Overcoming Entertainment Addiction: 10 Things You Need To Know

Despite all of technology’s benefits, your smartphone should not be your primary companion. Entertainment addiction is akin to alcoholism, drug addiction, and gambling addiction. Of course, it won’t harm your health the way alcohol does, but its toxicity has an impact on human awareness and interactions with the rest of the world. 

You may break away from entertainment addiction with some simple tactics. 

Ascendant provides a drug rehabilitation in New York, and the rehab covers some simple tricks to help you overcome entertainment addiction. We have outlined these tricks right here so that you can break away from your phone, gaming, social media, and TV addiction, which combine the whole entertainment spectrum. 

Let’s check out: 

1: Set A Specific Screen Time

We don’t need our phones with us all the time. 

So you can put your phone away at dinner, while watching a movie, or conversing with your family. Plan out how you’ll use your phone and set aside time when you won’t be using it. 

When you’re doing anything else, turn off the phone. This simple method will help you become less attached to your phone by reducing distractions, and by phone, we mean setting a specific screen time for gaming, social media surfing, web browsing, and so on. 

2: Stick To The Screen Time

You can check how much time you’ve spent on different applications on most phones and tablets. 

Set a time limit for yourself and adhere to it, or use an app that will stop social media after you’ve reached your limit. 

If you stick to the screen time, it will make you feel more confident, and soon, you will be overcoming your entertainment addiction without any professional help. If professional help is needed, you can find the highest quality care at an Illinois treatment center

3: Mute The Notifications

You grab for your phone to check a popping notification, and it quickly devolves into a half-hour browsing through your news feed. 

But why does it happen?

That’s because notifications are addicting, and you’re lured to them without realizing it. Hence, it’s better if you simply switch off the alerts. You can also keep your phone silent if you’re worried about missing something vital.

4: Keep The Devices Away From The Bed

Because your phone is close to your bed, you’re more likely to check it before going to bed or as soon as you wake up. 

According to studies, using mobile devices before going to bed stimulates the neurological system, which keeps us awake. 

So putting your phone away will not only help you become less addicted to it, but it will also help you fall asleep faster and wake up more quickly.

5: Change Your Views On Entertainment

Keep in mind that anything you’re about to check on your phone isn’t as important as it appears. So whenever you’re tempted to text or go through your news feed, or play one last round of the game, ask yourself if it’s necessary or if it can wait. 

Your emotions will be refreshed, and your attitude toward mobile phone use will be influenced by a change of thinking. 

You can also get entertained by conversing with your family members or friends at that time when you are planning to browse your social media or play a game. 

6: Explore A New Hobby

A new interest or activity might help you resist the need to check social media. The aim is to fill your free time with things you like that are also beneficial for you.

Naturally, you’ll spend less time on social media and more time being present in life, and hopefully, you’ll even socialize in person rather than through a screen. 

Psychologists recommend that you replace a poor habit of constantly checking your phone or watching one more episode of your favorite series with a positive one to overcome entertainment addiction. 

7: Start Exercising

Fitness enthusiasts are less likely to smoke, drink, or consume caffeine. In addition, they consume less junk food and consume more nutritious foods. 

They spend less time watching television and spending time on social media, which means their perception of entertainment is different than yours. 

Exercise is a keystone habit that promotes widespread change in our lives. Therefore, resuming your workout program can be one of the first steps you can take to get rid of your entertainment addiction. 

8: Keep A Daily Journal

Keeping a daily journal can be immensely helpful if you are just starting to overcome your entertainment addiction. It can help you figure out how many hours in a day you spend on social media, TV, or gaming.

Thus, you can figure out where you might reduce your TV viewing time and substitute it with more productive pursuits.

Once you keep a journal of your entertainment pursuits, you can have more hours in a day where you can learn something new or be more productive in some creative areas.

9: Create A Support Network

You can always talk to a therapist if you have problems entertaining yourself through social communication. It’s also absolutely okay to take things at a leisurely pace.

Start by substituting some type of engagement for an hour of daily TV time, such as catching up with family and friends, being in a public area for an extended period of time, volunteering as part of a collective pastime, etc. 

It’s also rather usual to turn on the television rather than deal with stress, which might involve interpersonal troubles. Talking about the problem is usually the most beneficial approach.

10: Go To A Digital Detox Camp

We agree that there are many life lessons you learn from watching TV, browsing social media, or simply surfing the internet 

Hence, even if these activities are considered entertainment, we are not diminishing their importance. But, once in a while, you should take a break from all these, making sure you don’t have an entertainment addiction.

Many online firms are organizing such detox camps. You can enroll your name there and spend a few days in nature, doing things that do not involve any kinds of technological interruptions. 

Go For The Cleanse!

Keep in mind that addiction occurs when you are experiencing difficulties in your life. 

You’re less likely to acquire an addiction if you live a whole life and have adequate skills to deal with challenges such as communication with your loved ones.

So, if you have an entertainment addiction, it’s probably because you can’t deal with negative emotions in your life and don’t have anybody to share your problems with.

While we understand the situation completely, you should also understand that being addicted to something is not the answer to your problems.

So, go for the cleanse and see how it impacts your life.