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NEW VIDEO: Why You MUST Quit Gaming in 2025

WilderDaze

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  1. You're ultimately in charge of your own life and only you can decide if it's worth the investment or if it's a complete waste. I personally think that if you have fostered the mentality to be so disciplined and determined, then that can also be applied elsewhere and possibly grow into something more significant and life-altering. I know this from experience as I myself was a perfectionist when it came to gaming. I was completely obsessed with competitive ranks, achievement hunting, learning pro controls etc. Ultimately it consumed me to a point where I couldn't even scroll a menu screen without feeling remorse; there was always more time to be gained or a decision that could have been made better. I believe that there are a lot of people who can practice more restraint than I ever could, but still, in the end we all lose the same amount of time and possibly our peace of mind chasing these artificial accomplishments. I eventually took a complete step away from gaming for almost 9 months in order to re-evaluate this part of myself, and I realized that I could turn these traits around and use them in a more healthy manner. I'm almosty shocked when I look back at the events that unfolded but over the course of those few months I learnt how to ski, how to photograph, I started piano lessons, I got muscular after hitting the gym every week and I also traveled to Iceland after years of thinking "maybe one day I'll see the world". And the best part about this is that SO many people recognized those achievements compared to the things I accomplished in my games. I've had so many encouraging comments over the years where people are in awe of how determined I am and how effeciantly I follow through with my goals. And having a friend say that to you while they look you in the eyes with complete sincerity is so much more powerful than a "like" from a random stranger on the internet. The point I think I'm trying to make is that the "sober peace" you are referring to does not only occur in gaming. In fact, I believe this feeling can be further enhanced by applying it to real life activities that hold a much greater value to ourselves. Even though you've reached the top 1% of a leaderboard in one of the hardest games ever, you are still at the same point in life as before you started that journey. This does not happen at all with other activities in life, because there you are making actual achievements that have a long-lasting effect on your personal prosperity. Gaming is simply a really poor investment if your ultimate goal is to have a strong sensation of inner peace and accomplishment. It demands an extreme amount of time and effort for something that never really transforms into anything significant, and that cannot be achieved in less time and with much greater effect elsewhere.
  2. When you are a perfectionist and aim for 100% completion rates you are guaranteed to run into this conflict sooner or later. The issue is that the ultimate goal of achieving a perfect result doesn't necessarily correlate with a sustained level of enjoyment. This is why perfectionism is commonly described as a compulsive behaviour; because it takes priority over our actual enjoyment of things and tricks us into thinking we cannot proceed unless we've turned every stone. Look at the open world genre and all the frustrations it has caused among completionists and you will find this to be true. The other issue you have run into is that you are trying to predict the feelings you might have in the future. Buying a lot of games in advance, because we felt good about them in the moment, is not a guarantee that we will actually be interested in them when the time comes to play. Life changes and our interests and motivations are very much fleeting. This I believe is what makes us exhausted when we end up with too many paths to take. Kind of like when we're browsing Netflix for an hour only to realize that we were building excitement for something that didn't exist in the first place. Dopamine plays a big part in all of these behavioral patterns and it's important to understand that the primary function of dopamine is not to be released when you do the activity, but rather in the moment when you first thought of the activity. When we see a large billboard with a big tasty burger on it the dopamine is being released in order to alter our course of action, so that we eventually end up with that burger in our mouth. The anticipation of a burger becomes almost as powerful as actually eating it. Buying video games of course triggers the same mechanism; we read up on games, watch videos of games and buy lots of games on sales, because we are building anticipation and exciement in our wait for greatness. Streamers have understood this extremely well as they are basically the mukbang crowd for gamers. I personally do not recommend going down this route because I think perfectionism, first of all, is a complete fallacy. Acting perfectly should be about practicing restraint most of all, yet you have a very chaotic way of purchasing and approaching new games. That alone should tell you that this is just your mind playing tricks on you. Obviously you seem to look for other experiences before you are fully completed with your current one, because you are simply not entertained anymore and the only thing that is somewhat driving you is to "complete" the game. But as soon as you stop feeling joy then that is in reality when you are completed with the game. That is when you should move on. But I reckon you can't because you feel unsatisfied with the prospect of having a number saying "97%" on your screen instead of "100%"; especially if it's in a long row of previous perfections. But in the end it's nothing more than a number - it really isn't. Fight back, work on yourself, and you will be shocked to see how easily the brain develops new patterns that almost makes you forget how you behaved in the first place.
  3. I prefer to wake up to the sun as well, but living so far north we only have like 4-5 hours of sun during winter time. At the moment the sun rises close to 9 a.m. so I can't really adjust my sleep to that. During summer time it's waaaaay easier to get into a good sleeping pattern as it's so much more invigorating waking up to the rising sun.
  4. Had a really awesome gym session today! Felt very energized and completed my entire program pretty much flawlessly. I think I was in the right mental state, not having to worry about lack of time or getting home as quickly as possible. Being at the gym and thinking "this will take as much time as it needs, I'm in no rush" is just such a relief. I remember feeling like this every now and then when I managed to quit for about 9 months. It's a hard feeling to describe but it really helps to reinforce the decision to quit for good. I've also started the process of trying to get up at 7 a.m. every day which is a bit rough so far, even though it has gotten better with each day. I've calculated that this is the optimal time for me to always get up as my work starts at 8 a.m. certain days. And it just helps with everything related to my sleep and energy for the day if I always get up the same time every day, or at least try. But this also means that I have to get in bed earlier and that's the most challenging part. I think I'll have to be a bit flexible with this as I sometimes work late hours and don't have the option to go to bed very early. I know for sure though that not playing video games will help immensely with this!
  5. Speaking out of own experience I can say that my childhood would've been so much better without gaming. I was initially a very energetic and creative child who liked to play out in the woods, build stuff and run around with my friends in the backyard. But I progressively became more introvert as I had a hard time socializing, and gaming was the perfect escape from that anguished reality. Fast forward to my teens and I was still an introvert with mediocre social skills because my addiction to gaming only reinforced my difficulties and never came up with a solution. Of course I didn't understand any of this at the time and I thought gaming was the only a consolation in a reality that already felt doomed. Fortunately I learnt how to grow my social skills while I was gaming, but I didn't find true peace and determination until I had the courage to quit for good. I'm convinced that this long journey would've been so much shorter and easier had it not been for my constant need to play video games. I probably would've had a stronger connection with my family right now, I would've had the physique I dreamt of in my later teens and I probably would've been in a relationship with somebody I loved. All of that hindered by the silly need for a screen to be glued to the eyes.
  6. Hello! Yeah, this forum can feel a bit lifeless overall. Everyone is very much foused on their own personal journey and mostly only writes daily journals. I wished we could have more threads about positive things people do in their lives as they recover. Stuff like sharing photos, inspirational stories or tips on how to progress through various trials. I used to lurk on gaming forums in the past and not only for talking gaming, but also for discussing politics, other hobbies or random topics relating to entertainment. A forum like this kind of lacks that spectrum of conversation, but it's at the same time understandable. People are not here to chit-chat first and foremost, but to stay focused and recover. In the future (as society becomes more aware of the dangers of gaming) I think we'll see a lot more community overall surrounding these issues. Things like meet-ups, pep talks, inspirational videos and what not. Being too attached to technology in general seems to be a hot topic for society these days so hopefully we'll see even more counter-balance now as we go forward.
  7. Haha, thanks man! I would say a successful day at the gym always starts with a good nights sleep and some mental preparation. With a fully rested body and a clear mind I'm more likely to really push myself and follow through with the entire program. It's also important to rest in-between sessions and to eat properly. I don't personally believe in cheat days as they tend to undo a lot of the work you put in during the weekdays. Just stay focused and be on track and you will learn to love the lifestyle of being healthy. Also, listen to your body. If it hurts, stop immediately. If you feel exhausted, concider an extra rest day. You will reach your goals eventually as long as you're willing to put in the time and effort; there is no need to rush things.
  8. Be disciplined and work at it and you will eventually create a strong feedback loop of positive reinforcement. Exercising is great for releasing serotonin, which makes us feel happy when we are done with a difficult task for instance. This is why you can feel like you're on top of the world when you've really exerted yourself. Your body is basically broken down, drained from all energy, yet you have a strong feeling of happiness and content. Naturally we as gamers are very dopamine dependant, and this leads us to seek out activities that we hope will give us the same immediate response, i.e. "the fun". Most other hobbies in life don't really work this way though, as you have to put in a lot of effort in order to reach that strong sense of fulfillment. This in turn is what creates new pathways in the brain and releases serotonin, which helps us with SO much other stuff in life. Of course you will have to balance this with activities that give more instant gratification, but overall I think we should lean more towards seeking out activities that put us through some sort of trial. It can be simple things like exercising, andit can also be more complicated things like being in a relationship with someone and grow a family. Anyway, I'm a big fan of strength training and I can recommend it to anyone in pursuit of long-lasting happiness. Not only do you prolong your life (many studies show this) but you also increase the quality of life itself. In my pursuit for strength I've realized a couple of factors that really make it easier going back to the gym: 1. The feeling of progression as I keep lifting heavier weights. 2. The visual change to my body composition; muscles get more defined, I lose weight etc. 3. Other challenges in life become easier to approach as I can use the discipline earned exercising in my everyday life. 4. I feel like a superhero whenever I get to lift or push random things in everyday life. Most people have no idea how powerful their body can become and what that truly feels like. 5. You will stop chasing the feeling of "fun" and start chasing the feeling of satisfaction, which is one of the greatest traits you can have in your backpack. 6. The right kind of gym can lead to a strong sense of community as you get friendly with other gym-goers. 7. People will evetually start commenting on your progress which is awesome!
  9. So I fell into a short gaming relapse once again. This time I had a strong feeling of being overwhelmed by several tasks in my everyday life and I just couldn't see how gaming was benefitial to my already tight time schedule. Most of all I wanted to prioritize gym training, which has kind of developed into a real hobby and therefor demands more attention than before. My gym sessions are about 1,5-2 hours long and in-between I need to rest properly and look over my program to make adjustments. I've also finally started piano lessons and bought myself a nice looking digital piano. With all this I've realized I need as few distractions as possible to really make time and practice. Usually I quit in an unhinged state of playing excessively, but this time I was just kind of bored and tired of booting up the console. I just couldn't bring myself to feel any enjoyment or sense of meaningfulness. All I thought about was all the time I could've used to learn something new and meaningful, like playing the piano or going outside. Even though this is a relapse yet again I'm gonna see the outcome of this one as a personal victory. It feels like my new hobbies have finally created a natural desire to steer away from gaming and that's a major win. I'll make sure to post some videos in the future when I get better at playing the piano. Peace! 💚
  10. I thought I'd never give up video games, even though they caused me so much harm. I had gamed for about 30 years straight, being addicted to almost every major game of every genre. It was my escape, my relief, my world of control and at times my only means of communicating with others. Giving it up has been a struggle lately but I initially made it 9 months straight without touching a video game. During that time I learnt how to ski, photograph, produce music and then I started to travel. All of those things were always in my head when I was gaming but I never made them happen and felt shameful about it. Right now I'm going to learn how to play the piano and I'm also planning a new trip overseas. Video games taught me that I have a need for exploration and learning new skills so I used this in real life in order to bring out the same kind of satisfaction. The thing is that you release a lot of serotonine while doing these things in real life, instead of the dopamine that comes from gaming, so you will have a much greater feeling of meaningfulness and happiness in the end.
  11. The cravings right now...
  12. I had one of those worrying experiences when I bought another console about six months ago. I bought the most expensive version of the console, the best controller, a new tv and even some new furniture, but when I started booting it up I kind of froze and just bailed on everything immediately. I too am somewhat of a thinker and an observer. I recently made a personality test which highlighted my need for discovery and new experiences. I think video games at least gave the notion of discovering something new, even though life outside of the game never moved forward in any significant way. I believe every aspect a game builds on premises that holds true in real life; we are curious beings who like to progress and discover things, and we also like to share and be strengthened in our commitment to knowledge. When someone asks me how a mountain is formed I never scan my brain for games I've played, but I rather try to collect memories from my interactions with real mountains in order to form that knowledge and response. To me that feeling is incredibly powerful and it truly makes me feel like I'm connected with reality and my own self. I sometimes think about that scene from American Beauty where one of the characters observes a plastic bag in the wind. It's such a dull moment taken at first glance, but the more involved you get with your senses and your ability to understand you realize the complexity of what's unfolding. And that's also what the character is experiencing when he gets so touched by the moment that he gets tears in his eyes. It's such a powerful feeling just to be alive and to be connected with reality and sometimes we forget that even the smallest of things can bring us that feeling. Today when I woke up I was more determined than ever and I'm gonna ride this feeling out for as long as I can. Right now I feel incredibly inspired to learn the piano and make some music for once and I'm gonna take the first steps to make this come true. Thanks for the inspiration and kind words! 💚
  13. So I had a relapse again. I bought the same gaming console and surrounding equipment as the last time. I believe I got sidetracked by watching some Youtube videos that made my think some kind of balance was possible. I still fail to realize however that I'm not the target audience for those kind of advices. My brain is simply too hardwired at this point to not get hooked in an unhealthy way. I think I end up in these situations rapidly now because I'm scared not to have anything in my life that gives those "highs" as video games did. Even though those feelings were nothing short of superficial my brain is still afraid of letting go completely. And ironically I feel more happiness than ever with the progress of my strength training, traveling and photography, yet I just cannot feel fully satisfied. Even though I can see how clearly it wastes my time to partake in gaming it just doesn't want to let go of me completely. My brain just continues to make up reasons (excuses) to get me back into it: "Wouldn't it be nice to have something fun to do on the train while traveling long distances?" "Think of all the great video game music you can hear that can inspire you to create your own music!" "It's a great place for you to unwind after a long day of work. You deserve to treat yourself!" "You love to explore, and what better way to explore new worlds constantly than in a video game?" "It's part of your identity and you know too much about it to let go at this point!" "Maybe you can use your huge gaming struggle experience to help others while you still continue to game?" (this one is the most screwed up I think 🤔) Would be glad to hear some input on this and some advice on how to proceed. What's causing me to relapsing this rapidly now when I mustered 9 months during my very first attempt?
  14. Wow, that's quite admirable. How do you even succeed with that in modern society when our surroundings are filled with so much tech and people that constantly use it?
  15. Gaming triggers a powerful dopamine release, but something that we often misunderstand with dopamine is that it's being released as we're planning to do or anticipate an activity. This is why you're feeling re-energized and happy at the end of work on fridays, because your mind is beginning to picture a scenario that involves a great dopamine release. This is also why we feel a rush when we see commmercials for fast food, new tech stuff etc. We can totally picture the steps that will enable us to have those things in our lives and the ability to imagine that process is very powerful within itself. So with that in mind it is very triggering to watch gaming videos as you are building anticipation for something that gets no release, and your mind will try to wrestle you into giving into that release, at all times. Watching gaming videos only serve the purpose of those who are gaming and can get that release, because for them the entire circle of addiction is completed. The cycle of dopamine don't start with them gaming, it starts with them imagining themselves gaming.
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