hide from the world and not talk to anyone, I can feel much better immediately if I push through and talk to friends. I need to work on my honesty and accountability too. It is on an entirely different level than what it was when I was gaming. But still, all the lies and excuses I made up so that I can play for a little while longer are the demons I need to carry. However, if I do not feed them, they will slowly but surely disappear.
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3 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:
Thanks. I'm not looking forward to it, but we'll see what happens.
I never had to make such a big purchase, but why not look forward to it? It will definitely be stressful too, but I can see the thrill of looking for a new place. Each house is different and has its quirks that someone might love, and someone might hate, but finding the one perfect for you should be more of an exciting activity than a stressful one. Definitely, do not rush it, though. When we rush things, we can make bad decisions, and that's where regrets can come in. It might just be my optimistic viewpoint on things, but I believe if you enjoy it. And I am sure if you take your time you will find the perfect place for you! 🙂-
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On 5/21/2020 at 12:29 AM, Erik2.0 said:
The Flash season six is out on Netflix so I'm watching that. It's nice to see Barry Allen and the gang again. Watching S6 makes me think about rewatching S1-6 after I finish 6. A lot of my clients have done as much so I kind of want to do it too. It's a pretty good show. I love how they're so positive about their self-esteem. Always building each other up. I like superheroes although I can't read the comics it's nice to be able to watch one of the shows on them. Supergirl is great too.
Thanks for the reminder! I used to watch flash a while ago, but I have not caughtt up to all of season 6 episodes. It is pretty chill show. They did a splendid job on this one, I watched some episodes of "The Legends" too, but I did not like it as much.
7 hours ago, Erik2.0 said:Walking feels good. I shadow boxed a little, although I'm paranoid of doing that. My ankle seems to be recovering. I think it got a little bruised from trying to run. I'm happy to just walk. There's a crazy intersection that's super dangerous to cross. So I'm unfortunately not going to cross and get to walk in those neighborhoods anymore unless I want to drive across the intersection. Work has been tough lately. I'm trying to breathe through it and bear with everyone as best I can. But it seems like it's just a tough time for everyone me and my clients. We're all a little tired or cranky. Hopefully that gets better. I've been consistently making all my own food since my mom is always working now. It's kind of nice to be self reliant in this way. Maybe I would like moving out after all. I saw a decent looking place on craigslist today I might go check out.
Coloring has been cool. It takes up a lot of time. Just one of these pieces is like 30 minutes to an hour of coloring. It's really nice how it takes a while and I can do it whenever I'm at my desk. I haven't been drawing as much though I do it once in a while.
I had the same problem when I started running. Stretching, ice and Voltarol helped me recover pretty quickly. I had to work more on my feet position when it was in contact in the ground. I think I got hurt running downhill with a heavy step landing on my heel. The lockdown and is slowly getting to everyone. That will improve for sure with some more time. Great job on the coloring. It looks awesome!
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@station mouse Quitting games is a harsh and bumpy road. It has its ups and downs. Moreover; it takes time until you get accustomed to it. But don't worry once you get through the first few hills you will see the beauty and freedom that lies ahead. The beginning is the rough part. The best way to make it bearable is to find suitable hobbies to replace each aspect of gaming that was appealing to you. Unfortunately gaming is great at fulfilling several of them, so you will most likely need several hobbies.
19 hours ago, station mouse said:Also it'll be nice to plan my days all out first thing in the morning? So anyway, yesterday was an unmitigated disaster.
That is a great option. I think any form of setting up plans for your day will make it easier to follow through with it. And in my opinion mornings are great to start your tasks because with each small victory early on the day you gain momentum which can carry you through the rest of the day.
19 hours ago, station mouse said:If nothing else, yesterday has shown me that doing a "cold turkey" video games thing is necessary for me. Yesterday I was like "I'll play for half an hour" and, well, that didn't happen. I'll aim for 80 days because... no reason really, I just don't like the number 90. I guess I could aim for 100? 100 is a nice number, I'll do that.
I was in the same situation. Moderation does not work for me. I tried it several times and failed back in addiction after a short period of time. Everyone is different, but from what you mentioned, it seems that cold turkey will work well for you. I think it is also good to decide if you ever want to return to the games after the 100 days or not? When I came to the acceptance that I have to choose between living my life to the fullest or games, it was not so hard to delete all my accounts without looking back. Don't get me wrong. It was still painful, but I knew it was the necessary sacrifice if I want to achieve anything meaningful in real life.
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@Erik2.0 Maybe you can find colouring pictures online that you could just print out? 🤔 I have not thought about it before because I do not have a printer, but I am sure there should be some. Wish is definitely on the shady side. I have never bought stuff from there, but I have seen way too many unboxing videos from wish. The items are usually complete trash or at least inferior quality. I would probably stick to Amazon/eBay.
Have you read Why We Sleep? It is kind of a self-help book I would say. It talks about the importance of sleep and virtually everything around it. It is well written and scientific; I would say that it helped me a decent amount when I was struggling with my sleep schedule.
TheNewMe2.0's Journal - A Better Life
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You are welcome. She went to University to study it. I know that she lived in Japan for about a year as well, but I have not been in touch with her for a while now. I am not sure what she is up to now, though. In my opinion it is the best way to interpret it. I would say that a vast percentage of the Bible is written in metaphors. Especially old testament, I mean if it wasn't some of the stories would be truly disturbing.
What is more important are the Christian values. Love your neighbor; if everyone tried to live by these rules, the world would be a much nicer place. I think that everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. We all interpret things differently, and using the Bible as a guideline is a great way to do it.
If you do a bit of jogging with walking, I am sure that you will be running in no time. I used to choke after around 1km when I started. Learning more about good breathing and pacing helped tremendously. With Youtube as my teacher and time as a companion, I was able to improve. It is amazing what we humans are capable of.