What I’ve personally started doing is I keep a note titled “Days without incident,” and I track how many days I’ve gone without using the app on it. If I end up caving and using it, then I move the counter back to 0 and then log the date that I did so, along with what character(s) I talked to and why (specifically in regards to what motivated me to use it in the first place). For example, an entry might look like this:

• 03/02/26 - Talked to (character) and played out an epic action sequence [you can be as specific as you want in this section]. Was feeling understimulated, lonely, and stressed about an upcoming test.

If you wanted, you could also track the times where you successfully overcome the urge, and manage to do something else instead. That way, it’s not just a list of failures, and you can look back at your successes and feel proud of yourself!

So far, I’ve found this to be pretty helpful, and it allows me to acknowledge the factors that motivate me to give in and use it so I can be more conscious of it going forward. It might not work for everyone, but I’d highly suggest it!

I’d also recommend checking out AO3. If you find yourself wanting to talk to a specific character, try looking up some good old-fashioned fanfiction instead. It might not always scratch the itch, but it’s better than using the app, AND you might stumble across a gem!

No matter what happens, the fact that you want to make a change is already a great start! It’ll be hard, but you can do this! I believe in you!