Recent Learnings | What I Learned from Taking a Month Off from Gaming

For me, as a remote worker, my lunch break is a precious time to refresh.
After eating lunch, it was my daily routine to play my favorite Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
By enjoying my favorite hobby between tasks, I thought it would help me switch gears and also provide healing.

However, as the game became even more fun with the January update, I found myself playing past my one-hour lunch break more often.
I mean, there was just so much to do, and it was so fun that I couldn't stop!

This can't go on...

I decided to take the plunge and take a break from gaming for the month of February.

Honestly, February is a busy time with tax returns and the possibility of moving. (We are a family that moves frequently for work.)
To ensure I had enough time for my work, I couldn't afford to waste time playing games.

Plus, my child came down with the flu.
School closures also overlapped, making it difficult to secure solid blocks of work time in February.

For the first few days, not playing games during my lunch break felt a bit unsettling, and I felt like I had lost a source of enjoyment.
But I got used to it in about three days.

Even if you stop playing games, the real world doesn't change at all.

It's obvious, but even if you cut down trees or craft items in the game, it has no effect on reality.

Instead, I started using that time to watch decluttering videos on YouTube, and my work efficiency improved.

The benefits were clear.
・Increased work time
・Got through a busy period without sacrificing sleep

On the other hand, the only downside was feeling a little lonely because I couldn't immerse myself in that unique world.

I don't intend to quit gaming entirely.
After all, it is a source of enjoyment and healing for me.

But by breaking the habit of playing every day during my lunch break, I successfully created more free time.

Now, I feel like playing my favorite game two or three times a week is enough!
That is a big step forward for me.

#RecentLearnings