Pochatok

Good luck at work, I hope the boss will kick his butt soon!

Hi everyone! Just played some games heh. I no longer have the urge to play for "x more minutes". The game is there, and it is nice and relaxing, but there is a hundred other activities I want to do! I'm making some progress with composition, and hope to spend more time drawing today. Exercising is back to being fun, and I really want to finish up making some presents for my family and friends today. Showerthought: Just noticed there is a totally random nail stuck in my doorknob. Absolutely 0 reason for it to be there, but I guess we are roommates now. Goals: Only play games for 10-20 minutes at a time, and only after spent 2+ hours doing other activities. Do not play more than an hour. If I fail to meet these requirements, I'll go coldturkey on them. Practice trombone throughout the day While making presents, listen to audiobooks or podcasts on stuff I find important keep myself and my environment organized and clean Read! Stay social Have a good Sunday everyone, thank you so much for your comments! Since I joined GQ, my habits overall have improved so much, and I no longer have an "urge" to play games 🙂

Oh yes totally @BooksandTrees! I was feeling so off I decided to play the game, but honestly that felt equally tiring. I've been having game dreams like that all the time though, I do not think they are related to anything that much. The dreams are out-of-this-world beautiful, and I think they appear as video games cuz that shit is too surreal. On topic of games, played today again for about an hour. Do feel kind of bad, I was not really trying at the game so it made me feel worse rather than better. I think I am okay with playing games during break for no more than an hour per day, but honestly I just don't see them all that fun anymore. I'll see if I feel like playing anytime later, but every time I play I feel less inclined to lol. Cheers!

Update time!!! So, got a game downloaded yesterday, played a bit, but honestly it's just no fun. I think at this point I've developed a passion for my other hobbies that is stronger than my urge to game. I think I might play now and then, but I am infinitely more excited about drawing, composing, embroidering... Had another video game dream, damn it was beautiful. I don't think there ever will be a game like that haha- it involved math function-based(complex sin waves and such) and fractal-based procedural generation. I think I'll try to draw that hehe 🙂 Was very tired yesterday, didn't get too many things done. Today started out well, I think I'll try to stay productive for the next few hours. Goals for today: Exercise for a lot of time, I don't like how I feel physically right now continue my work on composing draw more! Learn about drawing, be persistent with how I study! Practice trombone please Have an awesome weekend everyone!

Hey, on the topic of social media and surfing in general I recommend you replace video games(youtube subscriptions, twitter following, etc.) with some other things you like. For me it was photography, NRP and Audiotree live performances, and art. I still use Instagram and youtube quite often, but it is actually improving my day and fueling passions. And yes, congrats on noticing the problem so early, I hope you manage to tune down gaming to where you want it to be! Cheers, Po

Hey, I listen to videogame music all the time! I listen for a few reasons: to appreciate the work itself, cuz I believe that videogame music is incredible. But also, I listen to get nostalgic, without necessarily provoking an urge to play. Some music does get me excited about playing though, so I try to avoid listening to that. Thank you for making me think about this 🙂

Eeek time for another day at home! Went to bed pretty late cuz of The Boys S2 E2, but feel good right now. The day seems to be starting out well. Being honest, I feel like relapsing in gaming. I'm having some dreams about video games every night, and there is this voice saying "I'm on break, so it's okay..." Very intriguing. I think I'll try to map my day out first, and once all of the to-do stuff is done I will see if I still feel like playing. Fingers crossed for a no. Showerthought of the day: I used to eat with my debit card when I barely had any money on it. Like, use it as a spoon on occasions. Now that it is actually not-so-empty, I take good care of it. Goals: Get practicing trombone more, start some fun arranging stuff Keep my house clean Be physically active, don't sit or lay down for too long Fight my urges. Let my best guide me, not my worst Do things when they are supposed to be done Do nice things for the people I love 🙂 Have a good Friday everyone!

Hurraayyyyyyyyyyy! That's so awesome! Hope you enjoy your weekend 🙂 Po

Ahhh that's so positiveeeee I hope you enjoy the food and the 4 days off! Po

Thanks @championeal @dasvira! I have been doing less of social media, and gaming is gone for now. I still need to time my TV binges, but so far I've been simply tracking how many episodes I watch/day. 1.5 hours total or less is the goal(~1 episode plus a sneak peak of the next lol). Also, I have been gone for a couple days, sorry! I just moved back home for thanksgiving and was just very tired and zoomed out yesterday. My finals have wrapped up well, just waiting for some people to reach out to me about future projects now. Showerthought: When we think there is "no smell" in a place(outside), we are still smelling our boogieees. We always smell our bogies. Ew Goals for today: read and study for at least 2 hours(timer hehe!) Exercise healthy keep a good posture stay hydrated don't spend too much time in my room help family with stuff Make a schedule for break! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! cheers, Po

Oh yes, I believe that they are essentially the same thing. Let me see if GoogleScholar can offer any research on this... BUT, from my experience I sink time in both equally, and feel equally shitty when doing either one in excess. Here are the articles lol: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/12422/is-gaming-more-addictive-than-watching-movies-or-tv-shows not much evidence but explains the point https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/2/3/article-p125.xml just an analysis of TV addiction, but if you like the science behind it then I suggest you give it a read.

Hey! Totally familiar with the sugar problem. Used to eat a lot of sweets until my mom(yeah, kind of the opposite case here) began talking about how bad it is. One thing that helped me reduce the amount of sugar to normal was measuring how much sugar I have every day, and cutting that amount by a few grams daily/weekly. I suggest not to go coldturkey on it, that might cause a relapse or just a lot of withdrawal effects. Reduce the amount gradually at your own pace, but stick to it! Additionally, I recommend reading more about all the bad things that are in high-sugar foods: one book I know is "The Case against Sugar"(don't take 2nd half seriously please), but recommend you look for more stuff to read on your own. The healthy amount of sugar one should have per day is 15 grams(Google says 24, but it is coming from an America-based source; US is the most obese country in the world). That's 1/3 of a can of coke, or 1 spoon of nutella. Per day. I know that seems scary low, but you will get there over time, if you want really to! It took me 2 years, but now my sugar intake is 5-10 grams per day, and mostly from fruit. Please keep us all updated on how things go- little or a lot, progress is always worth sharing! Cheers, Po

While the first three are school-related, here's my list nonetheless: A Grain of Wheat White Teeth Collective Amnesia Hard to be a God(personal favorite)

Good Morning! Today's been super lazy so far. I'm pretty much done with school- got all work in early, now there is only a few slow projects to do for the next couple weeks. No gaming relapse, but watched about an hour and a half worth of The B0ys. To me, doesn't matter if it is social media, gaming, or any other stuff- I feel like I am being equally unproductive. So I think I'll try to make the most out of the rest of the day. Yesterday was a mix... I worked super hard from morning until 5PM, like non-stop, but after that I got fairly lazy and barely did anything until late evening. I suppose it is good to take the rest of the day off after working so hard, but my partner is still working hard like crazy and I just kind of feel bad for not doing as much. At least I should be doing things to take care of her. And, take care of others too. Just because my life got easier doesn't mean I should stop helping others. Anyways, gonna try to work hard today! Goals: Try harder. Be aware of the time passing Know when to do what Be ahead of yourself, not behind stay hydrated take care of loved ones when tired, rest in a healthy manner Hope y'all have a nice Tuesday 🙂

Good Morning! Yesterday was a mess. Got most of the stuff done, but also spent about 1.5-2 hours watching the boys and being on social media. Relapsed with nofap yesterday, and was tempted to install some games again. Not feeling too bad about that, but do not want either to happen again. Showerthought: Ants don't die in microwaves cuz they are sooo tiny. Nice. I think instead of a to-do list, which I already have, I'll write a mix of goals and wishes for today: I hope to finish the exam on time and get an A in the class I hope to be on top of my stuff- work for an hour, then 15 minutes of rest. Exercise is important- do it how I like it, but at least 20 minutes of some movement. Don't give up trying! I'm so close to ending this semester well, I can't stop now Be nice to people around me- work on gifts for friends, send a couple "thank you" emails... I wish the internet connection to be stable and not to be mentally tired Alright, gonna get goin'! Get water Hydrate Work on exam non-stop for an hour Watch 15-20mins of the boys Work for another hour on exam Go get lunch and chill Let's make the most out of this day everyone, start the week stronk!

Hey Lampshade, I think that's a good decision! Quitting gaming is tough enough, take those addictions apart one at a time. While there are some benefits to combining gaming, and, let's say, nofap, since they have similar roots both in terms of how you access them and how they alter your brain, coffee is a whole different beast and might exhaust you too much. Glad you are going so strong on so many things at once though! Po

Oh hey, totally agree with that, COVID is no fun no matter how well or poorly you take it. Stay safe and stay well 🙂

ALRIGHT LET"S DO IT TODAYYYYY Yesterday I was quite lazy- I got things done but the quality was meh. Finally caught up with my to-do list though, so today I can start fresh yeeeahhh!! Showerthought: I am glad I am not transparent, human organs be lookin nastyyyyy. To-Do, and not to-do today: keep up no fap(yesterday was tough) Don't watch more than 30 mins of The Boys, time yourself Get part 4 done today. I must get it done or it will suck big time tomorrow. Send out email for a club meeting Eat well Exercise, and stay hydrated What I will do immediately after this: put on chopstick Refill water bottle Respond to other comments on this forum Get going with the exam. Have a good Sanday everyone, hope you're staying safe and warm!

Hey Tr1v, seems like you're doing pretty well already, I'm so happy for you! What did you listen to? I'm just curious, I've never listened or read philosophy much, more of a psychology guy.

Hey BooksandTrees, hope you feel more energized tomorrow! This week has been a lot for me too. About relationships: even though you want to remain single for some time, I encourage you to think about this: Sometimes, you learn how to love yourself by learning how to love others. I don't necessarily mean a romantic relationship- any relationship can help you improve yourself (and the other people within the relationship) with enough passion and commitment. I thought about relationships that way too, but that caused me to forget how to love others. I learned to treat myself better by treating the people around me better. But, this is just my experience. I do encourage you to continue challenging your own perspective/thoughts on relationship management. Cheers, Po

Hey, congrats on day 30! It is both impressive and motivating to see how much you've changed and accomplished over just a month 😆 Best of luck with everything, especially physical health and exploring the foreign realms of dating lol. Hope it lasts as long as you and your partner want it to 🙂

Thank you @TheNewMe2.0, @Kingy_80, and @James Goodfor your kind comments! It doesn't matter how long or short, simple or complex your words of encouragement are, they are all equally inspirational and heart-tickling 🙂

Yesterday was insanely busy, I barely thought about games. There were a couple times when I could have gone to r/games or watched some gameplay, but instead I found a nice TV Show to start(The Boys). Other than that, the performance went super well- I think I could have done better but the conductor of the ensemble was very happy with it. Worked about 10 hours yesterday total, most I've ever done in a day this semester lol. Showerthought: I have 11 tiny moles on left hand and zero on the other. Thanos would be upset. Things I still need to get done: Talk to grannies! Clean the room Get most of the exam done Do the paperwork Other stuff to get done: Send out a lot of emails Hide the secret gift I am working, dumbo Start planning out a daily schedule for winter break, it's coming soon! Brainstorm ideas for holiday family presents Don't just draw, learn to draw better. Start posting on my art insta again!

I recommend getting outside as much as possible and focusing on the world around you. Take some pictures, look at all the different leaves on the ground, the various shapes of clouds etc.. Remind yourself how much more beautiful and diverse the world outside the video game is. I also recommend getting rid of any social media that you have- for youtube, clear watching/search history and turn those off. Twitter I'd just delete, it is honestly an invaluable time sink. On other platforms, get rid of any gaming-related content if you can. Your body and brain have wired themselves into video games, which is why you have these habits and thoughts all the time. Don't worry, the re-wiring process is already starting, just give yourself a few weeks, and you'll be feeling better than ever! Stay strong, you got this! Po

Heck yes @WhoCares, this is like the most inspirational thread I've read today so far. I know it seems like you are not in control at times, but overcoming serious addictions simply takes awhileeee- the progress isn't very visible sometimes. Never give up on yourself, you're a beautiful human and have got so much more amazing life ahead of you 😆 Cheers, Po