24 Nov 5 Ways I got over my Addiction

Addiction is a very bad thing which ruins our lives. This is what we have heard in our childhood and might be hearing it even today from one person or the other. But, is the habit of drinking, taking drugs or smoking only counted as addictions?

No, absolutely not.

If you cannot stay without having tea, coffee or chocolates then it is an addiction too. Yes, it is true that these addictions would not cause any major diseases or cost you, your life but so what? This does not mean that they are harmless. These additions will cause you problems.

Also, when you will not have what you want,your mind will crave for it. No matter where you are,your mind keeps thinking about how you are going to get what you want and you will not be able to focus on anything.

Thus, if you want to live your life to the fullest again then you will have to get rid of your addiction.

How I Said Good-Bye to My Addiction

I was not addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling or other such things which are not acceptable in the society. I had a plain and simple addiction of watching TV series. I could watch it for hours from day to night and this was costing me my career. I knew it but still I was doing nothing about it. I had my employments exams coming up but I watched series more than I studied for the exams. For every one page I studied or 5 questions I solved, I watched an episode for 10-15 minutes.

I found it very hard to focus on what I was studying because my only focus was on watching the episodes of Game of Thrones.

Scoring good marks in these exams could get me a job in some of the top notch companies of the country but I failed to realise its importance till I flunked in the exams. Well, I did not actually fail, but I could not clear the cut off marks of the companies I wanted to work in, so it was equivalent to failing for me.

When I saw my result, I was shattered. My parents too had a faith in me that I will clear at least one exam because they knew I was always serious about my studies. But when they heard about my results, they were highly disappointed because my marks were nowhere near the cutoff. At that moment I realised, I need to quit watching TV shows. They were not doing me any good anyways.

Yes, they are a great source of entertainment, but there are numerous different ways to entertain yourself. Moreover, TV shows took me to a fantasy world and getting back to the real world was getting tougher for me.

Hence I decided to put an end to it. Listed below are 5 steps which helped me in the process and can help you too.

 Decide to Quit

No one has ever overcome addiction by other’s will. It has to be your own will and decision to get over it. So, the first thing you have to do is to write down all the points regarding how your addiction has affected your mental and physical health, career, social life etc. Also, write down why quitting this habit is absolutely necessary for you. While you do so, you will get the necessary motivation to get over your addiction. I did this and it actually helped me.

 Set a Date

Once I decided I won’t watch any episode today. But I was in a middle of a series and I just couldn’t control my urge to watch the next episode to know what actually happened. So, I watched the next episode and the 2 more episodes after that. I regretted it but then I decided I would complete this series in a week and then I would not start watching another series. So, I decided that from next week, I will put an end to it. So, it is not mandatory to quit the habit immediately. You can take your time but make sure it is not too late.

 Identify your Triggers

My trigger was I was bored with my life and needed some entertainment. Also, I used to feel very lonely since all my friends were working in different cities. So, TV series seemed to be a more convenient form of entertainment. Different people have different addictions and different triggers. Try to identify those triggers. But, you must know that you won’t be able  to quit as soon as you know the triggers. If you can then it is well and good. Otherwise, you can reduce your indulgence in the habit. For example, I used to watch 5-6 episodes a day but then I reduced it to just episodes each day. If you are addicted to drinking, you reduce the number of glasses or if you are addicted to smoking, you can reduce the number of cigarettes.

 Quit

When the big day arrives, fulfill your promise and say goodbye to your addiction. Initially, it is going to be tough but you will have to stay positive. Try to distract your mind. Workout, go for a walk, appreciate nature, dance, sing or whatever you love to do. You can join yoga classes or some sports club. I started painting and reading books. On weekends I used to play badminton. When you are too addicted to something, it becomes very painful when you quit it. You will hear a voice telling you it is OK if you watch one episode or smoke one cigarette. Do not listen to that voice. Try remembering all those reasons which persuaded you to quit this habit and engage yourself in some interesting activity or simply talk to your friends or family.

 Celebrate

Every good thing deserves a celebration, right? You got rid of your bad habit and you should mark this date on your calendar. Go treat yourself and your friends because it is an achievement for you. Next time, when you or your loved ones suffer from any addiction, you can use your achievement to yourself and others.

TV shows surely did not take any toll on my health but they did take a toll on my career. If I would not have quit that habit 2 months ago, I would still be struggling with my career. This struggle would have given me a lot of stress and tension which in turn would have taken a toll on my health. Thus, if not directly then indirectly but TV addiction could have impacted my well-being.

So, try to get over your addiction as quickly as you can. No matter what is the nature of your addiction, it will always be bad for you.