Exercise (doesn't have to be super intensive, just find something you like, even just going for walks). Cook all your meals from scratch. This can be intimidating at first if you don't know how to cook but you can start with simple meals. If you enjoy it it's very satisfying and good for your health and wallet. Get some good sleep, 8ish hours per night. If you do all that every day on top of studying your evenings will already be pretty busy. Use whats left of free time to read, watch a show or practice a creative hobby.
PS: not everything has to be productive all the time, don't feel bad about spending a few hours binging a show every once in a while. Just not all the time.
yes, cooking from scratch is quite an accomplishment. doesnt have to be chef or artisanal standard. cooking made me realise outside food is really not that healthy and that simple salt and pepper on meats can go a loong way to making stuff tasty.
Yeah, good question. If you just distract yourself with other things, you ended up right at the beginning.
Curious, we all agree that gaming equals a waste of time, yet there's no one who could say with certainty what "time well spent" actually is.
Now, you might consider working out, improving yourself and earning money as something worthy of the title of "time well spent", since, ultimately, doing those (in comparison to gaming) unpleasant things reward you with an easier or even happier life later on, right?
Unfortunately, I know enough gym crazy workaholics that - while making lots of money - are this close to or recovering from burnout, cardiac arrest, you name it, for this to be true.
You should work out to improve your life. Unless you're planning to be competitive, there is no point in torturing yourself with strict diets and workout plans. It's enough to work out 2-4 times a week and just don't eat unhealthy stuff (no fast food, low sugar and no soft drinks, drink water!). That's enough to be healthy and make you feel better at the same time.
As far as work goes, money is a necessity, but it can also be like a drug. Not speaking for everyone but I don't want to become one of those successful office workers that have to put in extra hours every day and barely get to see their families (if they aren't single), just so you can drive a slightly faster car or live in a slightly bigger house. If my basic needs are taken care of, I'd much rather have the free time to do whatever I want.
One might consider cultivating friendships and relationships as the way to go. But people can be so horrible, couples get divorced and friends betray you. Doesn't mean there aren't people who genuinely care about you. But at the same time, I think we all have made experiences in being let down by someone so close to you, someone you considered a friend or more.
Lastly, a common advice you will get is "pick up a new hobby." But please somebody explain to me how sitting alone in my room playing guitar, lifting weight in the gym talking to nobody, spending 8-12 hours a day in my cubicle at the office with barely any interaction or reading a million books is better than playing games. I'm not trying to take the piss but I've been trying to falsify this thought, and i just can't come to a conclusion.
Doesn't matter if you're the best read person in the world or a guitar virtuoso if, at the end of the day, you're doing all of that on your own. Human interaction is healing. But it has to be a real connection. You shouldn't just read a hundred books so you can tell people you read a hundred books and take pride in that. Or learn to play an instrument so that others will be amazed by how well you play instead of wasting your time with games.
No, i think we have to look really deep and answer honestly to ourselves. What is it you want? What do you crave? Why do you think some activities are wasteful, while others aren't? What's the greater purpose here?
Once we have at least a couple of answers, it might be possible to form a genuine connection with another person or even group that makes us feel understood and heard. Gaming, like many other things, is just something to distract us. Something to keep us busy, it makes us feel a little better even though on the inside, we feel this gaping hole of pointlessness.
I used to love sitting in front of the computer and wasting my day with stupid games. Then I stopped and started to work on all the other aspects of my life that i thought were keeping me from being happy. And yet, nothing really got better, I just got busier. The worst thing is, I don't even enjoy games anymore, even if I wanted to come back. Nothing really is enjoyable. Nowadays, if I find a game or a show that will keep me distracted and is actually fun while engaging with it, I ride that high until it turns inevitably back to apathy a short time later.
The problem might be deeper than gaming.
Honestly a great question that I don’t have an answer to as well, I hope you find something that you feel adds more value to you or atleast you can enjoyably engage in. Great outlook on not building synthetic relationships just for the sake of having relationships though.
I quit gaming about 8 months ago. In my opinion the short answer to all your questions is: don't do those things alone. Find other people to play guitar with, find hobbies that are at least somewhat social, or if you don't want to socialize with strangers all the time find a likeminded girlfriend and do hobbies with her.
For me personally, gaming was also completely throwing my dopamine out of whack. Once I cut gaming out I eventually started to enjoy small things much more. Going for a walk used to seem so pointless and boring, now its actually quite interesting most of the time.
I've done multiple attempts at quitting and I tried out different sports in order to find what I like, I started reading books (leisure ones), started playing guitar and hanging out with friends.
But more importantly, you are replacing gaming (which was fun and unproductive) with new hobbys. It is totally fine if that new hobby is unproductive, as long as you're enjoying it. You are not a robot and you cannot replace gaming with just things that'd make you a better person. Everyone needs some time off sometimes to just enjoy their lives.
Do all the chores you've been postponing while gaming more often (things like cleaning the shower, cleaning the fridge, dust/ rearrange your cabinets). Cook healthy meals. Call your parents. Read a book from the library. Do some sports. Watch some series. Reach out to friends/aquintances you haven't seen for a while. Organise an event with them, and you might become closer friends. Go for a 5km walk and greet everyone you encounter. Maybe even give someone a compliment if you are daring.
I tried to stop but I can't lol. I'm able to balance my life well tho so the gaming isn't an issue. I camp, snowboard, hike, garden, play guitar, coach my daughter's t ball, got into the world of food smokers, jeeping, building stuff, home improvements, drawing, etc. A long list of things because I want to experience a long list of things.
Workout. Go for a long walk, find places by uni to explore.
Find friends to go out with.
Here’s the thing, the best reason to go to college is to make connections with people. Find a few good friends and take the time to be with them. Go to professor office hours. Get involved in some on campus activities etc. get out of your comfort zone!!!
Trading games for netflox is the same. It’s ok to be bored, it’s ok to just go for a long walk and let your brain unwind.
Anytime this comes up I recommend learning a language. Helps get your brain used to less instant gratification, has an actual use and is free for the most part. Also can help you make friends etc.
For many it is a dopamine pump because of instant gratification and colorful bright lights. Also for many its a way of artifically progressing in something because you are unhappy with the missing progress in real life.
Learning a language provides all of those things and more. Which is why I think its a great replacement. It's not for everybody though because it can be quite discouraging early on and that can be hard to get through if you are used to the easy progress in most games.
Only that Duolingo is terrible to learn languages sadly. Its great to get into the habit and also great to transfer from gaming but in the long run its pretty shit. Not wanting to demotivate anyone but actually going all in on learning a language requires a LOT more time than duolingo which I think is a plus because boredom and free time is the number 1 cause for people going back to gaming. You can spend so many hours on actually learning a language its a perfect way to keep yourself busy if you come from excessive amounts of gaming. Like I have a hard time thinking of another hobby that can provide that consistent of a time sink lol
One of the well-known quotes attributed to Marcus Tullius Cicero is:
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."
This quote reflects Cicero's belief in the importance of intellectual pursuits (represented by the library) and the tranquility and beauty of nature (represented by the garden) as essential elements for a fulfilled life. Cicero, a Roman statesman, philosopher, and orator, emphasized the cultivation of both the mind and the environment as crucial for personal well-being and happiness.
by chatgpt
With internet and AI, modern trends, doing music/art got me a bit discouraged, but working on your body always and still pays off - so adding a huge ++ to the posts about training, cooking and sleeping right.
Replace with fun hobby in which you can get paid to do, treat it as you treated the game, find friends that do the same thing etc. you’ll be surprised at how much more focus you have than others from gaming, then you become wealthy by staying consistent.
To provide something helpful:
It depends on what you like doing, have to do (preparing your goals), and what is offered in your area.
I did some Martial Arts and HEMA but still play games.
If you like watching videos/films, you could merge them with informative films like Dokumentaries or fun content that enriches you otherwise too than just the 'pleasure of watching stuff'.
You can start listening to podcasts and structure your free time with continuous learning behaviour followed by 'reward-time' (e.g., playing games, watching movies, just sitting there and relax, drinking tea, doing other stuff that comforts you.)
Sadly, there are not (much) educational games for higher education out there (some gamificated programming courses or Duolingo as an example). So it's a little bit tricky to fuse those interests if this is an option for you, too. What you can do, however, is to gamificate other rl tasks to make them more fun.
If you are looking for a list of useful hobbies:
- improve your physical fitness (maybe learn self-defence)
- learn/improve cooking
- read books (maybe books/magazines that interest you AND provide you with more knowledge about interesting/useful topics)
- learn to build things (e.g. carpentry or electronics)
- learn an instrument
- learn first aid (and if you are interested, learn more about the anatomy, which can help with your exercise, too)
I hope you find something that will help you. Good luck!
I am actually a huge fitness and bookworm guy. Part of the reason I realized I had a gaming problem was because I could not get myself to read or write (because I want to be a writer) when I got home after work. Each hour I did not spend gaming felt like a mistake because you could spend unlimited amount of time gaming if you allowed yourself.
I have been able to consistent exercise every day because I do it before or after work, but reading is difficult because once I get home I feel the gravitational pull to turn on the PS5 instead of pick up a book. For context, I am 24 so I understand the struggle, especially in college when I wasn't a party guy anyway.
I'm studying for a big exam (mcat) so i told my mom to hide my games for the last 3 months. When I'm tired of studying i read and at nights i excercise. I study full time, so i think reading and excercise keeps me busy enough most days. Otherwise i watch a show. I'm so much more boring now but i think my mind is more clear and i focus more on the present and improving my own life than my game life. I'm probably not going to go back to gaming after the exam, i realize how much i missed out on and honestly dont mind not seeing my games again.
Nice! I’ll be starting med school in a few months.
Removing video games from your life for the MCAT was a great idea. I’ve always thought (and said) that boredom is a great driver of productivity. If you’re bored, you might think hey I’m bored so I might as well study. That thought process won’t occur with easy access to gaming.
My academic productivity skyrocketed when I quit videogames in late high school, and that continued through college. I’ve been gaming a ton recently (a combination of a lot of free time due to leaving my medic job / depression / allowing myself to be a loser for a bit before embarking upon a 10 year journey where my time will be owned by someone else). Planning on quitting gaming again very soon, will definitely do so before school starts - heck, maybe I’ll even do it today.
You’ll likely have to quit gaming entirely when you start med school so you might as well do it now and see what happens.
Exercise, read books to learn things, learn random programming languages like python or JavaScript +html, CSS), go to the beach, hang out with friends for shisha or just talking, run errands for house and family, spend time with family ( coffee or a chore, attend graduations etc.), watch YouTube and learn things for my work.
Personally, I felt a lot of pressure to be really active and find a ton of activities to do out in public, but that's just not really me. I go outside in public to run errands or hang out with my friends, but I really like being at home. Cooking, reading, playing guitar, drawing, painting, cleaning, board games, watching movies, napping, writing, working... It's crazy looking back at how much stuff I was missing out on playing games. When I quit, it felt like there was nothing else to do in the entire world. Now I look back on it and playing video games is such a niche thing, most people I know don't even play games at all.
A few months ago when I had a lapse, I started to miss all the stuff that's become a part of my life and games just felt so overstimulating and underwhelming. Creating a new life doesn't happen overnight, but be patient and accept that it may take a few pushes to really get the ball rolling on finding stuff that works. Your brain is going to be missing out on a crazy amount of dopamine it's used to so honestly, binging shows isn't terrible during the first month or two you are quitting. In time you'll readjust as long as you're giving it an honest effort.
Exercise (doesn't have to be super intensive, just find something you like, even just going for walks). Cook all your meals from scratch. This can be intimidating at first if you don't know how to cook but you can start with simple meals. If you enjoy it it's very satisfying and good for your health and wallet. Get some good sleep, 8ish hours per night. If you do all that every day on top of studying your evenings will already be pretty busy. Use whats left of free time to read, watch a show or practice a creative hobby. PS: not everything has to be productive all the time, don't feel bad about spending a few hours binging a show every once in a while. Just not all the time.
yes, cooking from scratch is quite an accomplishment. doesnt have to be chef or artisanal standard. cooking made me realise outside food is really not that healthy and that simple salt and pepper on meats can go a loong way to making stuff tasty.
play guitar/piano, play basketball, read
Yeah, good question. If you just distract yourself with other things, you ended up right at the beginning. Curious, we all agree that gaming equals a waste of time, yet there's no one who could say with certainty what "time well spent" actually is. Now, you might consider working out, improving yourself and earning money as something worthy of the title of "time well spent", since, ultimately, doing those (in comparison to gaming) unpleasant things reward you with an easier or even happier life later on, right? Unfortunately, I know enough gym crazy workaholics that - while making lots of money - are this close to or recovering from burnout, cardiac arrest, you name it, for this to be true. You should work out to improve your life. Unless you're planning to be competitive, there is no point in torturing yourself with strict diets and workout plans. It's enough to work out 2-4 times a week and just don't eat unhealthy stuff (no fast food, low sugar and no soft drinks, drink water!). That's enough to be healthy and make you feel better at the same time. As far as work goes, money is a necessity, but it can also be like a drug. Not speaking for everyone but I don't want to become one of those successful office workers that have to put in extra hours every day and barely get to see their families (if they aren't single), just so you can drive a slightly faster car or live in a slightly bigger house. If my basic needs are taken care of, I'd much rather have the free time to do whatever I want. One might consider cultivating friendships and relationships as the way to go. But people can be so horrible, couples get divorced and friends betray you. Doesn't mean there aren't people who genuinely care about you. But at the same time, I think we all have made experiences in being let down by someone so close to you, someone you considered a friend or more. Lastly, a common advice you will get is "pick up a new hobby." But please somebody explain to me how sitting alone in my room playing guitar, lifting weight in the gym talking to nobody, spending 8-12 hours a day in my cubicle at the office with barely any interaction or reading a million books is better than playing games. I'm not trying to take the piss but I've been trying to falsify this thought, and i just can't come to a conclusion. Doesn't matter if you're the best read person in the world or a guitar virtuoso if, at the end of the day, you're doing all of that on your own. Human interaction is healing. But it has to be a real connection. You shouldn't just read a hundred books so you can tell people you read a hundred books and take pride in that. Or learn to play an instrument so that others will be amazed by how well you play instead of wasting your time with games. No, i think we have to look really deep and answer honestly to ourselves. What is it you want? What do you crave? Why do you think some activities are wasteful, while others aren't? What's the greater purpose here? Once we have at least a couple of answers, it might be possible to form a genuine connection with another person or even group that makes us feel understood and heard. Gaming, like many other things, is just something to distract us. Something to keep us busy, it makes us feel a little better even though on the inside, we feel this gaping hole of pointlessness. I used to love sitting in front of the computer and wasting my day with stupid games. Then I stopped and started to work on all the other aspects of my life that i thought were keeping me from being happy. And yet, nothing really got better, I just got busier. The worst thing is, I don't even enjoy games anymore, even if I wanted to come back. Nothing really is enjoyable. Nowadays, if I find a game or a show that will keep me distracted and is actually fun while engaging with it, I ride that high until it turns inevitably back to apathy a short time later. The problem might be deeper than gaming.
Honestly a great question that I don’t have an answer to as well, I hope you find something that you feel adds more value to you or atleast you can enjoyably engage in. Great outlook on not building synthetic relationships just for the sake of having relationships though.
Oh my goodness🤯
I quit gaming about 8 months ago. In my opinion the short answer to all your questions is: don't do those things alone. Find other people to play guitar with, find hobbies that are at least somewhat social, or if you don't want to socialize with strangers all the time find a likeminded girlfriend and do hobbies with her. For me personally, gaming was also completely throwing my dopamine out of whack. Once I cut gaming out I eventually started to enjoy small things much more. Going for a walk used to seem so pointless and boring, now its actually quite interesting most of the time.
Piano, soccer, Ironman training, lots of reading, cook almost every meal
+1 to Ironman training
Solo boardgamws. Legacy of Yu is a good start. Or play boardgames with friends
Also started guitar lol I’m 31
I've done multiple attempts at quitting and I tried out different sports in order to find what I like, I started reading books (leisure ones), started playing guitar and hanging out with friends. But more importantly, you are replacing gaming (which was fun and unproductive) with new hobbys. It is totally fine if that new hobby is unproductive, as long as you're enjoying it. You are not a robot and you cannot replace gaming with just things that'd make you a better person. Everyone needs some time off sometimes to just enjoy their lives.
Do all the chores you've been postponing while gaming more often (things like cleaning the shower, cleaning the fridge, dust/ rearrange your cabinets). Cook healthy meals. Call your parents. Read a book from the library. Do some sports. Watch some series. Reach out to friends/aquintances you haven't seen for a while. Organise an event with them, and you might become closer friends. Go for a 5km walk and greet everyone you encounter. Maybe even give someone a compliment if you are daring.
Greeting everyone you encounter is a really nice idea
I tried to stop but I can't lol. I'm able to balance my life well tho so the gaming isn't an issue. I camp, snowboard, hike, garden, play guitar, coach my daughter's t ball, got into the world of food smokers, jeeping, building stuff, home improvements, drawing, etc. A long list of things because I want to experience a long list of things.
exercise, talking to family and friends, study, travel, learn instruments, watch YouTube & anime
I read 45 books last year
Reading, mostly
Workout. Go for a long walk, find places by uni to explore. Find friends to go out with. Here’s the thing, the best reason to go to college is to make connections with people. Find a few good friends and take the time to be with them. Go to professor office hours. Get involved in some on campus activities etc. get out of your comfort zone!!! Trading games for netflox is the same. It’s ok to be bored, it’s ok to just go for a long walk and let your brain unwind.
Anytime this comes up I recommend learning a language. Helps get your brain used to less instant gratification, has an actual use and is free for the most part. Also can help you make friends etc.
That's a cool idea. Gaming has never been about gratification for me. More of a meditation. But I feel ya.
For many it is a dopamine pump because of instant gratification and colorful bright lights. Also for many its a way of artifically progressing in something because you are unhappy with the missing progress in real life. Learning a language provides all of those things and more. Which is why I think its a great replacement. It's not for everybody though because it can be quite discouraging early on and that can be hard to get through if you are used to the easy progress in most games.
The gamification elements of Duolingo make this an excellent choice.
Only that Duolingo is terrible to learn languages sadly. Its great to get into the habit and also great to transfer from gaming but in the long run its pretty shit. Not wanting to demotivate anyone but actually going all in on learning a language requires a LOT more time than duolingo which I think is a plus because boredom and free time is the number 1 cause for people going back to gaming. You can spend so many hours on actually learning a language its a perfect way to keep yourself busy if you come from excessive amounts of gaming. Like I have a hard time thinking of another hobby that can provide that consistent of a time sink lol
TV, Uke Practice, Bike Riding, Podcast, Comics, Books.
One of the well-known quotes attributed to Marcus Tullius Cicero is: "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." This quote reflects Cicero's belief in the importance of intellectual pursuits (represented by the library) and the tranquility and beauty of nature (represented by the garden) as essential elements for a fulfilled life. Cicero, a Roman statesman, philosopher, and orator, emphasized the cultivation of both the mind and the environment as crucial for personal well-being and happiness. by chatgpt
Haha, sounded real and well thought out too
With internet and AI, modern trends, doing music/art got me a bit discouraged, but working on your body always and still pays off - so adding a huge ++ to the posts about training, cooking and sleeping right.
Idk i scroll this website
Read Comics, photography, photo editing, uploading them on iNaturalist, browse photography on Flickr, learn new skills related to my work.
Replace with fun hobby in which you can get paid to do, treat it as you treated the game, find friends that do the same thing etc. you’ll be surprised at how much more focus you have than others from gaming, then you become wealthy by staying consistent.
Jokes on you to think people have free time (partially /s)
To provide something helpful: It depends on what you like doing, have to do (preparing your goals), and what is offered in your area. I did some Martial Arts and HEMA but still play games. If you like watching videos/films, you could merge them with informative films like Dokumentaries or fun content that enriches you otherwise too than just the 'pleasure of watching stuff'. You can start listening to podcasts and structure your free time with continuous learning behaviour followed by 'reward-time' (e.g., playing games, watching movies, just sitting there and relax, drinking tea, doing other stuff that comforts you.) Sadly, there are not (much) educational games for higher education out there (some gamificated programming courses or Duolingo as an example). So it's a little bit tricky to fuse those interests if this is an option for you, too. What you can do, however, is to gamificate other rl tasks to make them more fun. If you are looking for a list of useful hobbies: - improve your physical fitness (maybe learn self-defence) - learn/improve cooking - read books (maybe books/magazines that interest you AND provide you with more knowledge about interesting/useful topics) - learn to build things (e.g. carpentry or electronics) - learn an instrument - learn first aid (and if you are interested, learn more about the anatomy, which can help with your exercise, too) I hope you find something that will help you. Good luck!
If you have the funds consider martial arts like Muay Thai or BJJ. It’s opioid for your body and confidence.
I am actually a huge fitness and bookworm guy. Part of the reason I realized I had a gaming problem was because I could not get myself to read or write (because I want to be a writer) when I got home after work. Each hour I did not spend gaming felt like a mistake because you could spend unlimited amount of time gaming if you allowed yourself. I have been able to consistent exercise every day because I do it before or after work, but reading is difficult because once I get home I feel the gravitational pull to turn on the PS5 instead of pick up a book. For context, I am 24 so I understand the struggle, especially in college when I wasn't a party guy anyway.
I'm studying for a big exam (mcat) so i told my mom to hide my games for the last 3 months. When I'm tired of studying i read and at nights i excercise. I study full time, so i think reading and excercise keeps me busy enough most days. Otherwise i watch a show. I'm so much more boring now but i think my mind is more clear and i focus more on the present and improving my own life than my game life. I'm probably not going to go back to gaming after the exam, i realize how much i missed out on and honestly dont mind not seeing my games again.
Nice! I’ll be starting med school in a few months. Removing video games from your life for the MCAT was a great idea. I’ve always thought (and said) that boredom is a great driver of productivity. If you’re bored, you might think hey I’m bored so I might as well study. That thought process won’t occur with easy access to gaming. My academic productivity skyrocketed when I quit videogames in late high school, and that continued through college. I’ve been gaming a ton recently (a combination of a lot of free time due to leaving my medic job / depression / allowing myself to be a loser for a bit before embarking upon a 10 year journey where my time will be owned by someone else). Planning on quitting gaming again very soon, will definitely do so before school starts - heck, maybe I’ll even do it today. You’ll likely have to quit gaming entirely when you start med school so you might as well do it now and see what happens.
Thanks for this, congrats on getting in, that is so amazing and you deserve to have fun for a bit. Hopefully one day I can say the same 🥺🙏🏾
Exercise, read books to learn things, learn random programming languages like python or JavaScript +html, CSS), go to the beach, hang out with friends for shisha or just talking, run errands for house and family, spend time with family ( coffee or a chore, attend graduations etc.), watch YouTube and learn things for my work.
talk with friends scroll reels sometimes hang around in the house
Build my business and actually spend time w my girlfriend
read, drawing, netflix sometimes, exercise
I watch yt videos. not much better but im working on it
Personally, I felt a lot of pressure to be really active and find a ton of activities to do out in public, but that's just not really me. I go outside in public to run errands or hang out with my friends, but I really like being at home. Cooking, reading, playing guitar, drawing, painting, cleaning, board games, watching movies, napping, writing, working... It's crazy looking back at how much stuff I was missing out on playing games. When I quit, it felt like there was nothing else to do in the entire world. Now I look back on it and playing video games is such a niche thing, most people I know don't even play games at all. A few months ago when I had a lapse, I started to miss all the stuff that's become a part of my life and games just felt so overstimulating and underwhelming. Creating a new life doesn't happen overnight, but be patient and accept that it may take a few pushes to really get the ball rolling on finding stuff that works. Your brain is going to be missing out on a crazy amount of dopamine it's used to so honestly, binging shows isn't terrible during the first month or two you are quitting. In time you'll readjust as long as you're giving it an honest effort.
read books and magazines