Currently reading How to Win Friends and Influence People and browsing Ultimate Guide to Social Skills to improve my conversational skills.

 

I haven't chosen what goals to have, though.  I want to know more about music (videogames are the only media I'm knowledgeable about!), I want to cook (only cooked very basic meals so far), haven't decided on a fitness one yet.  

I have made two Gamequitters countdowns.  Normal Mode gets reset when I play a videogame and Hard Mode gets reset when I do anything videogame related (watch gaming videos on YouTube, read any videogame news, etc).  

Normal Mode day 8.  Hard Mode day 2.

Edited November 15, 201510 yr by Torc

Hi! Great to see your journal here. I loved reading Carnegie's How To win Friends and Influence People

Hey Torc! Great to have another journal up here. For cooking, check out the 4 Hour Chef by Tim Ferriss.

Hey Torc, I like your idea of the two counters! I'm playing on hard

Hey Torc, I like your idea of the two counters! I'm playing on hard

I've thought about putting together counters similar to NoFap "hard mode" etc. Do you guys like that idea or is it better to just focus on defining what the 90 day detox looks like and having some guidelines for what to do afterwards?

Thanks for your feedback!

Hi Torc, welcome to the community!

I hope the best for you on your path to success!

I got back from the doctor on Tuesday.  I got diagnosed with gastritis last month and I haven't really improved the last few weeks.  I've got new medication called Lansoprazole, which is a proton pump inhibitor.  I've got a 28 days supply.  I'm on day 5 and I'm still getting pains, but I will wait at least until week 2 to see if I improve.

I haven't improved my communications skills that much, but I'll try some of the techniques from the Ultimate Guide to Social Skills at work tomorrow.

Get well soon!

Hey Torc. Joe was going through some gastritis last month. Check out his journal to hear what he did to help it.

28th November 15

I should be updating this journal more often.

I got this recipe book for my gastritis.  I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but have read the first few chapters.  The author knows what it's like to be diagnosed.

I've decided to take up drawing.  I've got out my tablet and drawing software.

I'm kind of clueless about music.  Mark Manson's book, Models, recommends the All Music website.  I've been so obsessed with videogames that there are a lot of bands that I haven't heard of.  I tend to only know music in the charts, which tends to be crappy.  I've got a new smartphone last Friday so I'll have something to listen to them on.

The weather and the early darkness make it difficult to find more activities to do

Edited November 28, 201510 yr by Torc

28th November 15

I'm kind of clueless about music.  Mark Manson's book, Models, recommends the All Music website.  

Interesting site! Thanks for sharing. How are your modes coming along?

I am 22 days on Normal, 16 1 on Hard.  I watched two gaming related YouTube videos.

I've put a calendar on the Excel file I have the countdowns on so it doesn't feel like a complete loss.  Since the 7th of NOvember, I only had two days of looking at game-related stuff.

Edited November 29, 201510 yr by Torc

I am 22 days on Normal, 16 1 on Hard.  I watched two gaming related YouTube videos.

I've put a calendar on the Excel file I have the countdowns on so it doesn't feel like a complete loss.  Since the 7th of NOvember, I only had two days of looking at game-related stuff.

Great job Torc! Make sure you take a minute to celebrate these wins. Even though they seem small, celebrating builds a positive feedback loop and encourages you to continue them.

5th November 2015

It's been four weeks since I last played a videogame!  28 days on Normal, 3 days on Hard.

I have been following the guidelines on the gastritis book and have been feeling a lot less pain.  The diet has had more impact on the pains than the medication.  I'll keep using the medication until it runs out, though.

I have been reading Danger and Play: Essays on Embracing Masculinity.  It's been a very good read.  

I've been listening to house music this morning, as recommended in the Danger and Play book as it says that it helps you get out of your head.  As a person who's always in his head, I thought it was a good idea to try.

Hey Torc! Awesome to read your update. Big fan of house music here. Have you heard the podcast interview I did with Mike? It's here if not.

12 December 2015

It's been 5 weeks since I last played a game.

The pains of gastritis have significantly lowered the last few days.  TMI warning!  The medication might have given me constipation, though.  I've got a prescription for Fybogel, a drink that's very high in fibre and tastes very grainy.

I went shopping for  clothes for a Christmas party.  Turned out to be very expensive, but not buying games has saved me a lot of money.

Started reading The Slight Edge.  A lot of people on this forum were reading this so I though I'd give it a try.  I want to get a few helpful habits like reading books, improving my communications skills and drawing.  I'm interested in savings accounts now.

The bit where I put down what I'm grateful for:

• Banana Nakd bars.
• Pre-shaving oil.  Made shaving myself easier.
• Kindle making it convenient for me to read books.
• Bulleted lists.  Don't feel compelled to make 10 things I'm grateful for.
• Warm salty bath water.  Healed my... TMI
• Shiny new shoes

This is what my Gamesquitter calendar looks like.  Green 2's represent days where I didn't do anything gaming related, yellow 1's represent days where I looked at gaming news, reviews, videos, etc. red 0's represents days where I played videogames.  I've also added a scoreboard.

 

Edited December 12, 201510 yr by Torc

Great job Torc! Progress.

18 December 2015

It was my Birthday on Tuesday.  I’m 29 years old, just one year until I’m in the fourth decade of my life.  I got a safety razor, South Park DVDs and some puzzle toys.

The workplace had a Christmas party, which luckily happened on my Birthday J  Had the Cullen skink soup for starters, sea bass fillet for the main and poached fruit with coconut panna cotta for dessert.  Everybody had a good time.

I’ve been to the dentist for the first time in 21 years.  I had a wisdom tooth that I wanted to be checked.  She said it would be okay.  I had some fillings, though.

I’m grateful for:

• ·         Cool co-workers
• ·         Seafood
• ·         Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird
• ·         Sleep
• ·         BlueTooth headphones
•  
• 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 201510 yr by Torc

Happy birthday! 

Happy birthday! 

Hey!  Can you share with me some of the tips you have picked up on managing your gastritis?  I have no desire to feel those pains again.

Also, happy birthday!  I love my safety razor and will never go back to anything else ever again.

I'm still not 100% fine, I'm afraid.

I found that chocolate and high fat food can be bad, but there's been times where I've had fried food and some chocolate and have been fine.  Some days are worse than others.  I've been thinking sometimes it might not be gastritis but something else.  Today, I have been fine.  I've noticed the pains come on soon after I feel stressed.

 

I found this which might be helpful.

You should get tested for H. Pylori bacteria.  It's one of the most common causes of gastritis.  I didn't have that bacteria, but if you find out that you do, that could be an easy fix.  Also, I started taking a probiotic.  I'm not sure if it did anything for me, but I haven't had pains in a while.

31 December 2015

It's been a while since I was last here!

I met up with my friend who lives in Aberdeen.  He came down to visit his family at Christmas time with his wife and son.  We went at the Edinburgh Christmas market.  Got a wood carving of an owl and a candle holder.  Played with his 7-month old son.  He grabbed my nose in the car and had the biggest smile doing so.  Awww.

I got a few videogame-based books and a t-shirt with a videogame character on Christmas day.  I read a few pages of each book and still don't feel the urge to game.  I also watched a few gaming videos on YouTube.

I think Christmas has put my brain in relax mode as I have neglected reading The Slight Edge and have been on YouTube instead of carrying on with goals.  Never mind, I'll get cracking on with them in 2016.

I'm grateful for:

• My friend and his family
• Marvel movies
• Tangled (much better than Frozen)
• Stand-up comedians
• Christmas
• Hot water bottles
• Pyjamas
• This diary I use for writing stuff I'm grateful for