Video games are a fun pastime enjoyed by people of all ages. When you play too much, however, they can start to drain your time and attention and even have the potential to become a dangerous obsession. Overcoming a gambling addiction isn't easy, but it can be done, as long as you find productive ways to fill the void that the absence of video games leaves in your life. It also won't hurt to have an honest view of the severity of the problem, a healthy dose of self-discipline, and a support system, represented by friends and family.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Forcing yourself to play less
Step 1. Make a serious commitment to managing your addiction
You're not going anywhere if you really don't want to quit. The first thing you need to do, then, is to recognize that you have an addiction and choose not to let it rule your life. After that, the steps you take to regain control will actually have a chance for success.
Deciding to stop gambling (or at least play less) is a lot less difficult when you consider the ways this thing negatively impacts your life. Think about how much time and energy you have sacrificed because of video games and how that sacrifice has deprived you of the pleasure of other aspects of life
Advise:
Try talking to someone else about your resolution or write it down on a piece of paper and keep it in a place where you can see it every day. Announcing your goals in a formal way is a way to make them look more official and thus make you accountable.
Step 2. Give yourself a specific time limit when playing
Write down roughly how much time you spend in front of the screen each day and make sure you stop an hour earlier. If you don't like the thought of losing an entire hour, start with half an hour or even 20 minutes and gradually reduce your playing time as you become more comfortable until you no longer feel the need to to play. This progressive reduction will make it easier for you to adapt.
- Use the timer on your smartphone to understand how long you have been playing and to notify you when your time is up.
- If you're playing on PC, you can even set your computer to shut down on its own at a specific time, which can be useful if you feel like you won't be able to unplug yourself.
- It may take weeks or even months to reduce your daily game time, this is normal. The important thing is not to let go and fight the urge to play for longer than the time frame you have set.
Step 3. Ask friends or family to help you meet your self-imposed time limit
Talk to a parent, responsible sibling, or roommate about your desire to play less (and eventually stop altogether). Ask them to check you in every now and then at agreed times to make sure you stay on track. You may respond better to pressure from an outside source.
- Tell this person not to be afraid to be steadfast, even if it means forcibly shutting down your console or hiding your gaming equipment.
- If you often play with other players (online or in person), let them know your intention to quit as well. At best they will support your decision, otherwise you will have given them an explanation about your in hiding anyway.
Step 4. Limit yourself to playing only at the end of the day
Make the game a reward for completing a task or other important daily duties. If playing is always the first thing you do in the morning, you run the risk of getting sucked into a prolonged game when you should be preparing for work, school, or other responsibilities.
- It will be much easier to control your desire to play before starting rather than during a match.
- Make sure you don't gamble any more than you set out to even during the evening sessions to avoid staying up late. Spending a whole night playing will only make it harder for you to go about your normal activities the next day.
Part 2 of 3: Stop Blowing
Step 1. Think about the role video games are playing in your life
There is a fine line between hobby and addiction. Maybe your school grades are getting worse, your relationships are deteriorating, or your health has started to suffer from all the hours you spend on the couch. Either way, being aware of the ways your compulsion has done you more harm than good can give you the motivation you need to leave it behind.
- Breaking free from the grip of video games will help you overcome your depressive or isolationist tendencies, get more fun out of real-world experiences, and make time for the people and things that really matter to you.
- If you've tried to break away from video games in the past but it didn't work, a clean break might be your best course of action.
Step 2. Make the decision to quit once and for all
This is probably the easiest and most effective way to break a destructive gambling addiction. Put the controller aside and don't look back. It will undoubtedly take tremendous willpower, however over time it will get easier, until video games no longer have the grip on you they used to.
- Whenever the idea of playing tempts you, take it as a challenge to get stronger. Consciously saying no to unhealthy desires conditions the part of the brain responsible for regulating self-control.
- This approach may be simple, but it isn't easy. The focus is on a commitment to not being a slave to your impulses.
Step 3. Store your play equipment where you can't easily reach it
Store your console and games in the attic or basement, on a high shelf in your closet, or some other hard-to-access spot. It is much easier to give up something forever if you don't have it in front of your eyes all the time.
- Make it really difficult. Bury your console under a pile of boxes in the garage, put it in the trunk of your car or take it apart and hide each piece in a different place. Do whatever it takes to stay away from them.
- If you have most of your games on your computer, uninstall the most addicting ones from your hard drive and delete all your online gaming accounts. So, make an effort to control yourself when you will use the computer in the future.
Step 4. Consider gifting someone with games and game systems
Give your gear to a younger brother or donate it to a thrift store or charity so that someone less fortunate than you can have a chance to have fun. It is not only a generous act, but it will also help you achieve your goals. You can't spend hours playing a game you don't own!
- You can also resell newer devices and titles to stores that accept used games and invest the money you make in other hobbies or pastimes.
- Delete games downloaded from your console or other device to reduce the temptation to play them if they are still there.
Advise:
if you are unable to severely part with your games, leave them with a friend or relative who does not live with you. This way you won't have the ability to use them, no matter how much you want.
Part 3 of 3: Finding Other Activities to Replace Video Games with
Step 1. Do other things to take your mind off the games
As soon as you start to feel the urge, look for something you can do right away to combat your craving. You could go outside for a walk, lift weights, paint, listen to one of your favorite albums, or help out with the housework. Anything you can do to distract yourself from your overwhelming desire to play will make a difference.
- Let yourself be absorbed by the world around you as you would with a good game. After all, reality is the most impressive game there is, with fully interactive environments, limitless opportunities for exploration, endless dialogue options, and the most realistic graphics engine ever created.
- As you explore your interest in other activities, you will likely find that your desire to play video games fades more and more.
- Do your best to fully dedicate yourself to whatever you decide to do. It won't go very well if you're thinking about video games all the time.
Step 2. Dedicate your energy to real life games
Instead of wasting thousands of hours becoming a joystick star, get your friends together and organize a football, basketball or volleyball match. While real games and sports tend to be much harder to master than their virtual versions, they are often even more rewarding as they provide immediate social interaction, forge character, and promote positive values such as fairness, determination and resilience.
- Many online video games that people waste so much time on are based on real games that you can play almost anywhere, such as billiards, golf, darts, bowling, and poker.
- If you have talent for a particular game or sport, you might even consider auditioning for a team and moving on to the next level.
Advise:
Participating in competitive sports can also help you lose weight, improve your overall health, boost your self-esteem, and teach you teamwork and leadership.
Step 3. Try LARPs
LARPs, or "Live Role Playing Games", are a type of role-playing game in which real people take on the identity of fictional characters, participate in freely acting missions, battles and other exciting situations. If you love fantasy RPGs and action-adventure RPGs, joining a LARP community can be a good way to not part with your love for all things fantasy while being outdoors, meeting new people and doing exercise.
- To find a live RPG group near you, search online for “LARP” plus the name of your city or province. You may be surprised at how many people in your area engage in this business.
- Live RPGs are encouraged to create original characters with unique traits and backstories, create their own weapons and armor, and help out with tasks such as planning encounters and finding locations for them to take place. All of these things will take time that you might otherwise devote to video games.
Step 4. Read some good novels
Reading offers a game-like experience and, in some ways, is even better. When you sit down with a novel in your hand, you allow yourself to lose yourself in a compelling story. Unlike video games, however, you also have the ability to shape, color, develop the characters and events of a book in any way you like using the power of your imagination.
- Search for novels based on popular video game series to enjoy your favorite characters and stories more productively. There are the official novels of almost all the most famous video games (very often translated into Italian), such as Bioshock, Uncharted, Mass Effect, Borderlands, Halo and Assassin's Creed.
- Reading offers a number of cognitive benefits, including faster mental processing, greater concentration and attention span, as well as a broader vocabulary. This means that you will train your mind while having fun.
Step 5. Focus on your social life
One of the reasons video games are so addictive is its social element. For this it can be useful to exchange your digital community of playmates with real people, such as your friends, family, classmates or colleagues. You may find that by spending time with them you get as much satisfaction as you did while playing, if not more.
- Invest the commitment, perseverance and problem solving skills you have acquired by playing out with someone. Few games can compare to the giddy excitement of starting a new relationship.
- Other ways to improve your social life include joining an association linked to one of your hobbies or interests, getting involved in community service, starting a band, or simply making a greater effort to communicate with the people you meet each. day.
Step 6. Join an online gamer community
If video games are your thing, you may understandably be reluctant to leave the scene altogether. Therefore, look for video game forums and social media groups as an alternative way to not break away from your hobby. Becoming a member of one of these communities will allow you to keep yourself informed about the world of video games without spending too much time on the actual game.
- You will find many like-minded players to connect with, for example on Twitch, Reddit, Twitter, and even YouTube.
- Let your friends online know that you are trying to cut down on the time you spend playing. They are likely to understand your motives and act as a kind of support group. They may even be able to suggest other strategies for fighting your addiction that you haven't thought about.
Advice
- If you haven't already, it might be a good idea to move the console to the living room so it's not in the room you sleep in.
- Keep in mind that every minute you spend with a controller in hand is a minute during which some other part of your life is neglected. If you want to have a healthy relationship with video games, you need to learn how to manage your time better.
- Accept that you may feel a little lost without video games at the center of your life, but remind yourself that you are doing it to improve yourself and that the feeling won't last forever.
