How To Stop Playing Video Games And Why!

[The Monk]

Please make a video on how to stop playing video games, it had become a problem for many students, such as myself as to why I should eliminate these games, even though they are addictions they are fun and stimulating, similar to TV; please give your advice to many young students such as myself and make a great impact!

[IndependantKouhai]

50 ways society fucks you in the ass and awareness alone is curative. Watch these videos

[Extreme Z7]

Step 1 in getting rid of video games is getting your ass off the culture. The video game culture and the community surrounding is a very blind and distracted culture that doesn't know dick about self-actualization. I'm qualified to say this because I myself was an insider in this community for a very long time and still probably am to an extent.

[Bubba66]

Unfortunately I am watching a friend destroy his life with his obsession with video games. I have tried to wake him up to the possibilities of studying self-actualization and the real world in general, but he just wont change because he is content with living at home forever and living vicariously through the images on the screen, and verbalizes this often.

The way I see it, the fact that you are asking for a video on the matter means that at some level you want a change; you've had a taste of real awareness. You need only continue the journey! The video suggestions above are great, but I will also advise you re-watch and take notes on the Strategic Motherfucker video.  That is the one that helped me through this very same issue. I used to be just like my friend, playing every new release for consoles and spending disgusting amounts of hours and money (two pretty valuable things) on something that had literally ZERO impact on my reality. Oh, except for the negative impacts.

Start reading. This is the best habit by far to help you kick any addiction, especially tv or video games. I no longer play video games except for some Saturday nights, and even then I exhibit willpower and turn the thing off at 10pm. See Leo's book list to get some awesome book suggestions, it is seriously worth the small investment.

 

[Progress]

Everyone can be convinced if you know how to get to them. Insecurities are like a wound. Truth is like Alchohol on it. Apply as needed. Also sometimes its not what is true, or what you think is true, but what they believe is true or a very possibily true situation. Like for example, Start slowly talking about what they want to do with their life. Then assuming they have an insecurity of being a failure say something indirect like "I don't want to be another failure but I'm so addicted to videogames". Then go deeper and deeper into the subject slowly. Now I don't know your friends so twist the example to your needs.

[Chew211]

I have a different idea.

Allow yourself to play video games, accept it. Remove the neuroticism you have around wasting your life away playing video games. you're making hard-core judgments, and they WILL bite you in the ass, and are ultimately counter productive.

You're moving away from what you don't want when you really want to be moving towards what you want. 

So play video games when you feel like it. I personally do, I personally love playing video games HOWEVER I rarely do so nowadays. Why? I'm too busy with my life purpose.

So really, all you need to do is focus on what you WANT. 

REMEMBER the video games themselves aren't good or bad. Nothing is really good or bad. 

Just focus on your life purpose.

DON'T resist. Surrender, allow, accept, love.

 

[Extreme Z7]

@Chew211 That's the right attitude towards games through a personal development perspective.

[The Monk]

@Walker @Extreme Z7@Chew211 @Progress @Bubba66 @IndependantKouhai Thanks for the suggestions guys! Really appreciate them. 

[Santhiphap]

I just want to say that I think a video on the exact topic would help a lot of people. I see most of my friends struggling with a gaming addiction and it was incredibly hard to get out of it myself. Even though other videos of Leo might help in this situation, people who are caught in it right now won't see the connection to their situation if the video isn't directly pinpointed to a gaming addiction. We are blind to advice while being addicted, and our mind is trying really hard to never let anything get through to us, to see the truth and be able to let go of the addiction. We need to hit the right spot if we want to help addicted people, thus Leos other videos won't come through to gamers, IMHO. I think Leo could help many people and help them let go of this addiction and the pain that comes along with it.

I hesitated to share any of Leos videos with my friends because they are not open to it. But due to my friend circle of gaming addicts, I would be giving it a try if Leo had a video specifically on gaming addictions.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Santhiphap

[Progress]

@Santhiphap I found one of the key ways I got rid of much of my addiction was treating life like a videogame with its own rules and rewards. It will be slower in rewards and progress however the rewards will be much stronger. Few people choose to invest time into the ultimate videogame.

[Santhiphap]

@Progress Good to hear that 

I think realisation takes a big part in letting go of addictions but its not everything. After many years of playing video games my friends know why they are so addictive, they understand that video games are made to be addictive and as easy as possible so even the dumbest human being can play them. They are very aware that they are using video games to disassociate themselves from the real life frustration that they are facing if they are not sitting in front of the monitor. The principles are always the same and don't need to be explained to them. They just need trust, love, and affirmations from others to finally do the first steps in the right direction, away from addiction.

[Gavalanche]

@Aamir King

I actually had the opposite problem. Games were a huge passion and actually lead me to become a programmer in the (albeit mobile) games industry. A couple of years ago I started to get a bit down when I realised I didn't really want to play most games anymore, like I was losing my passion. Part of this was probably healthy in that I was realising I was wasting time.

It seems like if you are seeing it as a problem, then that might be enough of a seed to chip away at your desire to play games all the time, at the expense of all the more fulfilling stuff you could be doing. As you get more interested in personal development topics, you might realise one day that games don't really have the same hold over you as they once did.

I think @Chew211 makes a good point too, not to demonise playing games. It was only after I got over the "I'm wasting my life with these" idea - (although helpful initially) that I started to enjoy games again in a more measured manner.

Maybe you have to experience an extreme negative point of view initially, to trigger you into taking the action you need to combat the addiction. Once you're over the worst of it, you can start to accept what the issue was and enjoy in moderation?

I'm actually happy that I seem to have regained some of my passion for playing some games as I authentically appreciate the art-form, think there is something magical about games and they can be a source of good. I don't find time to play that much anymore, but when I do, I tend to stick to more interesting short indie titles or else short-bursts of intense reflex-action games that help me blow off some steam after lengthy study & practice of personal development material and programming work. Almost like a palate cleanser for the mind.

Edited September 8, 2016 by Gavalanche

[Extreme Z7]

@Aamir King

 

[Svartsaft]

Try meditating alot. You will sooner or later see how not attraktive it realy is. You know what im talking about i bet. 

You buy a game. Get kinda exited. But real soon. Your just doing and the enjoyment of this new cool experience is gone. And how fast that happens. But you keep playing.

Dont worry. If its not right for you you will see that given time.

I remember how depressing that was to realize the bullshitting towards myself i noticed with how i so love to play video games. My only real intrest. I given up on everything else already.

But keep playing. Dont even worry about being aware. You will see. And looks like you kind of do.

 

But if you actualy feel happy playing games. Dont be an asshole and stop it or even try to. 

Edited September 24, 2016 by Svartsaft

[kyle barnett]

Play video games if you want. the only reason you play them is because you got nothing better to do. Go and do cool shit and you wont want to play them. Stop kidding yourself. It's that simple. But go to bed early. You can do it. Its not that difficult once you really want to set up better habits. Get away from xbox live friends too that distract you.

[Extreme Z7]

3 hours ago, kyle barnett said:

Play video games if you want. the only reason you play them is because you got nothing better to do.

People usually play games to avoid everything that is better to do. Usually. . .

[Demek]

This is an excellent video topic that could be very beneficial to many people! I struggled with videogame addiction for a very long time before finally freeing myself from the desire to keep playing. The best way to overcome it is to find your life purpose or something else you are passionate about and pursue that!
When i decided to commit to my goal of becoming a 3D artist (so i could someday create videogames) i still struggled with my addiction for several years. I relapsed a couple times and binge played videogames for several months straight. But each time i relapsed i felt AWFUL! There was this terrible stress and anxiety because i knew i was wasting time i needed to become a better artist. Each day i spent playing videogames felt like my future was slipping away from me. The stress would build so badly eventually i couldnt allow myself to play videogames anymore and would get back to work improving my art skills.
As i made more art i started to feel much better. I would remember and focus on how terrible i felt playing videogames compared to how amazing i felt when i was creating art. Eventually i no longer felt that need to play videogames and iv reached a point where i trust myself to play videogames because i know i wont get trapped in addiction like i used to. The entire experience made me a much stronger person and taught me a lot of self control and discipline. And now on the rare occasions that i do play a videogame (which is usually only when im with friends) i enjoy the game far more than i used to!

If you are trying to help a friend, find out what they are passionate about (other than videogames) and try to get them as excited about it as possible to give them some motivation to improve their life. If they dont have anything they are passionate about besides videogames then think of ways they could use that passion to do something productive like trying to create videogames. If they dont want to do that and would rather just play videogames then try convincing them to join twitch or create their own youtube channel for videos of their gameplay. If they dont want to do that then you might have to accept the fact they arent ready to change and you cant do it for them so they have to  find their own way. Even if they spend the rest of their life working a mediocre job to fuel their videogame habit that isnt your problem and you can still be their friend. I encourage you to continue to be their friend because one day they may reach out to you when they are ready to change. Dont look down on them or shame them either because that will make them less likely to seek your help and in general you shouldnt look down on other people because we are all the same. Were all just products of our biology, life experiences and environment. You are not superior to anyone just more blessed love your life, lead by example and spread the blessings to everyone you meet!!!
some great wisdom i heard somewhere is that you cant force anyone to change, the harder you try the more they will resist. all you can do is plant a seed/idea in their mind that will grow on its own over time. The more true and wise this idea is then, hopefully, the more they will see this truth in their lives so the faster this idea will grow and the stronger it will become.

Videogames can be an extremely useful tool for personal development if used properly and in moderation. When i stopped playing videogames i felt a little despair because i felt like i had wasted many years playing videogames. But one day i had a realization that life is a videogame!(and videogames are just mini-games) That may seem like a simple idea but it is actually deeply profound! Once i realized this i was able to apply many things i learned from videogames into my real life!
In videogames i was always highly competitive and always wanted to optimize myself and be as good at the game as possible. In videogames i had extreme dedication to grind for incredibly long to get what i want. I would amass a large sum of wealth. When i wasnt playing i would obsess over new ways to overcome obstacles and make my character better.
Fast paced FPS games increased my instant/automatic reaction time and has been proven to strengthen different functions of your brain. Honestly i believe this might have saved my life by helping me avoid a near death car accident, if i had hesitated i would have died, there was no time to think all i could to is react instantly.
And the benefits of all that i learned from videogames certainly doesnt just end there.

I started thinking of myself as a character in a game which helped me overcome and detach from emotional pain. This helped me think more strategically and think more in the long term instead of just instant gratification. It made me more resilient to discomfort and the struggles of life. It also made all of life more fun/exciting!! It helps you view yourself differently and makes it easier to cultivate a stronger self image of who you want to become, i like to think of myself as a conjurer because i can turn my 3D art into 3D printed objects! It makes life far more magical and exciting and makes it easier to dissect complex ideas and situations to understand them better! When i hear people talk about enlightenment i see many parallels in the way of thinking and viewing life!

Disclaimer: this doesnt give you the right to be a psychopath! Your actions have consequences! Treating people with kindness and respect is far more fun and beneficial, you need to play well with others because you dont want them turning against you!! If people think of you as an enemy they will treat you like one and life is hard enough without other people attacking you. And in my opinion building relationships is one of the best parts of this entire game <3 Im LOVING being a father, iv learned so much watching my son grow it really teaches you about your development as a human and helps you understand yourself better.

this is an incredibly deep topic and i just glossed over it so this comment doesnt end up becoming a book but i hope this was enough to help and maybe open your eyes to how beneficial videogames can actually be!
 

Edited December 9, 2016 by Demek