Gus

29/03/2020 Day 20 Really good day today. Slept well last night, which definitely helps. Started well with usual yoga and meditation and looking after my plants. Once that was done I sat down and actually wrote down what I was going to do today hour by hour. Although I had to adapt the plan a little due to timings, it still really helped, and I have achieved everything I set out to do today, and now feel really good about it. And no real bad cravings while I was doing it all as well. Going to try and develop a habit of setting what I am going to do and when the next day at the end of each day. Already planned out tomorrow and looking forward to it. Starting the day well and having a set plan really helps I find. Have ordered a calisthenics book from Amazon today, going to try and get into that as a new workout routine as well. Will be good thing to get into while on lockdown as well. Have always been into keeping fit. Used to do a lot of freeweight stuff at the gym, but found I was plateauing and getting bored with that, so wanting to do more bodyweight type stuff. Will help with better climbing as well. It's mad how much better you feel after a day well spent compared to a day wasted. Sure there are days where you need to take it a bit easier, but on those days I still feel better if I've done some piano or some reading, than I would have felt if I had spent the whole day gaming. Reading some other guys journals tonight has been helpful and renewed my enthusiasm some as well. Good to know that there are other people out there, going through the same thing.

28/03/2020 Bad cravings today. Gf left to Amsterdam yesterday, think not having her around to interact with made things worse. Need to develop a good routine and keep to it, especially as I am now furloughed from my work. Want to make the most of this grace period I have been given that I can.

27/03/2020 Good day today. Usual start with yoga, meditation and run. Then a good catch-up with a long-standing friend on the phone. Hadn’t spoken to them in a long time, really good to hear from him. Would be good to make a habit of keeping in touch with friends more. No real cravings today as was too busy doing other things. Think socialising and getting in touch with friends really helps.

25/03/2020 Spent near all of yesterday on the Dinsey+ streaming service that just started in UK. Not exactly productive, but also not much else I could do on Corona lockdown. At least I didn’t fall back into gaming, which I have been tempted to both today and yesterday. Today was much more productive. Think it helps a lot if I just start the day right. I’ve noticed that if I am strict with myself, and start the day right with yoga, meditation and then some exercise, the rest of the day seems to go more smoothly. Whereas if I am lazy at the start of the day, then the rest of the day will probably be fairly lazy as well. Still enjoying the piano as well which is great.

23/03/2020 Good day today, though bad ending as UK government has just announced enforced lockdown. Will only be allowed out to shop for food once a day, and to exercise once a day, and only to travel directly to and then home from work (if my work is deemed absolutely necessary, which I think it will be). Today however started with yoga, meditation and a run, which were all great. Then did some studying, and a good session on the piano, which was really enjoyable. Have to admit that there is a real temptation to start gaming again with everything that is going on though. Will be difficult to fill the time with other things if not allowed to do much else!

22/03/2020 Great day today. Started with playing some board games with gf as a bit of a chilled lazy Sunday morning. Then some yoga, meditation and run (in the glorious sun, really enjoyable). Then some outdoor climbing at Kirrie Hill, a great site nearby for sport climbing, with my brother and his gf. Definitely the way to beat cravings is to make sure you’re day is filled with other things, though unfortunately this may become more difficult in the impending doom that seems to be Coronavirus. Great to enjoy what sun we do get here in Scotland! Definitely feel better right now at the the end of the day, than I would do if I had spent all day playing video games like I might once have done. Got some piano practice in as well which was really great.

21/03/2020 Missed my update last night by accident due to a change in routine. Yesterday was not a great day, had a lot of cravings and a bad mood, and didn’t get much productive done as a result. Today much better. Did a couple Munroes with Claire. Conditions were amazing. Loads of snow, beautiful, but not so much ice that it wasn’t possible to do (though we did nearly get blown off at one point). Really good just to get outside and away from it all, a real relief from all the Coronavirus madness!

19/03/2020 This pandemic continues to get more and more insane. No cravings today which is good. Played some piano again before leaving for work which was nice. Got some time off now so can hold up and relax a bit and see how things unfold over the next week.

Thanks @Alexanderle, means a lot. 18/03/2020 Back at work today after some days off, got more holidays coming up next week as well which will be good. Though with the growing Coronavirus pandemic who knows what I’ll be able to do with the time, or if my work will even be open anyway. No real cravings to play games today which is good. Had planned to go climbing after work, but the climbing gym has been shut. Found I didn’t really have any energy for a run or a swim instead by time I got home. Work eerily quiet as we’re not letting clients wait in the waiting room, they have to wait outside. Think it will just be a matter of time until someone at work gets it, and who knows what they will do then. Played piano again this evening and really enjoyed it again. Getting addicted to playing piano rather than video games could be pretty sweet!

17/03/2020 Captain’s log day 8. Some cravings again today though not quite as bad as yesterday. Didn’t help that my brother was off work sick today, playing video games all day. Managed to distract myself with some work, a swim and a run, and also playing some piano again. Really enjoyed the piano and hoping I can continue this as a new habit. World going a bit mad with Coronavirus currently, and finding checking news updates pretty addictive as well right now. Namaste.

16/03/2020 Today was a bit of a harder day. I had some serious cravings for video games. It felt like mostly what I wanted was some escapism, a bit of fantasy and a bit of control. I used to love the feeling of control that I had playing video games. You could usually do what you want, when you wanted and how you wanted in the game, especially role playing games which are the ones I enjoyed most. Ironically though I realise that while writing this that quitting games actually gives me more control over what is actually important, my own life and my own time. I managed to distract myself with some success by watching a manga film, and then going to see my Mum for a walk and some dinner. Also still managed to take myself for a swim, which I am really grateful for. I’m sure if I had been weaker and given in to my craving I would have ended up wasting the whole day, not done any exercise, and would be beating myself up for a day wasted right about now. Just got to accept that there are going to be some days that are harder than others, and be grateful and kind to myself when I do resist temptation. The game goes on.

15/03/2020 Another great day today. Bit of a slow start as was really tired last night from all the climbing, swimming and running. Once up though nice day in town with gf, good climbing session with her, then playing Cluedo just us 2. Then a nice run in the setting sun around my hometown, which was really great. Rounded off with a good games night of Cluedo and Heads Up with gf, my bro and his gf and even my old man. Heads Up really funny! Great to all be bro sociable together, whereas previously I would have probably been wanting to lock myself away with my Xbox. Brother asking what I’ve done with my Xbox. Said I’m probably going to sell it. He asked if I’d set it up downstairs. Unsure if I will or not. Want him to enjoy it if he does want to, but also don’t want the temptation to be there for me to use it... Will probably just leave it in the attic for now.... My worry is the longer I go without the more I go easy on myself and say to myself ‘maybe playing a bit won’t be too bad’. Judging on past experiences though, playing for ‘just a bit’ inevitably seems to end up with hours wasted. It feels a bit like it’s all or nothing.

14/03/2020 Another good day today, lots to be appreciative for. Swimming again this morning. Was quite tired today after all the exercise yesterday, but glad to have kept to the swimming habit, and kept to new habit of getting up the same time everyday this morning (6am), and currently in bed at a reasonable time to do the same tomorrow. Watched Blinded by the Light tonight, a film based on a true story, inspired by the works of Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen. A real feel good film. It seems that people seems to be less inclined to follow their dreams these days sadly... Hopefully I can continue to follow mine. It would be good for me to take up something more creative as well. Thinking either writing or an instrument... We shall see.

13/03/2020 Great day off today. Some yoga after breakfast, then meditation, then run. Run felt great, great to be out in the sun, some space to myself, listening to an audiobook. Finished Atomic Habits, loved it, some great lessons from it. Will need to listen to it again sometime. Started listening to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson. Have listened to it already, and loved it, loving going through it again. The guy speaks some absolutely great truths. Some really good work and studying, interspersed with a couple of swimming sessions meant a real 10/10 day. Did have one craving to play a video game when in the supermarket buying groceries. Thankfully managed to distract myself and resist. Namaste

12/03/2020 Better day at work, though still looking forward to doing something. Hype about Coronavirus continuing to be ramped up, going to be an interesting few months. Still really enjoying Atomic Habits, nearly finished it now. Looking forward to first day off since quitting video games, and seeing how much more productive I can be. Went climbing tonight which was really good, almost bailed out as I was feeling tired after work, but took lessons from Atomic Habits, and glad I stuck with it. The path continues. Namaste

11/03/2020 Crap day at work today. Manic and bad clients. Was stressed out by the end of it. Went for a run once got home and felt better for it, then went to gf’s sisters for tea and games night (board games only, no video games) and enjoyed that a lot. Great to be more social. No real craving for video games which is great, and enjoyed run, and still really enjoying Atomic Habits. Crap day at work but they happen, and will hopefully be changing career path soon. Keep calm and carry on. Namaste

10/03/2020 A slow day at work today gave me a much appreciated opportunity to catch up with myself, and even to get outside and enjoy the sunnier weather during a break. Really enjoying Atomic Habits, over a quarter of the way through and just started on commute this morning. Feeling positive, and taking this moment where the software I was using needing to update as a cue to update this journal for today, to try and develop it into a habit. Hoping for continued positivity as the reward for this new habit! Not really thought about gaming once, planning to go swimming after work this evening and looking forward to it. Have taken another suggestion from Atomic Habits and written out exactly where and when I am going to exercise this week. Think that planning my time out better helps me to fill my time more productively, whereas I used to fill any empty spaces with gaming. Namaste

09/03/2020 So my first nightly update. Pondered whether or not to bother as have already written today, but decided I should to try and learn how to while I still have high motivation. Hoping that the more I write and keep up with the habit, then the more that I will be motivated to. Have downloaded Atomic Habits by James Clear to start listening to tomorrow as well to hopefully learn more about breaking bad habits, and developing new better ones instead. Namaste

09/03/2020 This will be my first ever post in my daily journal of quitting video games. Right now I am feeling both excited and nervous! Excited at the prospect of finally quitting and being rid of this addiction once and for all. Excited for all the free time to do better things quitting is going to give me. Nervous that I am not going to manage and that I am going to relapse. But hopefully writing this journal and some support from you guys means that that isn't going to happen! Namaste

Hi. My name is Angus, I am 26 and currently living in Scotland. I really want to quit video gaming as it is eating into far too much of my time. I feel there are so many better things I could be doing with this time. It is inhibiting me from being able to live my life to its fullest. Bottom line is that it is an unhealthy and unrewarding addiction. I hope that some of you can help me, and that I can help some of you in return. Best wishes, Angus