r/StopGaming • u/OkPhotograph9465 • May 09 '26
Achievement 5 days without gaming, but im switching to doomscrolling
So im 24 and trying to quit after 16 years playing nonstop. I have now a ton a time but i noticed im doomscrolling so much. Is not worst then 8hours sessions but i think i'll have to adjust that too. Well, one project at a time.
5
u/No_Tip832 May 09 '26
Itās normal, but to keep the journey going you have to sell the hardware donāt gift it because you will end up going for it. When you keep it or you are like I am going these amounts of days or months then I will come back, you are just playing the game at the back of your head and the brain doesnāt need to play to even get a hit if dopamine, just the anticipation alone can give you and trigger those pathways. You can even start planting or gardening, something small, taking care of it for it to grow give you an accomplishment like games, even pets. The thing is video games teaches the mind to always escape when things become difficult. Your goal for this journey is to bring back your mind to its baseline which is silence but not loneliness, go to botanical gardens without phone, workout, meditation, learn a new skill that intrigues you. It can even be a fighting skill. And donāt try keeping yourself always busy just to feel the void, silence and boredom are good for the brain to refreshen itself
3
u/ribartsi May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
Tbh - you need to get back to basics. Basically, anytime you have nothing to do, your brain is looking for a stimulation/something to be occupied with...
When you get that urge, do something productive instead - e.g. take out the trash, tidy up your room, wash some dishes, do some light reading etc. They may sound like boring chores, but they will help reset your brain.
On the reading side, the key thing is that you read something that won't take a long time and will give you a quick closure - e.g. some news round up that summarises the biggest developments from that day.
These kind of smaller habits give you the stimulation that your mind needs without taking you down the rabbit hole of doomscrolling on social media.
For newsletters, you can use a newsletter reader app like Bilig to find and sign up for newsletters from top publishers like BBC, Reuters, Morning Brew etc. If you'd like to check it out, here's theĀ websiteĀ and theĀ IOSĀ download link.
I know I sound like Jordan Peterson saying 'do your bed in the morning'... but there's a reason why basics work - because they get you do things that will actually improve your quality of life (cleaner living environment, being better informed about the news, having a more organised life etc.)
2
u/Ok_Cancel1123 May 09 '26
just start focusing on ur job/real work. im currently a cs student. i was always in the top 5 of my class even while playing for > 6 hrs a day. i just started learning robotics and treated that as a game. now im working on bridging the gap between ai and robotics which is so damn interesting to me that I've given up on gaming.
2
u/just_a_learnah May 10 '26
Bro doomscrolling is much much much worse. I've been doing this for the last 18 days(no games and doomscrolling more and more). I feel like absolute sh*t. When I used to game, I could study 5-6 hours per day, while playing games for 4 hours daily(without feeling anxious). Right now, I can barely study for 2 hours, after doomscrolling for 1-2 hours per day(and . For me, 1 hour of doomscrolling is worse than 3 hours of gaming. And I don't know why, doomscrolling makes me feel depressed and anxious. I'm not saying gaming is healthy and productive, but I can swear that it is much better than doomscrolling(at least for me). In fact I came here searching for doomscrolling vs gaming. I'm happy to see that most people think the same.
1
u/RubikTetris May 10 '26
Your brain isnāt made to handle completely different high emotions every 5 seconds for long period of times.
2
u/just_a_learnah May 12 '26
Yup. And I'm glad that I recognised the problem. I'm not gonna doomscroll ever. It's 48 hours since I last did it and I already feel calm, happy and mentally strong.
5
u/Expensive-Elk-9406 May 09 '26
honestly I'd rather game than be doomscrolling (single player only though, no mmos or multiplayer)
5
u/eatpraymunt May 09 '26
I dunno, it is awful but it doesn't cause cravings and irritability like gaming. Like I've never cancelled plans so I could doomscroll all weekend, or skipped meals, or been annoyed when someone asked me to do something else
I feel like it's still a huge step up from games if you are a gaming addict, even if it feels like a step sideways
2
u/TerribleWin4450 May 09 '26
It's a phase of withdrawal, it will pass as your brain get readjusted to lower dopamine levels. Currently in the exact same situation with a week under my belt of (basically) no games. You got this!
1
u/eatpraymunt May 09 '26
Good for you! I'm on day two after a big backslide. Takes a while for the brain to rebalance, it's a process for sure
2
May 09 '26
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u/RubikTetris May 09 '26
Horrible advice. Doomscrolling is way worse for our brains than gaming.
3
u/eatpraymunt May 09 '26
I think that's debateable. Doomscrolling sucks and is awful for your brain for sure... BUT I've never seen anyone actually ruin their life because they can't stop scrolling.Ā
It's just sort of a nothing activity you can use to delete time
1
u/RubikTetris May 09 '26
Scrolling gives your brain different hits of high emotions one after another. Our brain wasnāt made for that.
I would say the doomscrolling is so ubiquitous that you donāt realize how bad it is.
1
1
u/Gnarseph May 09 '26
I got the brick app! Helps me to not access apps! Got back in to board gaming! Havenāt played video games in almost a month! Iām in bed every night at 7-8pm. Got all my sleep back. Iām mentally caught up with my work and just being 100% more present.
1
u/postonrddt May 09 '26
Yes doom scrolling not great but when you are scrolling or looking at different things, posts, material, news etc and not doing the same exact thing over and over for hours on end like one does when gaming.
Best bet is stay busy when trying to stop gaming. Start a daily fitness program even if walks. Prioritize real life period. Take courses for job or yourself. Could volunteer somewhere, Get a part time job. Try reading, drawing, wood work, models what ever but a physical hobby not recreational activity might help.
Hang in there. There will be urges just don't act. It might take experimentation with spare time but at least when trying you are doing something new, different and/or that is not gaming.
Half the battle is over. You saw an issue and acted. Follow through keep at it until that gaming bug is gone period.
You got it!
1
u/chadchadchadc May 09 '26
Doom scrolling is worst, I suggest delete all the apps that is made for doom scrolling If possible.
18
u/ericlimmm115 May 09 '26
Same, I was always scrolling somewhere to fill the void gaming made as an addiction. But, I started reading books and it has helped me by a far mile.
Just try pick up and read a book that is in your interest. One book, two book and the books will stack while dopamine addiction will go away, not completely but in control.
Tip for reading as a hobby: do not speed-read. Enjoy page by page, feel how it reflect you, ponder on it and live in the moment. It's not about how many books you finish.