Everyone knows that gaming can be extremely addictive. As with any other hobby, gaming can quickly turn into an obsession. Have you ever thought of quitting gaming addiction?
It’s not uncommon to see gamers stay up late after a long day of work in order to finish a game they’ve been looking forward to playing for days. This is why so many people have started taking notice of gaming addiction.
Those who suffer from gaming addiction are usually unable to put their hobby on hold when they want to play again or have even just stopped playing for a while.
Coming out of addiction is a long and difficult process, but it’s also one of the most important steps you can take toward recovery.
As with any other challenge you face, your ability to succeed will be largely based on how committed you are to overcoming your addiction and rebuilding your life.
Fortunately, there are several proven strategies that can help you get through the tough times and reach the positive end result that you’re looking for. Keep reading to learn more about what comes out of an addiction, some common obstacles that might prevent you from doing so, and how to overcome them if they seem threatening.
How to Stop Playing Online Games and Quit Addiction
Today, there are more video games than ever before. From casual mobile games to console titles, there’s something for everyone these days. However, not everyone loves playing video games as much as others do. Some players get sucked in and lose hours upon hours of their day playing them.
If you’ve found yourself checking your favorite game online several times a day, you might be suffering from an online gaming addiction. It’s understandable why some people develop addictions to certain activities or things.
The same cannot be said about an online gaming addiction, however – this is because it isn’t healthy for you in the long run. Let’s explore what online gaming addiction is and how you can prevent it from happening to you if you know someone who has developed one or if you have plans to develop one yourself.
Why Does Playing Video Games Become Addictive?
Addictive behaviors, including online gaming addiction, are often driven by the same factors that motivate all addictions: a lack of self-esteem, a desire for escape, and a need for control. For example, some people become addicted to video games because they feel bad about themselves and want an escape from their problems.
Someone who is addicted to gaming might feel that they’re not good enough at something, such as their job or school, or that they don’t measure up to society’s standards in some way. These feelings can lead to self-esteem issues and an inability to cope with life’s problems and challenges, which in turn causes the addicted person to turn to video games as a way of coping with their feelings.
Signs of an Online Gaming Addiction
Someone who is addicted to video games might experience any or all of the following:
- A constant search for more video games
- A strong desire to play video games, even when you’re extremely tired
- A pattern of sneaking games or playing video games when you should be doing something else
- Frequent headaches, stomachaches, or nausea as a result of playing video games
- Having arguments or fights with family or friends as a result of playing video games
- Feeling ashamed or embarrassed about your gaming habits
- Feeling lonely or isolated as a result of spending a lot of time playing video games
- Few or no social interactions because of your gaming habits
- Difficulty doing your schoolwork or work responsibilities because of your gaming habits
- Increased amount of time it takes to finish a single task because of your gaming habits
- Consistent failure to meet responsibilities or finish tasks as a result of your gaming habits
- Impaired relationships with family or friends as a result of your gaming habits
- Increased amount of money you spend on video games
- Increased amount of time you spend playing video games
- The need to win in video games to avoid feelings associated with the above signs.
Note: The methods that are mentioned here are the concepts/strategies that many addicts (who have recovered now due to diligently following this). These simple techniques are also vouched by therapists.
However, in extreme cases (again which depends on the individual) we suggest Therapy.
7 Top Proven Methods to Quitting Gaming Addiction:
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Admit That You Have a Problem
It’s important to be open about your problem with gaming. Unfortunately, there’s a stigma around admitting that you have a problem. People feel ashamed for having a problem and don’t want anyone to know about it.
This leads them to try to keep their addiction a secret, something that will only make things worse. If you find yourself feeling ashamed to admit that you have a problem, ask yourself why. Why do you think you feel this way?
You might be surprised by what you find out. Each one of us has our answers based on the triggers for our addiction. One must know to admit the triggers as well addiction.
2. Check in with Your Emotions, Too
Many gamers aren’t aware of how their emotions are tied in with their gaming. When you feel like you can’t stop gaming, you have to pay attention to your emotions. Why do you feel frustrated when you can’t play?
Try thinking about what you were doing when you were playing and you might find your emotions are tied to your situation. How are you feeling while playing?
What are you thinking? If you notice that you’re feeling frustrated or angry while gaming, you should know why you are experiencing these triggers or negative emotions.
The more you dwell with emotions, the more it will make you realize about the different spectra of negative emotions which are impacting your mental health.
3. Challenge Yourself with Exercises and Hobbies
Gaming is very addictive. This means that the more time you put into it, the more you’ll want to play. This is because the brain gets accustomed to the feeling of gaming. You can try challenging yourself to take time out of your gaming schedule in order to do other activities.
You can also try challenging yourself to add in other types of hobbies that you weren’t doing before. Doing something that you don’t usually spend a lot of time doing can help you break the cycle of gaming:
Some of the options:
- How about cycling?
- Visiting a pet park?
- Taking hobby classes for refreshment?
Well, it again depends on you what brings calmness to you.
At times, doing nothing and just aiming to SLEEP well will make wonders!!!!
4. Know why you want to Quit Gaming
There are a lot of people who want to quit gaming, but don’t know why. There are many reasons why someone might want to quit gaming.
It could be that you’re experiencing a down period in your life and you want to stop so that you can figure out what you really want out of life.
You might want to take a step back and think about why you want to quit gaming. Why do you think you want to quit? You might be surprised by what you find out. As I said earlier; we get to know about ourselves more when we ask ourselves these questions.
It could be that you’re experiencing emotional issues like depression or anxiety.
It could be that you’re experiencing relationship problems and you want to stop so that you can figure out how to work through them
Make a self-evaluation and understand the benefits of quitting the game:
To name a few:
- Saves your money
- Reduces screen-time
- Improved mental health
- Reduced anxiety or stress
5. Form a Plan of Action
Keep in mind that it’s okay to have bad days while quitting gaming. This doesn’t mean that you’re a failure as a person or that you’re not serious about quitting. Gaming is a very powerful habit, but so are other habits like exercise and healthy eating.
If you find that you’ve stopped yourself from gaming for days, you might want to take a step back and think about why you’ve been feeling that way.
What are you struggling with? How about confessing these struggles to your close and loved ones or even to a therapist?
This is the interactive plan of action to quit gaming.
6. Don’t play at work
Doing your favorite hobby at work is a great way to get away from the daily stress. But don’t play video games at work.
The job might be related to the hobby you enjoy, but it’s still work and it is no place to relax. Gaming at work can also cause you to miss important deadlines and responsibilities, which can result in you getting fired.
Gaming also negatively affects your colleagues, especially those who are trying to balance their work and personal lives. A co-worker who is constantly struggling with intense gaming can be disruptive and distracting. Therefore, it’s best to keep gaming away from the office.
Don’t you think reducing gaming while working will make a positive impact while coming out of gaming addiction?
Of course! YES
7. Do something you enjoy
Do something you enjoy, whether it’s playing sports, writing, drawing, or anything else. Find something that you enjoy doing and make it a daily part of your life. You don’t have to force yourself to do something you don’t like. In fact, if you force yourself to do something you don’t like, it will be much harder.
You can also follow a creative flow to help you stay creative and productive. Creative flow is an activity that helps you stay creative and productive. Make sure to do this activity every day for 15 minutes. This can help you to be more creative, stay in flow, and be more productive with your work and life.
Last but not the least : Digital Detox:
When it comes to breaking old habits and adopting new ones, we all know it can be tempting to stay in our comfort zones. After all, challenging yourself and changing your routine is the best way to get closer to the life you want. But, changing your habits can be hard – especially when you’re surrounded by things that remind you of your old routines – your smartphone!!!
From a digital detox standpoint, staying disconnected from online gaming and video games for as long as possible can be challenging as well. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to make digital detoxing easier.
We have apps such as: BlockerX , Blocksite, HT Vector, famiguard which helps to block gaming sites.
Conclusion:
Gaming is a common hobby that many people enjoy. Unfortunately, it can also become an obsession that negatively affects the person who is addicted to it. It’s important to not be ashamed about admitting that you have a problem with gaming.
Checking in with your emotions, too, can help you identify when there are issues that you need to work through. Challenge yourself with exercises and other healthy habits, and know why you want to quit gaming.
If you want to quit gaming, you can do it. It just takes a little bit of effort and patience. These proven strategies will get you started on the path to quitting gaming and helping you to feel better about yourself. These are some of the best ways to quit gaming. You should try them out to see if they work for you.
