Day 2 of being sober. I’ve learned from my mistakes and I’m going to try and use that knowledge to do it better this time. Being a porn addict, my phone is my main source. But being an employee and a student, my phone is important too. In a nutshell (pun intended), I can’t go without my phone.
But that doesn’t mean I cannot limit my phone usage to the bare minimum. Which is why I’m in the process of decreasing my overal screen time and replacing my phone for other electronic devices. I recently bought a new monitor (I only have a 5 year old laptop though) and I changed my setup. Meaning I can use everything I would need on my phone on my computer. And it would even be better if I had a smartwatch as replacement, because who would watch porn on a smartwatch? Though I have used my computer for porn a few times in the past, I wouldn’t even dare watching porn on a 27 inch monitor, seeing how it drastically increases my risk of getting caught (still living with my parents haha).
Anyways here’s a set of goals I made for myself, which might be useful for everyone else (especially porn addicts):
Start every morning with a cold shower
Picking up exercising again
No more phone in bed
Getting a screentime of less than 2 hours (I’ve already set app-timers on my phone)
Picking up journaling again
See you guys in a few days and I’ll keep you updated on my life in recovery
Way to go on your goals! Even though I am a drug addict in recovery (and not in recovery for porn), I love how positive your attitude is towards your goals and moving forward in your recovery! I too should make a goals list for myself of how i want to better myself and stay clean. Please keep us all posted on how your doing
I empathize on how difficult it must be to disconnect in a world that holds maximum connectivity as a virtue. Like the food addict must eat to live, yet manage the desire to binge, you must manage using connected devices while resisting the temptation to view porn.
Like all addictions, self-discipline is key. One way to build discipline is to live a structured life. Have a plan for the day. Wake at the same time. Go to sleep at the same time. Make your bed, even when you don’t feel like it. Schedule every minute of your day. Set goals. Review them each night, and set the plan for the next day, before you sleep.
We can wander into addiction, but we can’t wander out. To quote Jocko Willink: “Discipline equals freedom”. Maybe check out the Jocko Podcast for motivation and to learn how to live a disciplined life.
I needed this little kick in the rear, tonight. I have been avoiding the scheduling and the discipline, in lieu of just floating along. The only thing that’s happening that way is NOTHING.
