If i understand correctly, the gist of the first paragraph, is suggesting a ¨balance¨ between ¨rest¨ and work. I do not buy that gaming needs to fit in our rest time. It's effect is too addictive, it is very close to being a drug and indeed affects our brain by releasing dopamine. I have been doing that for years which means that i already have those habit hormone loops firing up really quickly. It's basically like telling a previous alcoholic to drink jut once a week. I think this "alcoholic" decides to give up all control at the moment he takes his first drink. To clean myself of its effects and reduce the need for willpower to fight gaming, there's one solution I'm aware of, and that is to not touch it completely fo a certain period which makes my identity as a "non-gamer" stronger, and makes me find substitutions for the hormone rushes it provides, and not even think of it, because that's not something i do on a day to day basis. Regarding the other paragraphs As you say you haven't binged over 16 hours. I have. Already two days out of the 4 i gamed, and in my previous relapse it was often happening too, with frequent 20 hours of gaming and 4 of sleep. I do agree, there might be some haabit change needed, since i most definitely was lacking something if i started playing, although I'm not yet sure which , but i have some things in mind which I'm already trying out and we see how it works out I think you should re-consider the "balancing thoughts yourself too, and i think its your "soft brain" talking excuses. Don't give it any place and take the path of self fulfillment and life, and not regret and avoiding the challenges of growth by tricking your brain's hormones. Thank you very much for jumping n and giving your thoughts in any case. Appreciate it. Let me know what you think

Evaluation of this year's goals: - Main must-have plans for 2024: Prepare for (Feb-June) and successfully make (July-August) the CELTA certificate course. - finished in July Finish the university in January. In case something goes horribly wrong, then in May. I've got this. - finished in January Move in with my girlfriend in April. - finished in April Set up the new kitchen for my grandma. - I now checked on my phone that the first furniture construction/replacement happened this mid-September. Most of the furniture is now changed/constructed, as well as most of the ancillary stuff like gas, walls etc. Optional nice-to-have plans for 2024: Re-start my financial blog in February. - I haven't really thought of it in the last few months. Optional. Learn how to type with all ten fingers on the keyboard. - Optional. I don't even now know why it's here 🙂  Habits: Stop watching porn (again). - I had a run of three or four weeks without porn in June before CELTA. I entered "survival" mode during CELTA, as I just had no other way to relax and really even no time to relax. Holidays with my girlfriend usually give me time to stop, but it usually doesn't last long after. I just can't help but feel excited about it every now and then. And maybe that's it. I should just make my life more exciting and try new activities more often. I'll keep this in mind moving forward. Start getting up when my alarm rings = Put my alarm across the room. - I put my phone in the living room, so that works. Establish flossing at least once a week. - I usually establish flossing for about a week and then successfully forget about it. Exercise regularly. - I exercise with my girlfriend and do stretching on my own, in gradual intensity since about May. - Plans coming up below.

Day 7/90 update: Still going well. Happy about being one week in! A bit daunting and depressing to only be 1/12 of the way through the detox. Worked on a side project last night when I 100% would have normally goofed off gaming. I felt accomplished. I've noticed that when I have a brief quiet moment, I'm often reading instead of watching Youtube. One big factor is that I unsubscribed from all gaming channels and marked "Not interested" on any gaming recommendations that came up. So now, Youtube is way more boring, but it's good because my book is interesting. Still, the boredom is setting in strong. I've filled the intellectually stimulating need and the relaxing need, but not the social need, and I think that's what I'm craving - the interaction with others on multiplayer games (which was 90% of my play time). I have an idea of how to fill that need this weekend and will commit to it.

2024 yearly report I'll lump reading, learning and university into one chunk: Facts: I finished the university. I read two business/lecturer books, a book about health and a book about relationships. I finished the CELTA course. I met with my CELTA course-mate online. I read up on Reddit about finance and English teaching. I added and removed newsletters. Feelings: I realized going to courses and reading books is nice, however it's not of much use if one doesn't actually apply the advice. Therefore, I'm quite OK with having read 'only' three books during the year, because I made notes (photos) of the important parts, grasped important concepts from them and overall put the advice into practice. I also became much more intent with newsletters. Whenever I find something interesting, I usually sub for a few weeks, check out the basic concept, and then unsub. My email is now much less cluttered than it used to be. Family: Facts: I think 80-90% of the whole kitchen project is done, mostly done in the second part of the last year. I think that's the only fact I have worth mentioning. Feelings: I guess my mom is slowly succumbing to dementia. It's been happening for a few years, but I think putting a label on it helps me cope with it. I also don't think my father has skill-set and toolbox to make the situation better. I think the kitchen project really stretched my family's ability to work together. There would be problems even if we worked smoothly though. I'll let that be my lesson for the future; to do something for somebody with extreme limitations in how I do it, worrying about getting something wrong (for somebody else) and having to take blame from somebody else when something ultimately does go wrong. Maybe I'll grow closer to my family when I have kids, I don't know. Business/English: Facts: My business/English teaching is trending upwards. I improved the lessons for my students (questionnaires, CELTA), improved my business education (business books), worked on the marketing (new website, pricing) and eliminated nearly all language school courses. I have less than 10% of reduction of profits compared to the last year, but I also worked about 25% less lessons. Feelings: I made some pretty big one-off investments into my business this year: I got the CELTA, new computer/technology and I'm working on the new website with a few other people. I feel good about it though, as it was and is necessary. Getting the CELTA was very demanding, but I managed to do it. Eliminating language school courses was also a big confidence boost and it assured me in that what I'm doing is correct and in demand. Exercise: Facts: My efforts to do exercise and stretch have been going up since May. I found a workout group I went out with a few times. I also started working out with my girlfriend several weeks ago. Feelings: I think I started exercising more due to my occasional headaches and higher blood pressure. I don't know whether they are related, but exercise yields more benefits besides perhaps solving these problems. Relationship with my girlfriend: I've been looking forward to living together and we moved in together in April. I can say it's much better than living with flatmates, though perhaps a bit more distracting at times. I like to spend time by myself (for example when I have a free morning and my girlfriend's at work), so that's sometimes a challenge. What's great is that I think we solved/managed the traveling issue as well. I also started to exercise more, so I think that brought us closer together than ever before. We also worked on the "Seven Principles" book by Gottman and took some techniques and exercises from it. We also try to spend at least a bit of time alone with each other every day and I can say we're quite successful with that. Social: I participated in multiple different events: organized my friends and went to the shooting range with them, played billiard, laser game or table football; all that with different people and friend groups. I meet my best friend a few times a month. Oddly enough, I can also say an important social aspect has been the work on my new website with the web designer (and possibly the same for the coder this year as well). I can also say I have a good time with my girlfriend's family whenever I visit them. Writing/Blogging: I wrote/rewrote a grand total of two articles this year. I still have a few half-written articles I could finish, but I can't be bothered. I can't say I missed it or that I had an urge to write more often than that. Maybe later. Other hobbies/activities I worked on this year: modern history, politics (though mostly as fun or infotainment), personal finance/investing, theater/culture events, shooting range, billiard, table football, my business. Plans for this year coming up below.

@YanIn your posts, the day counts look very attractive. Your journal displays perfection which may also guide you to the reason for the relapse. This attraction to counters distinguishes gamers because video games of all sorts communicate their successes to the player in this way. I have this thinking for men who have taken the path to recovery in general: they have to start doing things they habitually outright avoid and deny. It can be difficult due to lack of knowledge.  many do not have safe people with whom they can share so that they can become more aware, many do not address areas of chronic neglect. Asking someone close and trustworthy for help is a major step in healing.