Mohammad's Journal

[Mohammad]

Day 2: 

It was a good day today. I worked very hard, went to the gym, came home at 6 pm, made dinner, and after dinner, helped my kid get ready for sleep. I am going to read for an hour and go to bed. 
I don't feel any urge to play yet. I need to keep up the momentum because I know that the first few days are critical. If I relapse this early, it would be tough to come back. 

 

I need to stay focused on my goals and life dreams. I know that the gaming time is long overdue. Gaming is fun, but I have to let it go. I don't want to waste my time and live with only wishes. I am going to shape my life the way I like it. 

[Mohammad]

Day 3: 

A great day. worked pretty hard, did workout, cooked and I am about to start reading before bedtime. 

I felt some urges to play while I was walking home from work. I have realized that I feel bored and exhaused from work and wanted to do something fun. But then I reflected on the fact that gaming is possibly not the long term solution and I'd better stay on track. This reflection helped me to stay away from games but I anticipate the urge of gaming comes back later in the week. I will be alone on this Saturday so I need to be careful and start the day by going to the gym and then sitting at a coffee shop for reading etc.

[Mohammad]

Day 11: 

I haven't been playing for 11 days, which is very positive. I will try to keep focused on myself, follow my plan, and hopefully stay away from video games. I am a bit tempted to play tonight but hopefully can let it go. 

[Mohammad]

Day 12: 

 

I was able to stick to the plan last night. I am a bit nervous as we are approaching the weekend. I used to play until 2 am on Friday nights and also on Sunday and Saturday. Therefore, I expect to feel tempted tonight. I should start planning for tonight including getting some workout and reading hours. I need to remember what I want to achieve and what would be the price to pay. I have decided to make this sacrifice. Let go of the pleasure of playing video games as the price for getting what you want out of life. I think this is a fair price to be paid. 

[Mohammad]

yeah, struggling again. I played two hours last night and one hour the night before. hopefully, I can still let that go and continue to stay away from it. I'll get there. I am not playing tonight - that's positive 🙂

[Mohammad]

I haven't played for over a week now which is positive. It didn't take any effort; I was not even drawn to it. I think I need to focus on my goals and put all my energy into work that I also enjoy. This is the best technique for me to get away from the gaming. I had a few relapses since I started this detox but I think it is fine. I keep journaling and watch out for possible triggers. 

 

 

[Mohammad]

I didn't play on the weekends 🙂

It seems I am on track with my detox program. I have not felt any urge to play video games in the past 10 days or so. I am going to count from today and reflect on my progress. 

So today is my day 11 not playing any games 🙂

I am very well-focused on my career and I am using my time effectively.

Edited October 7, 2024 by Mohammad

[D_Cozy]

On 9/11/2024 at 9:37 PM, Mohammad said:

I have realized that I feel bored and exhausted from work and wanted to do something fun. But then I reflected on the fact that gaming is possibly not the long term solution and I'd better stay on track. This reflection helped me to stay away from games but I anticipate the urge of gaming comes back later in the week.

Hey Mohammad, I've been reading your recent journal entries. This here stuck out to me, and I'm pointing it out because I think it's something that you may want to reflect on.

Within a week as you had predicted, you felt tempted again to game:

On 9/19/2024 at 7:09 PM, Mohammad said:

I am a bit tempted to play tonight but hopefully can let it go. 

Now, I'm just guessing here based these two things I noticed, but it's very possible you are experiencing burn-out.

I point this out, because I have noticed that your work exhaustion tends to feed your urge to game; there is a pattern I noted here with your other journal entries, not just this one I quoted.

Don't get me wrong, I think working hard is a great thing. You just want to make sure you have a balance between work and fun, ideally the fun being healthy activities that are still positive for you. Gaming, as you have identified, isn't it for you.

I am just guessing based on what I can read though, so I might be wrong. But at the very least, explore how you feel and how you approach your work-life balance.

Edited October 9, 2024 by D_Cozy

[Mohammad]

On 10/9/2024 at 2:50 PM, D_Cozy said:

Hey Mohammad, I've been reading your recent journal entries. This here stuck out to me, and I'm pointing it out because I think it's something that you may want to reflect on.

Within a week as you had predicted, you felt tempted again to game:

Now, I'm just guessing here based these two things I noticed, but it's very possible you are experiencing burn-out.

I point this out, because I have noticed that your work exhaustion tends to feed your urge to game; there is a pattern I noted here with your other journal entries, not just this one I quoted.

Don't get me wrong, I think working hard is a great thing. You just want to make sure you have a balance between work and fun, ideally the fun being healthy activities that are still positive for you. Gaming, as you have identified, isn't it for you.

I am just guessing based on what I can read though, so I might be wrong. But at the very least, explore how you feel and how you approach your work-life balance.

Yeah, I think you are right. I enjoy working and do my best at it but when I am exhausted, I am drawn to video games. I have started watching reality shows and it has been providing me with some fun outside of work to balance my life. It has been working in the past couple of weeks.

 

I may note that watching reality shows is very well aligned with my career goals because I want to learn about human interactions, body language and communication skills including improving my English, which would help me advance in my career. 

 

Thanks a lot for pointing this out to me. I am hard on myself and often don't allow myself to enjoy life. For example, I went to Mexico Beach in December 2023 and I was reading articles while lying on the beach. That is how obsessed I am with my work! but, yeah I understand that it doesn't necessarily work and may backfire on me. 

 

 

 

[Mohammad]

so yeah it's 14 days without video games. 😃

I am feeling very good about it.

The long weekend is on the corner so I need to anticipate the urge to arrive starting tomorrow. 

I should try to be more active in the couple of days to pass the long weekend 🙂

any recommendation? please let me know

[D_Cozy]

1 hour ago, Mohammad said:

I should try to be more active in the couple of days to pass the long weekend 🙂

any recommendation? please let me know

If you live in the northern hemisphere, it's fall season, which also means pumpkins. Carving one is a lot of fun, it is a workout in itself (they are pretty heavy, and cutting into them requires a steady and strong hand) and it's a pretty rewarding task. You can find a lot of cool designs by searching online.

You can bake the seeds in the oven for a healthy and crunchy snack, the guts themselves can be pureed in a blender to make soup out of them. Just make sure you get a good carving set with a sturdy serrated knife and spoon

Edited October 11, 2024 by D_Cozy

[Mohammad]

On 10/10/2024 at 6:03 PM, D_Cozy said:

If you live in the northern hemisphere, it's fall season, which also means pumpkins. Carving one is a lot of fun, it is a workout in itself (they are pretty heavy, and cutting into them requires a steady and strong hand) and it's a pretty rewarding task. You can find a lot of cool designs by searching online.

You can bake the seeds in the oven for a healthy and crunchy snack, the guts themselves can be pureed in a blender to make soup out of them. Just make sure you get a good carving set with a sturdy serrated knife and spoon

Thanks, a lot. That is a great idea. My son was asking me to do it but I am usually kinda lazy for such things. I will try it next weekend; it would be a great quality time with my son. Thanks.

[Mohammad]

Day 18 with no video games. I am very happy about it. I have been very focused and productive. Now that I have come this far, I need to make sure that I do not break the cycle.

[Mohammad]

Day 20 with no gaming. 

I just arrived home from work feeling exhausted and drained. I know from experience that this could lead to bad results. I don't have any temptation for gaming but still, I need to be mindful of my burnout. I need to do something fun tonight and stay away from work and study.

 

[Mohammad]

Day 21 with no gaming. 

I arrived home and spent one hour with my son. After he went to bed, I started watching Netflix. I intentionally avoided studying/reading as I always do before bedtime. It turned out very well. I watched for two hours and went to bed in time and I am not feeling burnout today. 

 

 

[BooksandTrees]

On 10/17/2024 at 4:36 PM, Mohammad said:

Day 21 with no gaming. 

I arrived home and spent one hour with my son. After he went to bed, I started watching Netflix. I intentionally avoided studying/reading as I always do before bedtime. It turned out very well. I watched for two hours and went to bed in time and I am not feeling burnout today. 

 

 

Nice job.  I'm glad you're getting more time with your son too. You have a lot more purpose on your journey this time and it's nice to see. Great job. 

[Mohammad]

8 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:

Nice job.  I'm glad you're getting more time with your son too. You have a lot more purpose on your journey this time and it's nice to see. Great job. 

Thanks. Yes, that's right. I am more purposeful and also more experineced at this 🙂

 

[Mohammad]

Day 22 without gaming. 

I came home from work exhausted, but I didn't feel tempted to play games. At this stage, it seems to be a thing of the past, and I am happy about it. 

However, I have been like this in the past, and even though I feel very distant from gaming, a trigger like chatting with a friend or a memory can create the impulse to play, so I should still be careful and avoid being overconfident. 

 

 

[Mohammad]

Day 23 without gaming. 

I did crave pumpkins with my son. He enjoyed it so much, and we had a great time together. Thanks, @D_Cozy, for your suggestion 🙂

I had a very productive weekend. I went to the gym and had a great workout. I spent a couple of hours reading papers/books.

I watched a bit of Netflix too. I am now getting ready to go to bed 🙂

Edited October 21, 2024 by Mohammad

[Mohammad]

Day 25 without gaming. 

I have been doing great these days. I am very happy and on track. I don't have any urges to play video games. 

 

I am very active, eating healthy and working very hard. 

[Mohammad]

Day 26th without gaming. (it is 45 days since I started journaling and had a few games there in between).

I am keeping a very active and healthy lifestyle. I have been eating healthy (low calories, high fibre/protein), and my fitness is at its peak. It's been almost a year since I started calorie counting, but because of gaming, I was interrupting my workout and eating routine, and I was not getting enough sleep, which is essential for building muscle. However, since September 9th, when I started journaling again, I have been steady with my diet and exercise. I can see my body has changed so much in only 45 days of rigorous workouts, consistent high-protein meals, and a good night's sleep. It's amazing!

My energy level is also very high. I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and (almost) don't sit down until 8:30 p.m. when I am ready for bed. I have been building my resistance to standing over the past year, and I do most of my work while standing. I am standing even when watching Netflix at night! 

Besides physical health, I have been reading books for at least one to two hours a day.

In addition, I am working on my focus to engage myself in deeper work. I then take walking breaks to burn more calories. I have also been walking between work and home for an hour every day for the past year.

 

I have to make every effort to avoid gaming. I know that if I can continue this lifestyle, I will be much happier and more fulfilled. 

Edited October 24, 2024 by Mohammad

[Mohammad]

Day 27th without gaming.

 

I came home today feeling unwell, possibly because of the flu shot I received last night. I am also feeling exhausted and drained today so I need to take it slow at this point and give myself time to recover. 

[Ikar]

On 10/25/2024 at 4:33 AM, Mohammad said:

Day 27th without gaming.

 

I came home today feeling unwell, possibly because of the flu shot I received last night. I am also feeling exhausted and drained today so I need to take it slow at this point and give myself time to recover. 

How are you doing now? I hope all is well these days.