Here are some of the actions we took that helped the most when we were new to game-free living.
| Abstinence one day at a time. We made our #1 goal to simply not start that first game between now and the end of the day. We don’t even think about staying off games for a week or a month or a year. We take it one day at a time. |  |
| Attended meetings. We came to some meetings, introduced ourselves, listened and tried to identify. We tried out some of the suggestions we heard from those successfully staying off games. |  |
| Asked for help. We spoke up whenever we were struggling, accepted some help, and got to know other people who are working on the same things. |  |
| Listened to others’ stories. We read and listened to the stories of other members, and tried to identify rather than compare. |  |
| Sought a sponsor. We found someone who had successfully stayed off games long-term and learned from him or her. |  |
Here are a few additional approaches that we found helpful.
- We kept fresh the memories of the pain and problems from our last binges on gaming.
- Coped with the withdrawal symptoms, knowing they pass with time.
- Kept a written list of activities handy, to use when an urge to game was mentally blocking those other options out.
- Allowed ourselves relaxation time, exercise, and plenty of sleep.