Submitted 7 months ago by SamXavia@kbin.run to games@lemmy.world
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I seem to have a problem with moderating myself when it comes to playtime on Video Games, How do you keep yourself from just endlessly playing games?
Wait 10-20 years. Play games that are way too large and complex for your attention span. Build up such a huge Steam backlog that whenever you try to play a game, you feel guilty about all the ones you’re not playing. Play games that require reflexes better than the ones you have.
Using these tricks, I’ve cut my gaming time down almost to zero!
Yep. If you’re a teen and worrying about enjoying video games too much, just enjoy it while it lasts.
@PeterPoopshit Not a Teen Sadly, I'm 21 and need to better for myself.
@lolcatnip That's pretty much how I've gained my gaming addiction, like there's way to many games to play ok back to the same game and for a really long time.
Oh man you me. But when I want to play I just wait for weekend. Besides that I don’t have the time. My collecting gotten worse though thanks to Epic.
I don’t moderate myself. I do whatever I want to do because I’m an adult. As long as your bills are paid and you are satisfied with your life who cares?
Play until you have one foot in the grave. That’s my plan anyways. You’ll need to bury me with my gaming pc.
In a way, I understand. There are no rules. I do think there is a good chance that living out that idea in any or every aspect of life can be very damaging. My motto is everything in moderation, including moderation.
@somethingsnappy Thank you, Yes I'm trying to take control of my life back from just mindless on video games, been doing it way to long and it seems it's become an addiction.
Real gamer right here.
@NumbersCanBeFun Hey, So my main problem isn't that my life isn't 'paid' for, I've been registered as never being able to work due to my Autism and Fibromyalgia and have moved out of my parents place. My goals are to feel more to feel accomplished by doing some tasks I feel like need to or could be done in my life such as Video Editing being a big passion, making that into a career of some kind.
I feel as if gaming has taking over my life and is sometimes a way of me finding a way to no get on and do the things I know rather need to be done or should possibly be done. I could easily spend the next 30+ years of my life playing games day in and day out on autopilot but rather take control of at-least some of my life without 100% giving up gaming as it still helps me relax.
Autism is where I think that this get difficult, and where I think a lot of the responses might miss.
Gaming is really seems to be a ‘specisl interest’, especially if it’s one game in particular. And taking that away without any replacement isn’t good, since it’s what your brain needs to self regulate. It’s not so much an addiction as nicotine or alcohol can be, but more like food, or hydration. You need a method of regulation.
If you’re worried about the effects of gaming specifically, then the only thing is to find another special interest that grips you in the way that games/that game does. It sounds like you have an idea already on what that might be. All I can say is that you should try and throw yourself into it head first!
Video editors can get paid by content creators.
Follow your passions. Do what you want.
Words to live by.
Honestly, mine came about organically with other responsibilities and interests.
Earlier on, I’d moderated myself but picking up another hobby, like playing bass guitar and adding that into my priorities.
Once out of college, other priorities, like making better than decent meals, my significant other, and continuing my tabletop RPG crew kinda helped me stop spending endless weekend or day off hours on a game.
Probably, the largest piece for me is having a family and a friend group that I care to keep up with. When I was younger, I escaped through games, but now I use them more like how I use a book or TV series and look for experiences I’ll find meaningful instead of just grinding rep or xp points in a loop.
@iltoroargento Thank you, I feel like pushing for some of the other hobbies I have such as Video Editing is a more healthy way to express myself. Sometimes it feels like I just get swallowed by the idea of gaming.
Totally get that. And of course!
I think stuff that gets you out of the same headspace and even room in which you game can help reprioritize things.
Video editing is a super useful skill and it may make you want to go out and capture different shots or compile something for someone else, too. My highschool buddy started getting into AV stuff a while ago and just did a really good job compiling the highlights of another of our friend’s weddings and I guarantee all of us are gonna keep that file on some drive for a long time!
As others have said, if it’s that progression loop kinda thing you’re stuck in like with an MMO or online shooter, I say kick that stuff as fast as you can.
If you really wanna keep going with some of the MMO stuff, look into hosting your own game. My buddies and I love old school World of Warcraft and finally decided to host our own server which has been a game changer.
Idk if that’s all gonna be applicable, but you can cut down or out a lot of stuff by just identifying what “itch” is scratched by your gaming. If you take steps to control how you consume that media, you are more aware of the time commitment and effect it has on you.
Hope that helps and it’s awesome you’re looking to introspect about your hobbies!
You have to find other outlets.
It’s a long process with therapy etc…
But you have to find something else that’s more important to you. Video games are designed to appeal to your need for quick feedback, and it’s awful
This may require some significant lifestyle changes.
Finding a hobby does not involve therapy lmao literally just try different activities until something makes you feel like you are playing your favorite game.
That’s basically what a therapist would tell someone anyways. Therapy can’t make you magically find the new hobby you like.
@Mago In another comment I got suggested to Gamify my life a little as that could help with being stuck on games all the time, what I feel might be the best route to go as unless I end up doing E-Sports or something I probably won't quite get that 'itch'.
@ArbiterXero Thank you, I can't afford Therapy sadly, What I know would be a really helpful tool not only for dealing with my possible gaming addiction but other struggles that I use gaming to help 'mend'.
I know from years of small experience that I am interested in Video Editing and I know that's one of the things I'd like to make time for instead of gaming. I know it's going to take time especially as I don't want to lose gaming fully from my life as it's a good relaxant.
By staying the fuck away from MMOs. 😂 🙃
@FoundTheVegan I don't actually play any MMOs, never have really grabbed my attention but still doesn't stop me from endlessly playing games due to them being Round-Based or never-ending games like Minecraft. Thanks for the advice though.
Have children. You’ll be too tired to play more than 30 minutes a night
@TORFdot0 I know I hate myself but I really don't hate myself to go out of my way and have a child, also as a lesbian, no thank you.
Have any pets? Gotta take my dog for walks and make sure he’s taken care of on regular intervals.
Multiplayer games in general are hard to regulate. MMO’s, Mobas, FPS, ARPGs. This games are designed to swallow weeks of your life before you react. When I stopped playing these type of games it didn’t become as much of a problem to regulate my gaming.
Write down what an optimal day for someone your age, in your living area, looks like. Weekly activities. Exercise. Etc. Start implementing the we things into your life at a pace that isn’t to slow but not too fast either.
Set goals what most of your days should consist of. Most days. Don’t set routines that are too nailed down. Don’t go overboard. Excersise three times a week? Two days need to be back to back but the third can be anytime during the week? Things like that.
Work this into your routine. Take one step at a time.
If I regret one thing at the age of 37 it would be not having some kind of exercise in my weekly routine from my early 20s. I would be in sooo much better shape, have more energy, be more alert.
Balance in everything is key.
@hogart Thank you, Even know I don't have issues with weight (at least not over weight) this is really helpful. I know I can't go full cold turkey over the games otherwise I fall back into them hard and it's good to see other people say to slowly get myself off them. Luckily I never have got into the MMO side of things as I'm sure I wouldn't even be messaging to people online at the point, I mainly play round-based games such as CounterStrike, limiting my play and replacing it with something else slowly is probably the way to go. Thank you.
I’m not overweight either. But I wouldn’t wanna look at the inside of my body. I’m probably an overweight person I skinny body. Mental health is a big thing. As in having a fresh mind, able to focus on semi mundane tasks, keeping a good temper, etc. If you manage to gain just a small amount of muscle every year that’s just a bonus. Glad my post made some sense to you. Tried summerising the things I think matters for everyone regardless of individual situation. Stay good!
I agree with what others have said about gamifying life. For example, ‘oh it’s 5pm, I need to spend 30 minutes doing some tidying before I can play a game again’. And for games with no clear end point, set yourself goals so you know when to take a break. ‘Once I’ve built this factory, I need to take an hour’s break before I can play again’.
@OmegaMouse It's actually what I've been trying out today, I didn't know that's what people meant by Gamify your life I more thought they were saying to give myself a score for doing tasks and stuff.
Currently doing play a game of CS2, if I win then I have less work to do but if I lose I have to do twice the amount of work and then I can go back on. This is almost like a reward / punishment system for myself to try and not only play the game (or not lol) and then just do the task. Once I have no tasks left I'm free to enjoy what ever game I like without worrying about they I got that thing to do.
I hope this could possibly work in the long run.
Yeah I guess that’s my take on ‘gamifying things’, but there’s probably a few different ways to do it. I’ve heard that in psychology, rewards are a lot more effective than punishments - so maybe frame it slightly differently. Personally I wouldn’t base things on how well you do in the game, because that could get frustrating - in the worst scenario you’ll already be annoyed at doing poorly in the game, and that’s followed by having to do more work. Instead I’d spin it, so if you do all the tidying reward yourself with an hour of gaming. If you get all your chores done, you get 2 hours of gaming etc.
Get married and have a kid, you’ll moderate yourself quickly, don’t you worry about that my friend.
Unfortunately this kills off all the hobbies, not just gaming. And your free time(
@nodimetotie That's why I have no plans on kids
@Ghostlight I have a partner, I'm Trans (lesbian) and never want kids.
Short attention span leading to doing gaming in short bursts. Sometimes I lose interest in games for months and get more into the mood to watch TV shows and movies. Then lose interest in that and move to reading then lose interest in that and going back to gaming. Rinse and repeat. Has helped me avoid the whole not having fun with games anymore threads that I’d see a lot, since my focus just naturally shifts back and forth to keep things feeling fresh.
I don’t.
When you get older it gets harder and harder to play video games frequently.
@kandoh I'm 21, Moved out of home and don't have to work... I have nothing but time and that's the problem.
That’s nothing to feel guilty about as long as you’re not neglecting trying to find a job and self improvement. Your 20s are rough, all opportunities available are pretty shitty and exploit your energy and inexperience. Videogames are a great way to stay sane during this.
I can maybe squeeze in an hour of gaming every third day if I am efficient (work and household stuff) and lucky. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, just there are many games I want to experience so I have to be very selective.
For me, it’s that a game is a big time and energy investment. I’m hesitant to jump in.
Listen, if you are neglecting your household chores or other important duties, then it doesn’t really matter how much time you spend playing games. Time you enjoyed spending is never wasted, and if you enjoy playing games on your downtime, then do it.
@AphoticDev It not only get's in the way of household chores but also physical health ones that I should be doing.
Hire a cleaner if you can afford it. Then integrate exercise into gaming, like Pokemon Go or high intensity VR games.
Depression? Don’t try that at home, would not recommend!
How do you enjoy playing video games endlessly when life is passing you by, skills are going unlearnt and passions undiscovered?
@kttnpunk I think it's because I've had a lot of issues in my past and not many people want me around in life so that's a stuggle, So I end up doing the only thing that seems to want me, what is Video Games.
I have a passion in Video Editing that I'm trying to replace some of my Video Game habits with, my first day of attending to do some and then game for a round or so and then back to editing went pretty good, hopefully I can get to the stage I just work on projects instead of gaming all the time.
Video games are experiences. I feel like I live to experience different experiences. It’s all the sources of entertainment media and art all crafted in one experience.
Not learning some skill isn’t a big deal. There’s a number of skills I have developed but then dropped for several years. Only to come back and feel like I have to start from scratch again. You then learn that not all of your time needs to be devoted to a skill that has limited value in return.
Video games can also be a passion to some.
I don’t like being interrupted while gaming so as a student I study till a certain hour than I do whatever (maybe gaming) till I 11PM
@WeLoveCastingSpellz I find if I even tried doing that I wouldn't stop after 11 lol
Maybe lay off video games for a while till you manage to accumulate a level of willpower that lets you cobtroll yourself easier while gaming. At your situation professional help from someone who knows about this shit might be better help.
I recommend having no job and having the feeling that you’re wasting your life and feel like a NEET. That always helps me stop playing games
@Monster96 I have both Autism and Fibromyalgia so I have been registered as never being able to work. My goal is not to go full no Video Games what is the hard part, The Games I play just get in the way of the the possible carer I feel I can create for myself (Video Editing if your wondering) but they also regulate my stress and i've tried going full cold turkey with them before and my life got to one of the lowest points due to no stress regulation. Thanks for the comment though.
I think the best way to moderate gaming addiction is to be deliberate and disciplined about your goals. I love gaming and don’t want to be interrupted, so I try to deal with responsibilities first, to get more enjoyment out of an uninterrupted gaming session. Make hard rules for yourself. You want to be fit? Work out before gaming. You don’t even need a great workout routine; consistency will get you there. Use your drive for gaming to reach your goals. That’s my opinion
@Curdie Today I've been trying something where I can play a CS2 (One of the main games I've been playing lately) but I can only play one game (One Round what ever you want to call it). If I lose the game I have to edit my video I've been holding off on for quite a while down by another 30 minutes of footage, If I win I have to still edit but I can edit anywhere between 10 minutes to 20 minutes of footage down. So far this seemed to have helped a little bit and I hope it will get easier as I have less of a backlog of videos to edit through.
Nice! That approach would be terrible for me but I’m stoked you’re finding things that work for you. What kind of video are you editing that contains so much footage? If you don’t mind me asking.
Best thing to do for me is to just look at the clock and set a time to get off, depending on the length I want to sit down it’s usually 1-3 hours. Usually when that time comes around I notice what I’m doing in game and realize without that time limiting I would probably stay on for way longer.
It’s pretty self moderating. Every 5 years or so there’s a game i might be mildly interested in, play it for a few hours until I’m bored of it. Rinse and repeat
If youre adhd try gamifying aspects of your life.
@bonus_crab I have Autism but I suspect that I most likely have ADHD as well, I've thought about this before and it really interested me do you have any recommended apps to manage gamifying my life?
I started making one but never finished it lol
I only really tend to play with a group of mates - the most fun to play with is like four or five hours ahead of me, so when they hop off, the whole group tends to head off at the same time. If we don’t, it’s usually just a smaller game that we have fun with for like an hour before finishing.
Basically, I push being responsible off onto someone who is actually responsible.
@DarkMessiah That's a good way of doing it, just need to find friends to play with lol
My big thing after graduating like others have said we’re other hobbies, I got into painting, 3d printing, sometimes just watching TV. Most of the games I play now are single player I hardly play multiplayer games anymore. I used to be too into destiny and games like that but I just eventually wanted to play games I could pause and go do other shit
I’m glad they got rid of that huge light on the controller with the PS5.
I … don´t
I make games a fallback activity. If I can go be social, I’ll pick that instead. I date people so I try to spend time with them.
I set timers. Every hour or two the timer goes off, and I have to go do something else. Either something productive like an errand or just something not on the computer.
I have a full time job. I never play games when I’m supposed to be working. I work from home so it would be easy to fire up the other computer and play a little between work stuff, but that’s a horrible idea so I don’t.
I have a self imposed bed time. I had to use an alarm for this for a while but now it’s just habit. Also I’m getting old so I get tired sooner.
If there is nothing I need to do that day, I don’t see a problem with playing for a long time
Allot yourself a certain time of the day to play them. Basically, schedule your play time and only play during that play time. That’s what I do. I play at a certain time of the evening, for 2 hours maximum. Otherwise I don’t really touch my games. If I’m doing something else at that time that I feel takes priority (such as working on something or doing something else with friends or family) then I’m probably just not going to play that night. That’s basically how my friends and I helped get one of our group out of a gaming addiction: hanging around with his brother at their place doing other stuff. Over the course of a few months he slowly would come out and make his way closer to us or hang around in the doorway of his room watching us for increasingly longer periods of time, until he eventually would actually log off the game and join in our activities. We just consistently got together at the same time every week. Nothing more to it.
Find a hobby to do on the side that you can use, maybe something with progression so you have something to focus on and track progress to keep you wanting to do that and not just stick to playing games. Something like drawing, learning an instrument, maybe even exercise, whether it be standard gym stuff or something else like skating or bouldering. If you still want to stick around a computer for whatever reason, maybe learn to code? Having a creative outlet will help loads to keep you from games if you gave troubles endlessly paying them because too start getting the creative itches that makes you want to get something done related to that hobby.
Raphipod@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Umm… having a job? Takes care of that problem very easily.
Vlyn@lemmy.zip 7 months ago
Less sleep it is!
electrogamerman@lemmy.world 7 months ago
health problems would like to know your location
SamXavia@kbin.run 7 months ago
@Raphipod So I can't really get a normal job but hope to create my own business to fill up my 'non-gaming time'. It's just trying to not slowly fill that time up with "You know I'll play a game" and then loose another 3 days just mindlessly gaming for hours on end.