How to quit video games and work on the life I want to have?

BeijingTurkey · 2017-02-23T15:22:36+00:00

I'm 24 and haven't played any video game since early December 2016. There wasn't any specific event that caused me to stop playing, but I remember at the time I had been in the middle of playing Battlefield One and the new Hitman game. It was almost as though I realized I wasn't gaining anything by playing. My perspective shifted, my motivations changed. I've since joined an ultimate Frisbee league and I've been trying to be actively social, though it's tough.

"Success is not a triumph but a necessity; otherwise, what story would one have to tell? There’s no mistaking it: You are only rewarded for the risks you are prepared to take. Once out of context, actions become indefinable. Any will power or ambition that is brought to bear is arbitrary. There are no external, urgent necessities to justify choices of profession, hobbies, or partners; no force or coercion to render life evident. Thus, everything must come from within."

p0inky · 2017-02-23T16:22:28+00:00

The most important thing to realize is that for every minute you spend gaming and fucking around in the virtual world, someone else is out there learning a new skill, having a new experience, and improving themselves to outearn and outlive you. These are the people who will replace you in both the job and sexual market.

AwakenedSovereign · 2017-02-23T20:20:43+00:00

I played video games ALOT from 12-26years. Talking addict levels. All through highschool and college I was a that skinny white gamer nerd. I played WoW, Ultima Online, DarkFall, EvE, ESO, and so many others. Thousands of (mostly wasted) hours.

Today, video games have a place in my life. But a healthy one.

I found TRP and basically stopped seeing games the same way overnight. I realized that instead of levelling and grinding to make my pixels better, I needed to level and grind to make my life better.

I started playing the MMO of life. You have been neglecting your main character, OP. Your stats are weak and your epic quest has barely started.

There is no "trick". You need to internalize, for yourself and through your own learning process, that games are a waste of time.

I still play a few hours here and there to unwind or if my goals of the day are done and I'm bored. Less than 4-6 hrs a week.

Even then, 95% of games I try within the first few hours of play I sit there and go "this isn't worth my time".

I couldn't even play Witcher 2, by all accounts a great game, because I knew it would take dozens or hundreds of hours to complete and all of the little side quests were time consuming and I would rather be drinking a beer with friends or shooting pool or gaming chicks.

I can't really play solo games at all any more, because the lack of human interaction is boring. Real people are more interesting than fictional pixels.

The games I play now are well-designed pick up and play games that I can play at a moment's notice and then never look at again for weeks. Things like Titanfall, or Rocket League. MMOs are banned for life. Grindy repetitive RPGs are banned for life. Anything with a grind really. Anything with too much content to quickly get through, Fallout 4, Witcher, etc. All gone.

You can dismantle your PC, you can cancel your internet, etc. If these things help you then great.

But the real moment of change will come when you are sitting down about to play a game you just bought because it looks cool and you had nothing better to do, and you literally go "man why am I wasting my time on this shit."

And that my good friend will only happen when you internalize it as truth.

LiquidSnak3 · 2017-02-23T16:02:40+00:00

Sell your steam account. Sell your games.

That's how I quit just last week, although it was on console.

Sold ps4 and TV. You'll find stuff to do eventually.

[deleted] · 2017-02-23T18:38:30+00:00

First, stop blaming your parents. Secondly, find habits to replace your bad habits with.

failingtheturingtest · 2017-02-23T20:20:48+00:00

I still have all of my games installed. Still keep contact with all the people I regularly gamed with online. You don't have to delete everything, just refocus.

Just like when I quit smoking, I simply decided "I am no longer a smoker". Quitting has this stigma attached for when you Fuck up. You feel like you're back at square 1. It further ms with your progress. Instead, I don't quit, I'm just not a smoker or gamer anymore. If I have a cigarette on a night out (it's been a few years so I don't actually feel like it anymore) I just write it off as "oh well, don't Fuck up next time".
Same goes with gaming. Every now and then I lose a Sunday afternoon catching up with some old friends in an online game. I don't beat myself up, or feel like I've fallen back into old habits. They aren't MY habits anymore. I just think "well, I should have got more done on Sunday, so I need to make up for that".

Find something else to focus that energy on. Gaming is built to be psychologically addictive. They give you small feelings of success that lead to what seems like another easily achievable goal. You know what else does that? Lifting. Running. Playing sport. Studying a new skill. Learning an instrument. Gaming Sheilas.

One thing I'm glad I learned in my 20, Bar flailing. Watch some YouTube videos on flailing and juggling. Order some practice equipment. Then when the time is right, get a job in a bar where you can show off a bit. It's also something you can pick up and do for 5-15 mins and then get back to important shot.

TheSupr3m3Justic3 · 2017-02-23T18:22:12+00:00

I tell you how I've stopped doing anything and everything I've actually wanted to stop.

Be a fucking man.

Tell yourself you are not going to do "x" and then have some fucking integrity and follow through.

If you like playing video games, play video games, but do it when you absolutely don't have anything productive to do. Which should be years from what it sounds like.

Take this advice with anything you need to change. Start holding yourself accountable, you know you need to change, so when you know....it just makes you an asshole for not following through.

anibustr · 2017-02-23T20:37:20+00:00

Find your mission. Then you'll feel guilty while spending time not learning anything or developing a skill. Then guilt becomes too much and you quit.

Then you'll get tired of improving, this is when you consume some junk for your sanity, but only useful/very interesting junk, so you can bring them up in your small talks. Still, imo life should be 10% junk 90% improving.

valjean913 · 2017-02-23T20:44:58+00:00

Amazingly psychologists still defend their stance that video games aren't an addiction. I disagree. I was in the same boat as you once. Sell the consoles, sell any gaming computers you have, pick up only one janky laptop good enough for browsing and using Word and shit but too janky to game on.

Dude at one point I even looked into buying a time delay safe to put my cell phone into so I wouldn't spend 3 hours a day playing mobile games on it.

Seriously, don't fuck with yourself and try to only play a little bit. That will 100% WILL lead to you finally turning it off at 2am, feeling like shit all the next day, then just come home and only have enough energy to collapse in your chair and play more video games.

WishingForWhiteness · 2017-02-23T21:52:50+00:00

I just quit vidya a month ago. You need to sell your steam acc, or just delete it straight up. Uninstall every game on your computer. Go out and lift. Honestly. Replace that time hole in your life with something that benefits you. Stop watching gaming videos on youtube. Use some website blockers and get away from games.

Do it for yourself, do it for your health and for your sanity. You can do this, it just needs for you to make the first step in distancing yourself from the stuff.

baube19 · 2017-02-23T16:31:31+00:00

Unsubscribe from your internet and buy a bike. COld turkey the shit out of it insert DO IT guy here

Jet757 · 2017-02-23T15:19:00+00:00

Well, I'll tell you how I stopped. I was never a gamer but I did enjoy some COD4 back in the day. But my console broke and I just couldn't justify to myself spending money to repair it just to sit around and do nothing. Games always made me feel guilty about sitting around, so the console breaking was a perfect opportunity to stop. I also don't play just because of my cultural upbringing. I'm Russian and back home adult men aren't taken seriously if they're gamers.

What I'm saying is make it inconvenient to play. Take all your games out em in a box somewhere deep in the closet or whatever. Disconnect the console and leave it in a different part of the house and take it from there. And when you are sitting around wishing you were gaming go to the gym or to a bookstore, or watch a documentary. I love taking rides in my car just for the hell of it. Basically chose an option that involves going outside and interacting with people instead of sitting at home.

Ramo029 · 2017-02-23T18:21:53+00:00

honestly this is tough. I used to be into a hobby that was meaningless (similar to gaming) and you can't really force yourself out of it. you have to just realize that it's a waste of time.

even though I remember the fun I used to have doing shit like that, I could never see myself playing like I used to. it's just a waste of time

I'd rather do other things that give a similar enjoyment but have benefits. right now I'm absolutely addicted to basketball

TryhardPantiesON · 2017-02-23T19:35:00+00:00

I think your main problem is that you don't have goals, you need to set goals, and commit to complete them, when having goals and working towards them, you gain motivation and happiness.

Set goals for things you ever wanted to do or try, for example, learn boxing, get a gym membership and get fit over a year, read one book a month for a year, next year do 2 book a year, then 3 books, then 4 books, go on short trips in your state, go outdoors, go camping, get a bycicle and ride from one state to another.

tempjewman · 2017-02-23T19:40:42+00:00

The busier I became, the less time I had, the less time I had for wasting. Add the fact that most games aren't very stimulating.

I found lifting, exercise and self-improvement to be the core of what I do. When I'm not doing something that contributes to improvement, the stress of wasting time builds up.

prostaddict · 2017-02-23T20:54:59+00:00

Well, what life do you want to have? If you quit video games with nothing else going on, you'll eventually relapse

silver-gun · 2017-02-23T22:31:59+00:00

When I want to quit a bad habit, making it physically difficult always helps.

Throwing away cigs, giving out games to friends, not buying chocolate or beer, blocking stalkee's profiles on my computer, etc.

ZodiacK9 · 2017-02-24T03:17:32+00:00

I don't know why people are so fucking uptight about video games like my god grow a pair and understand that there made for entertainment and relaxation it's not fucking "beta" to like them. I fucking love video games but today has been the first time I played one in 2 weeks only because both me and my friends have exams but guess what I read instead and started reading 2 different novels during that 2 weeks. Now is reading beta no obliviously not, is gaming beta no again but guess why because unlike other people I don't 2 fucks about what other people perceive me to be and thats what TRP taught me what a true alpha is.

Not_Me_Here · 2017-02-24T03:34:20+00:00

Haven't read other comment, but here's what I did to get a better life style.

I live in an appartement and I almost never get out there. I've started doing youtube workout waking up one hour and a half earlier, kept that wake time. I workout for at least 45 minutes everyday (except one or two days a week). Then I also make a more muscular exercise during the end of the day if I have time (about 4 days a week).

I would suggest popsugar for workout, they have pretty nice ones, then I cool down by learning some dance moves from random youtubers.

Learn stuff, so you will find something that you like that will keep you busy. Check out for DIY, these youtube channels: Vsauce, Numberphil, Smarter Everyday, Ted talk, Primitive technology, Veritasium. Learn coding, make your own video game instead (if you need some advice, ask me, I'm studying programming).

I also like to do stuff by myself (I always use google, reddit and youtube): cutting my hair, growing plants, make your own jerky, play music, grow mushroom (I suggest just go with oyster and cardboard). Bunch of stuff to get busy, but the main point is to find something that will keep you want to perform in everything you do.

beachbloke · 2017-02-23T18:15:56+00:00

Firstly stop acting like woe is you and take some responsibility. "Their approach didn't work because I relapsed" Bull fucking shit. Their approach didn't work because YOU relapsed. Because YOU are shit. Stop acting like its other things fault other than your own shitty attitude.

abdada · 2017-02-23T14:57:49+00:00

Quit video games
Work on the life you want to have

Any other questions?

Title	How to quit video games and work on the life I want to have?
Author	RedBikerMouse
Upvotes	14
Comments	44
Date	February 23, 2017 2:53 PM UTC (9 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/5vqsmi/how_to_quit_video_games_and_work_on_the_life_i/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/how-to-quit-video-games-and-work-on-the-life-i.83107 https://theredarchive.com/post/83107

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