How to Cut Back on Video Games
As you get older and take on more responsibility in your life, your playtime may need to be adjusted. The game doesn’t have to be over, but if the games get in the way of real life, it’s time to pause. Here’s what I liked.
Start tracking your play time
One of the reasons video games take so long is because they are so addicting. It’s easy to get lost in their elaborate worlds, or to be hooked by their clever development systems that make you say, “One more thing …”. I can’t count how many times I sat down to play Breath of the Wild for “a couple of minutes,” then looked at how the hours went by, or logged into Overwatch to play “a few matches,” and then realized I suddenly had to go sleep.
According to psychologist John M. Grohol, tracking play time can help. Create a game journal, whether it’s a spreadsheet or just a piece of paper, and write down when you start playing the game and when you stop. Then, calculate your total playing time at the end of each week. When I saw how much time I actually spend in virtual worlds, it was enough to get me out of the bubble of escapism.
Set your limits
When you sit down to play a game, I’ve found that setting a timer helps a lot. Set a daily limit for yourself and try to stick to it. Even if you don’t stop, once the timer goes off, you will still know how much time you spent playing that day, and mindfulness is key. You can also create a set of rules for your games, such as “I will only play games with friends” or “I can only play games on certain days of the week.” However, don’t limit yourself too much or you won’t stick to your goals. It’s okay to spend some money from time to time and schedule a random “free play day”.
Limiting your gaming budget can also help a lot. I have set a limit on spending on video games and a limit on the number of games I can buy per month ( especially during Steam sales ). If you have a huge amount of games to play, you will feel the urge to play more in order to finally get to all of them. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Start choosing games wisely
There is no way around this: some games are much more time consuming than others. MMOs, giant open world games, and RPGs are a big waste of time. I spent way too much time doing almost nothing in GTA V , barely scratching the surface of Persona 5 in nearly 40 hours, and would probably cry if I looked at my total time spent in World of Warcraft’s golden age.
If you find it difficult to give up these games because there is so much to do, eliminate them from your gaming diet. Focus on games that are more fun so you can play in short bursts and don’t feel like you’re missing out when you install your controller. I still get into these games from time to time, but I don’t play as much as I used to and still keep track of my time whenever I can.
Let go of your trust in the “hardcore gamer”
Once upon a time, I had unlimited hours that I could spend releasing each major game. I would try to beat the games on the highest difficulty level, unlock all achievements and reach the highest rank in competitive multiplayer mode. Well, now I have an adult job (sort of), and my boss doesn’t give a damn about it, and neither does my girlfriend. A while ago, I dropped my gaming ego.
I will now play games on easy difficulty and go through quickly if I am most interested in the story. I stopped trying to complete games 100% – nobody cares, not even other players. And I skip in-game multiplayer if I’m not sure if I really enjoy it, even if all my friends are playing it. And if I dive into competitive modes, I don’t worry about being the best player. I just have fun and move on. Finally, I quit games as soon as they start to lose my interest. I no longer waste time playing games just because I’m afraid that other people will judge me for giving up.
Earn game time
Too much play is usually a problem because it interferes with other activities such as housework, errands, work, and exercise. So, I included all of this in my gaming routine. I play Overwatch between sets of weights, switch between chores and playing Breath of the Wild like some weird Pomodoro method, and I don’t do any of that until I finish my job, do my errands. and at least looked at my many side projects. Remember, the goal is not to completely remove video games from your life. Make them the only aspect of your life, not its only goal.
Start watching other people play games instead
To be honest, I find it funny that people make a living playing video games on Twitch and YouTube … but I’m sure they do. I don’t have time to play all the cool games I want, so I watch streamers play them. I can indirectly live them and still get a lot of joy from the game that I would otherwise get. In addition, observing people playing games is a more passive activity. While watching, I can do other activities, such as work, exercise or snacking.
Get a game detox
Cold turkey isn’t perfect for everyone, but it has worked for me in the past. When I really need to get back to reality, I take all my video games (current ones, anyway), put them in a box, seal them up, and hand them over to whoever wants to keep them for me. I usually do this for a couple of weeks and it always amazes me how little I miss them. I do more things, end up spending more time with people I care about, and find other, less time-consuming ways to blow off steam. Take time to focus on other things in your life, and gradually you will realize that you don’t need video games as much as you think.
Figure out what you are avoiding
Video games are a fun way to relieve stress, but they are one of the most advanced forms of escape from reality. To quench my gambling thirst, I began to look at my habits of escape from reality from a different angle. I asked myself, “What am I hiding from?” and worked from there.
Sometimes it was something that I could not control, for example, the general state of the world. Video games can offer a pleasant respite from the harsh truths of reality. But more often than not, I was able to identify the things that caused me stress in the first place and made me want to escape to virtual worlds. If my work got in my way, I would have made an actionable plan for how to improve it, instead of taking a controller. If the weight of my personal life was weighing on my shoulders, I would talk to someone about it and try to look at it from a different angle, instead of hiding behind a screen. We often throw ourselves into video games because they make us feel powerful and in control. The real world doesn’t always offer this, but it never will if you always run away from problems in your life .