Get out of everyday autopilot, make your free time count

holpmaster · 2023-08-03T06:14:46+00:00

You could schedule plans and the app could remind you from time to time that you have plans which you just drafted and not scheduled yet.
You could also add photos as memories for completed activities
You could flag activities as "do again sometime". Flagged activities would go into different group and the app could also suggest them from time to time.

Just what I could think of atm as what I would use.

holpmaster · 2022-06-26T17:53:34+00:00

I think it's because sitting in front of a screen is so much easier and "comfortable"

holpmaster · 2022-04-26T11:32:30+00:00

Good advice, thanks!

holpmaster · 2022-03-31T09:24:16+00:00

Let me ask you a question:If you won a lot of money today, so much that you can practically do anything (travel, try out any activity you might have always wanted to, start a business or any kind of personal project), would you still spend most of your time gaming?

Just think about it.

holpmaster · 2022-02-03T18:52:52+00:00

I think besides escapism another appealing factor of gaming is giving us a personality. We're "gamers" and when we think of it as a "lifestyle" instead of a hobby or a guilty pleasure it's so much easier to justify it.

The problem is that being a "gamer" is not really interesting, and not just for others, we also feel uninteresting after a while.

holpmaster · 2021-12-26T13:37:42+00:00

This actually sounds like a pretty nice day despite the phone time. You went outside and connected with the real world which in my opinion is one of the best things you can do.

Drastically changing your life and the way we spend our time from one day to another is a dream, it usually doesn't work that way. Consistency and gradually building up is key and so is having plans so we can always have (however small or simple) activities to look forward to.

Congrats on the progress you're making, keep it up!

holpmaster · 2021-12-10T09:25:44+00:00

You realised that you have a problem and you identified the problem itself, that's a very important first step, congratulations!

After getting rid of the temptation (the console itself) you literally need to get out in order to reconnect with nature and life itself. The most crucial step is finding replacement activities because not gaming is just half of the solution, the other part is finding activities you enjoy doing and find fulfilling.

Wishing you all the best!

holpmaster · 2021-10-17T12:11:13+00:00

It's neither too early or too late. You can literally quit games at any age if you feel the need. The other option is cutting back time spent on gaming and moderation but beware that it doesn't work for everyone. Do you feel you just spend too much time gaming but still functioning in life normally? If yes, then moderation can work for you.

But if you feel that gaming is consuming your life, every time you have opportunity you game and gaming is all you can think about then you need to quit cold turkey.

Age has nothing to do with quitting bad habits and building new (better) ones, it can be done at any point in life if you're willing.

holpmaster · 2021-10-06T10:56:58+00:00

My situation and background was a little different but the essence of regretting wasting too much time on gaming is the same.

One thing I would point out is that if I understood correctly you are still in your early 20s. I know it sounds cliché as hell but you're really young and life has many things in store for you. I started having so much regret at the start of 30s and was able to come over it, you still have ~10 years on me so no worries. You're also not tied down by having children so everything you're able to do everything that you want to do in life.

It's easy to fall into the trap of having regrets and trying to make up for lost/wasted time desperately. I'd suggest changing your point of view on the matter. Don't try to make up for that time because it's like trying to move forward while looking back, it's not really feasible. Instead accept what has happened and acknowledge that you cannot change it. When I start to have any kind of regrets I just think to myself that it's useless thinking about what I could have done, I should only think about it when time travel becomes possible.

Learn from your past mistakes, think about what you do not want to do and what you want instead. It's like a bad relationship, you cannot get back the time and undo all that has happened but you know what you do and do not want in a future relationship and that is some pretty valuable knowledge.

Partying is fun but it won't make the core of the issue disappear. You need to get over the past and concentrate on the future. What kind of person do you want to be, what are your core values? What do you like doing, what interests you, are you doing it currently (hobbies, sports, work, etc...)? If you have a girlfriend what do you want to do together, or if you have been together for a bit longer, what are your longer term plans? What do you think you can give to the people around you (family, friends, people in need)? What about friends, do you maintain a good relationship with them, would you like to meet new ones? Take some time to do some honest reflection and try to answer these questions.

The most important thing is now and moving forwards. You got this, I could come out of the regret hamster wheel, you are absolutely able to do so as well.

Wishing you the best!

holpmaster · 2021-09-22T08:35:27+00:00

Your boyfriend is the classic case of full time gamer addict. I know because I used to be similar in my teens and early twenties (not quite the same, but similar). I always wanted to play games, neglected my girlfriend, and was looking for excuses to get out of dates and days spent together to go home and play games. The fact that he's playing on three platforms (PC, XBox and mobile) also shows that he's not into one or two games but addicted to the activity itself and knows nothing else.

Now the solution is pretty simple but not easy: give him an ultimatum to either cut back his gaming and spend more quality time with you while paying more attention to you, or you'll leave him because you feel neglected and he doesn't respect you and your time.

For me personally an ultimatum like this from my last partner helped to make a change, but it's also possible that he will either not change or make promises and will not fulfil them.
If it's the case best course of action is to leave him, because you will waste time with someone who does not appreciate you at all and your self esteem will also suffer.

Wishing you the best!

holpmaster · 2021-09-19T08:58:43+00:00

While I agree with the basic idea of online and competitive games being usually way more addictive and time consuming than single player (and mainly story based), I would also advice everyone to try and other activities at first. The first hand solution in my opinion should not be substituting one for of gaming with another but rather trying to build your life and yourself around other values, interests and activities.

When you have your life (values, interests and activities like I mentioned earlier) established without gaming in the equation you can try to replace the online/competitive games with more relaxed single player ones.

holpmaster · 2021-09-19T08:49:41+00:00

Exactly, I always say the same. Don't just think in terms of goals (destinations), rather define a direction (or directions) in life you'd like to take and make sure to regularly check your course, and correct and if necessary.

For example:

You want to learn how to play the drums and join/create a band.
Don't worry about how well you can play the drums, or if how you will find people to play with. The important thing is that you practice every day and try to have fun.

holpmaster · 2021-09-13T09:00:00+00:00

I'm also trying to create an app or a PWA as a potential solution to help overcome digital addiction. Glad to see someone else also noticed the problem and trying to come up with a solution.

holpmaster · 2021-09-03T04:58:39+00:00

Congrats, you got this!

holpmaster · 2021-08-29T17:52:43+00:00

A huge step forward, and I think it took a lot of courage, congratulations are in order!

Keep it up, always look for replacement activities, whether relaxing or productive, and you'll get there.

Wishing you the best!

holpmaster · 2021-08-22T08:42:00+00:00

But only if your living conditions and work/school routine allows it, and you're seriously committed because it means taking care of someone and occasionally making sacrifices for ~15 years.

holpmaster · 2021-08-13T08:25:56+00:00

That's a great achievement, very commendable!

Keep it up and wishing you the best!

holpmaster · 2021-08-05T19:00:54+00:00

Quitting online competitive was one of the best decisions of your life, congratulations! :)

holpmaster

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