How to stop playing video games

Why it sticks

Games are very good at giving you what everyday life hands out slowly. Clear goals, fast progress, and a reward every few minutes. Daily login bonuses and seasonal passes add a reason to come back even on days you would rather not. The cue is usually the end of the workday or the empty evening, and 'one more match' has no natural limit because each match is short.

How to stop playing video games

1. Pick your keepers

   List every game you play. Mark the ones you enjoy and the ones you play out of habit or for the daily rewards. Uninstall the second group. The habit games are usually the ones eating the most hours with the least fun.

2. Turn off daily rewards and notifications

   Login streaks and event alerts exist to bring you back on days you had no plan to play. Turn the notifications off. If a game punishes you for missing a day, that is a good sign it should go.

3. Play in timed sessions

   Decide the length before you start: an hour, or two matches. Set an alarm somewhere you have to get up to switch off. Counting matches fails because each one is short, while a session has an ending you chose.

4. Store the controller

   Put the controller or the laptop charger in a cupboard after a session. Getting it out becomes a small decision instead of the default. On PC, sign out of the launcher so it does not open at startup.

5. Fill the slot with something that gives a similar payoff

   Games give progress and challenge. Look for something offline with the same shape, like climbing, a team sport, an instrument, or a board game with friends. Something with levels works better than something worthy.

6. Know when to get help

   If gaming is costing you a job, grades, sleep or relationships and you cannot cut back, talk to a GP or a therapist. Gaming disorder is a recognised condition in the WHO's ICD-11, and help for it exists.

What to track instead

A row that only records the habit not happening gets a tick on the days you were never tempted, and tells you nothing on the day it mattered. Give the row to the replacement:

• One planned gaming session
• Controller put away
• In bed by 11
• One offline hobby session

Print a tracker with these 4 habits or open them in a spreadsheet.

Your first week

1. Day 1. List your games and uninstall the ones you play out of habit.
2. Day 2. Turn off notifications for every game you keep.
3. Day 3. Play one session tonight with an alarm across the room.
4. Day 4. Put the controller away when the session ends.
5. Day 5. Try one offline activity with a sense of progress.
6. Day 6. Have a game-free evening and notice how it felt.
7. Day 7. Add up the hours for the week and compare them with last week.