Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Making yourself play less
• Method 2 of 3: How to Quit Video Games Completely
• Method 3 of 3: Replacing video games with other activities
• Tips
• Warnings

Video games are fun entertainment for people of all ages. If played too often, games start to consume all the time and attention and can even turn into a dangerous obsession. Coping with gambling addiction is difficult, but real, if you find productive ways to fill the void. It is also helpful to be sober about the scale of the problem, be mindful of self-discipline, and seek support from close friends and family.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Making yourself play less

1. 1 Promise yourself to take control of the situation. It is useless to resist if there is no inner desire to stop. Therefore, the first step is to acknowledge that you are a victim of addiction, but do not let it rule your life. Only after this will the measures to return control over the situation into their own hands have a chance of success.
   • The decision to give up games (or at least play less) is much easier if you understand the negative impact of the situation on your life. Think about how much time and energy you are wasting on an addiction, and how that habit prevents you from enjoying the rest of your life.

   Advice: tell someone about your decision, or write it down on a piece of paper and keep it in a visible place. Formally announcing goals will make decisions more binding and encourage you to keep your word.

   
   
2. 2 Limit yourself to strict timelines. Take note of the approximate amount of time you spend in front of the monitor each day, and decide to reduce the time by one hour. If the idea of ​​playing a full hour less seems overwhelming to you, start with half an hour or even 20 minutes and gradually reduce the amount of playing time until you feel that the need to play is gone. Such a gradual reduction greatly simplify the task.
   • Use the timer on your smartphone to time the time and sound reminders when game time is up.
   • If you are playing on a PC, you can even set the computer to shut down at a specified time so as not to check your willpower.
   • Reducing playing time can take weeks or even months, which is perfectly normal. It's important to stick to your plan and not give in to the urge to play longer than a certain time frame.
3. 3 Ask a friend or family member to help you adhere to your own limits. Tell your mom or older brother that you want to play less (and then stop playing altogether).Ask to check you periodically at the agreed time to make sure you are following the rules. External control disciplines.
   • Ask a loved one to be firm if necessary, even if you have to turn off the game console or hide gaming accessories from you.
   • If you often play with other guys online or in person, let them know you intend to stop playing. It is hoped that they will support your decision, but as a last resort, you at least inform that now other players will see you less often.
4. 4 Only allow yourself to play at the end of the day. Make video games a reward for being productive and fulfilling important daily chores. If you always start playing in the morning, then you run the risk of spending time playing games when you need to get ready for work, school or perform other duties.
   • It is easier to deal with temptation before the start of a game session than during a game.
   • Do not forget about time restrictions even in the evening, so as not to stay up late. Do not play all night so as not to lose the whole next day.

Method 2 of 3: How to Quit Video Games Completely

1. 1 Assess the negative impact of gaming on your life. Remember that there is only one step from hobbies to burning your life. Perhaps, as a result of gambling addiction, your academic performance has suffered, relationships with loved ones or health have deteriorated, because a sedentary lifestyle brings tangible harm. Either way, assessing the negative consequences of gambling addiction will prove to be the necessary motivation that will convince you to give up gambling.
   • Free yourself from addiction to deal with depression or isolation tendencies, enjoy more real feelings, and make time for the people and things that really matter to you.
   • If you've tried to stop playing in the past and have failed, a complete rejection may be the best solution.
2. 2 Make the decision to stop playing games once and for all. This is probably the easiest and most effective way to get rid of harmful gambling addiction. Just hide the game controller and don't look back. Without a doubt, this requires incredible willpower. However, after a while, you will feel relieved and reach the stage where video games no longer have the same power over you as they once did.
   • Think of every urge to turn on the game as a challenge to get stronger. Consciously giving up bad desires trains the part of the brain that is responsible for self-control.
   • This is an easy, but not always easy way. It all boils down to a purposeful decision to stop being a slave to your desires.
3. 3 Place play equipment in a hard-to-reach place. Fold your console and games into a box to take to the attic, basement, top shelf in a closet, or other difficult-to-reach location. It is much easier to give up a thing forever if it is not constantly in sight.
   • Make it as difficult as possible. Hide the console under a dozen boxes in the garage, put it in the trunk of your car, or take it apart and hide each item in a different location. You need to do your best to protect yourself from temptation.
   • If you usually play on your computer, uninstall games and programs for installing games from your hard drive, and delete accounts in online games. In the future, it is important to control yourself while working at the computer.
4. 4 Gift games and gaming systems to other people. Gift the console to a younger brother, turn it over to a thrift store, or donate to a charity to please those who can't afford to play for a variety of reasons. Take the opportunity to show generosity and achieve your goal. It is impossible to spend a lot of time playing games that you simply do not have!
   • New games and next-generation consoles can be sold and money spent on other hobbies.
   • Uninstall downloaded games to ease the temptation that can arise when you have games at your fingertips.

   Advice: if you are not ready to say goodbye to games forever, then leave them to a friend or relative who lives separately. So you will not be able to turn on the game if you want to.

   
   

Method 3 of 3: Replacing video games with other activities

1. 1 Do other things to take your mind off the games. As soon as you have an overwhelming urge to play, find a suitable activity that will help you cope with the temptation. So, you can take a leisurely walk down the street, lift a barbell, paint, play your favorite music album, or help your family with household chores. Absolutely any activity will do that will allow you to forget about an unbearable desire.
   • Immerse yourself in the world around you the way you would normally immerse yourself in a good game. Anyway, reality is the most impressive game with a fully interactive environment, limitless possibilities to explore the world around, endless dialogue options and the most realistic graphics.
   • Along with new interests, you will find that the desire to play games diminishes.
   • Try to immerse yourself in your activities as much as possible. They will not be useful if your thoughts are completely devoted to games.
2. 2 Channel your energy into real games. Instead of spending endless hours trying to become a superstar in the virtual world, gather your friends and play football, basketball or volleyball together. Real games and sports are more difficult to master than their virtual counterparts, but the reward will often be more valuable, because they allow you to conveniently communicate with people, shape character and teach you to value positive qualities - justice, decisiveness, endurance and performance.
   • Many of the online games that people spend so much time on are based on real-life games that can be played almost anywhere, including billiards, golf, darts, bowling, and poker.
   • If you have the ability for a particular game or sport, then you can even try to qualify for a team and develop your talent.

   Advice: competing can also help you lose weight, improve your overall health, increase your self-confidence, and in addition gain team and leadership skills.

   
   
3. 3 Engage LARP. Live Action RPG (LARP) is a type of RPG in which real people portray fictional characters and openly act out adventures, battles, and other exciting situations. If you are crazy about fantasy RPGs and adventure games, then become a member of the LARP community so as not to abandon the fictional world, but to spend time on the street, meet new people and regularly expose yourself to physical activity.
   • To search for like-minded people, enter in the search box "Role-playing games" and the name of your city or area. You will be surprised how many people share your passions.
   • LARP motivates participants to create original characters with unique qualities and backgrounds, make armor and weapons, help organize meetings and find venues for events. All of this takes time, which you will have after giving up video games.
4. 4 Read quality fiction. Reading provides experiences that are comparable or even superior to the gaming experience. A good novel allows you to immerse yourself in a gripping plot. Unlike a video game, the reader can imagine and interpret the characters and events of the book according to their own ideas and the power of the imagination.
   • Find books on famous game series to usefully follow the history of your favorite characters and the development of familiar plots. Today you can find official books on a wide variety of games, including Bioshock, Uncharted, Mass Effect, Borderlands, Halo, and Assassin's Creed.
   • Reading is very beneficial for the development of cognitive abilities, including rapid mental processing, increased attention and attention span, and a wide vocabulary. In fact, reading is fun that allows you to develop.
5. 5 Focus on social life. Communication is one of the reasons for addiction to games. It is for this reason that it is recommended to replace the virtual community with real interlocutors such as friends, relatives, classmates or coworkers. So, it may turn out that communication with "living" people brings as much and even more joy than playing games.
   • Channel your perseverance, tenacity, and problem-solving skills learned through games into romance. A rare game can be compared to the dizzying excitement of a new relationship.
   • Look for other opportunities to connect with people more often and become a member of a hobby club, do community service, create a group, or simply chat with others.
6. 6 Join the online gaming community. If games are your life, you are unlikely to completely forget about them. Find video game forums and social media groups to stay up-to-date on all the news. Become a member of one of the many communities and keep your finger on the pulse of the events of the gaming world without having to spend all your free time playing games.
   • Find like-minded people for engaging conversations on services like Twitch, Reddit, Twitter, and even YouTube.
   • Let your online friends know that you are trying to spend less time playing games. They are more likely to understand your motivation and provide the support you need. Some people may even suggest new strategies for dealing with addiction.

Tips

• If you haven't already, move your game console to the common room to remove temptation from the bedroom. This will help you keep from unexpected night marathons.
• Remember, every minute you spend with your controller in hand is a minute that other aspects of your life have missed. Learn to manage your time wisely so that you can still play video games.
• Accept the fact that there is a chance that you may feel lost after quitting video games, but repeat to yourself that it is for your own good and that this feeling will not last forever.

Warnings

• Failure or unwillingness to control your video game addiction can lead to serious health, school, work, or relationship problems.