A journal can help keep you accountable. You’ll be able to face how much time you spend chatting online if you track it. Get a small notebook and record when you get on the internet and when you get off the internet. Tracking your internet time can also help you see how damaging chatting addiction is to your wellbeing. Record how you feel about being online all the time. You likely experience negative, guilty feelings about your chatting habits. If you face these feelings honestly, you’ll be able to accept how damaging your addiction is. This can motivate you to quit.
How are you feeling when you experience the urge to chat online? Do you feel lonely and bored? Restless? Anxious about something? A variety of emotions can encourage a person to chat compulsively. For many people, internet use is a way of self soothing. If you’re going through a rough time emotionally, or have an underlying disorder like depression, you may be more inclined to chat online. Try to keep in mind there are vastly healthier ways than the internet to deal with emotional issues.
You may be chronically shy by nature, which can cause you to struggle with opening up to others. This can fuel loneliness, which results in excessive online chatting. Try to push yourself out of your comfort zone a little each day. Make plans with a work acquaintance. Make small talk with a barista at a coffee shop. If you’re feeling stressed, try to find a healthy activity instead of the internet. Exercise can help reduce stress, as can activities like yoga, deep breathing, and meditation.
Have you struggled with other addictions in the past? If you’ve had issues with drugs or alcohol, you may have developed an online chatting addiction to cope. Oftentimes, addicts replace one addiction with another. You may also have an underlying mental illness. If you’ve struggled with depression, anxiety, or other troublesome issues in the past, this may be contributing to your chatting addiction.
You can work with other addicts to hold one another accountable. You can all agree to get together for internet and smart phone free time. Share progress with other addicts. You can all help each other be more accountable for your actions. For example, you can try to compete with one another in terms of taking computer breaks. Try offering a small prize for whoever can stay offline longest.
Try to schedule when you can go online. For example, set aside two hours in the early evening for internet chatting. Only go online for those hours and stay away from your computer or phone otherwise. You may need some help at first. If you’re an addict, it may be hard to cap your time at a certain number of hours. You can look into applications that can block websites during certain hours of the day. You can also have a family member help you power down your computer or laptop after a certain amount of time.
Schedule workout time a few times a week. Incorporate a workout into your routine the way you would incorporate something like brushing your teeth. Pick a form of exercise you like, as you’ll be more likely to stick to it. If you hate running, do not expect to do a nightly jog. Instead, try something you enjoy, like riding your bike or swimming.
Choose a genre that you enjoy. If you don’t read much, think about your taste in TV and movies. If you love true crime shows, you may enjoy detective novels.
Try something like crafting, gardening, crossword puzzles, or Sudoku. Get involved in your community. Volunteer for an organization you care about. If you have pets, invest time in them. Play with your cat each night. Take your dog for a walk.
Make rules for yourself regarding smart phone use. For example, do not allow yourself to check your phone in social settings. Only allow yourself one phone check per two hours while working. You could also set a timer for yourself so you only use it for a specific amount of time. [8] X Expert Source Wes PinkstonCertified Holistic Life Coach Expert Interview. 18 January 2022. Leave your phone when you do certain activities. Keep your phone at home when you run to the store or go take a walk. You can think about temporarily transitioning to a phone that does not have internet access. This way, you’ll cut out one means of access to online chatting.
You can ask your regular doctor for a referral to a therapist in your area. Make sure you look for someone who specializes in addiction and recovery. You can also find a list of providers through your insurance. If you’re a student, you may be entitled to free counseling on behalf of your university.
You can see what kind of therapy a psychiatrist or therapist uses by browsing his or her website. You can also call the office and ask. Many therapists use CBT to treat addictive behaviors. You may be given homework during CBT. For example, you may be asked to write down your troubling thoughts for a week. Make sure to take your homework seriously, as it’s important in addressing and treating your addiction.
Try joining clubs. If there are any organizations that host meetings regularly, start attending. This will help you make more real life friends. Reach out to people you haven’t seen in awhile. If you only see a friend a couple of times a month, try to have more frequent interactions.
If you could use some help talking to your family members, consider attending a counseling session together. A therapist can help you navigate the conversation, and they can answer questions your family might have. [11] X Expert Source Tiffany Douglass, MAFounder, Wellness Retreat Recovery Center Expert Interview. 10 March 2020.
