Online gaming made its appearance as a great entertainment in our lives, but it did not take much time for the entertainment to turn to an addiction. Online gaming has now become an addiction not only for kids, but also for young adults and even the adults. There are several online games and new games are also being launched continuously on the web to keep the players glued. While these games might seem to be a great way to pass your free time, they are highly addictive and can become the primary cause of wasting your valuable time and neglecting your relationships and responsibilities.
Getting rid of the gaming addiction is not something very difficult, but you actually have to understand that you are addicted to it and take the right measures to come out of it. One of the basic problems that come up for the online gamers is that they are not ready to realize that their fondness for gaming has been upgraded to addiction. So, in order to realize that you are actually addicted to it and you should come out of it now for your own good, check out for the next symptoms. If the below mentioned symptoms are true for you, you should accept the fact that you have become addicted to online gaming and you need to come out of it to make your life better.
Symptoms of online gaming addiction
- When you are playing the game you feel actually happy, and the moment you stop playing it all the happiness seems to disappear.
- After you have stopped playing the game you feel irritated and upset and nothing seems like improving your mood.
- Gaming strategies and the games keep on rotating in your mind even when you are actually trying to concentrate in your work or studies.
- You prefer to stay back at home and spend your time with the online games than going out with your family or friends.
- You reward yourself with gaming and when you are playing the games you are not concerned about anything else in the world.
- When you try to make a note of how you have spent the last week, all that comes up is that you have spent the most of your time either on playing the games or on thinking about the games.
- You find it hard to sleep at night if you have lost or won in the last match of your favorite online game.
The above are some of the most common symptoms of gaming addiction and if you can point these symptoms in you, be sure that you have become addicted to online gaming and it is the time when you need to put a check on it.
So, if you have noted the above mentioned symptoms in you, start following the measures mentioned next from the very day.
Understand the implications of online gaming addiction
Understanding the implications of this addiction is the key to get rid of it. Online gaming can affect your life in the worst ways. Apart from taking a psychological toll on you, it also severely hampers your family life. Online gaming addiction can make you turn away from your family and responsibilities which is sure to harm your life in the worst possible way. Moreover, addiction of online gaming makes you to spend your time on something that has no actual existence or implications which mean you only end up losing all your time doing something that is absolutely non-productive.
Online gaming even harms your financial condition. At one hand it can drain all your money without any upper limit and on the other it stops you from earning more and can even hamper your work by making you least enthusiastic about it, which is sure to affect your finances in the worst ways. Understanding the negative implications of online gaming on your life can be the best way to quit the habit.
Limit the habit or quit it altogether
This is one of the first things that you have to decide to control the addiction. If you have been addicted to the online games for quite long, it might be really difficult for you to quit it altogether. In such cases limiting the habit and restricting the time spent on computer games within 1-2 hours per day can be a good goal. However, according to many addicts of online gaming, who have successfully quitted the habit, for the actual gaming addicts it can be really difficult to limit the time spent on the games once they start playing it, as they always tend to stick to the game for hours together. In such cases, it is best to quit the habit altogether and to refrain yourself from even opening the games. The right way of approach in your case should be decided by you but once you take the decision ensure to follow it fully to achieve your goal.
Learn the cheats for your favorite game
According to the psychologists, learning the cheats to win in a game can take away all the adrenaline rush which can be the best way to quit the habit. So, once you have decided to quit the habit, start collecting the cheats that will make you invincible in the game. Once you have got all the cheats and it has become as easy as anything for you to win the game, after a certain period of winning continuously, you will naturally lose all the interest in the game. The computer games challenges the player, which makes it more mind grabbing, but once you know that you can win it always, all the challenges the game might throw at you becomes least interesting, and you will naturally lose your interest in it. However, make sure that you do not opt for a new game as you are losing interest in the previous one.
Opt for a work only device
Point out the device you use for playing online games and exchange it or modify it so that it is no more suitable for playing the online games. When you are trying to quit the habit, it is best to opt for a device that is suitable only for work and the configuration does not support playing games. For playing online games you need a high RAM in your device as well as a high quality graphic card, which are not usually necessary for performing other essential or work related tasks on the device. Opting for a smart phone with less RAM or a computer without an advanced graphics card is sure to take away the pleasure of playing the game, which will make you lose interest in the game over time.
Get rid of your collection
Getting rid of your game collection might seem really hard for any game addict, but believe us, it is the best way to get rid of it. If you have purchased the games, you can directly sell them off or give them to someone else. If you have been playing on the online portals, then the best way is to deactivate your account. In case you have a membership for which you have to pay, just stop the payment and your account will be deactivated. You can also block the sites on your system on which you play the games. Making it difficult for you to get to the games can give you sufficient time to think on it and to take the right decision.
Spend more time with real people
No matter how good the virtual world might seem, it is all a lie with no real existence and hence when you are trying to quit the addiction of online gaming increasing your interaction with real people can be actually helpful. Spend time with your family and friends. Go out and hang around with your friends. This will help you not only to forget the gaming addiction but also to have real friends and feel better and happy even without the games.
Get into active sports
Engaging yourself in active sports can be an effective way to come out of the addiction of online gaming. Plan your sports time during the hours you otherwise would have spent on computer games. Every active sport is highly engrossing as it brings your whole body and mind to the exact moment giving you rid of any thoughts or anxiety. Taking up active sports during your normal online gaming hours will not only give you a great engagement that is good for your health and mind, but will also help you immensely to fight with the withdrawal symptoms like irritability, insomnia and lack of focus.
Practice meditation
Meditation can help you to have better control over your mind which can be very effective to control the attraction for online gaming on your own. Practicing meditation will not only engage your time in something productive and effective, but will also help you to realize how online gaming is nothing more than a wastage of time, effort and money. Practicing meditation can also be helpful to deal with the withdrawal symptoms of online gaming addictions, like irritability, inability to sleep or feeling depressed.
