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Joined 5 months ago
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Cake day: June 10th, 2025

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  • Video games are good at feeling rewarding very quickly, with minimal effort required to get that feeling. I think that makes it easy for them to become habitual.

    Maybe I’m reading to much into it but consider asking a doctor or calling a helpline to see if they think you could have something like depression, ADHD, etc. Even if you don’t want to medicate, having a template of common patterns and tendencies for “your brain” can help you come up with strategies.

    You could also consider other approaches.

    I have a technique for doing things I don’t want to do that I find works well for me. I make a rule that says I have to start doing the thing I don’t want to do, and I have to do it for 60 seconds (adjust appropriately). If I want to stop after, then fine. It helps my brain switch to the new context and form new habits. Usually I end up doing more then the minimum but only if I want to.

    I’ve also had days I woke up and wanted to game even though I actually knew I should go for a walk or get some outdoor stuff done. On those days I tell myself I can game, but I have to be ready for the day first. Similar to the above.

    Also, to answer your question about game-like activities, some ideas:

    Laser tag, paint bal etcl (shooters), escape rooms (puzzle games), board games/role play games, (turn based 😅), karaoke, dance classes, (music games), indoor rock climbing, hiking, (open world games)

    A lot of other activities (pick almost any hobby) involve skill building which can be pretty rewarding in itself.

    I may be way off base here so apologies if this post is preachy.