How to Get out of the House More Often

As a gamer you spend a lot of time in the house. Maybe that’s even why you started gaming in the first place… what else were you going to do?

After you quit gaming it’s important to break this habit, especially to avoid a relapse. So how do you get out of the house more often? Watch this video:

One of the reasons why we justify staying in the house is because we’re introverts – we genuinely like to stay indoors, especially if it means we get to game at the same time.

I get it because I’m an introvert, too. But being an introvert doesn’t mean you have to stay home all day, it just means you recharge by being alone, whereas an extrovert recharges by being with other people.

So it’s not that introverts like to stay home and extroverts don’t. It’s just the way that you like to recharge.

Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert you still need to get out of the house, especially if you want to quit gaming and avoid a relapse.

Here are the three reasons why:

1. You will be less tempted to game.

When I first quit gaming I made sure I was basically never home. I would wake up, go to work, have a quick nap and get out until I could come home and go straight to bed. If I wasn’t home I wouldn’t be able to game.

2. You’ll be able to meet more people.

After you quit gaming you will likely lose some of your friends. That’s normal and it’s ok, however it can make you feel vulnerable. To counter this, you want to start meeting more people and making new friends.

3. You’ll be able to avoid distractions.

When I’m at home it’s easy to get distracted by the TV, the computer or my bed. I find if I’m not at home it’s a lot easier for me to stay focused on doing the things I want to do. If I’m not at home, I don’t get as tired and justify having a nap. I don’t “need a break” to browse Reddit. Etc. Etc.

If you’re not at home it’s a lot easier to not be tempted to game, you’ll meet more people and you will be able to be more productive without distractions.

Now I’ll share a few steps you can take to get out of the house more often in a moment, but before we get into that I want you to think about why are you not getting out of the house?

Is it social anxiety? Is it that you don’t even know where you would go? Is it that you don’t have anyone to go out with? Is it that staying home is just your routine?

You need to understand why you’re staying home, because by identifying that it gives you the power to find a solution to it.

Three steps to get out of the house more often:

1. Plan ahead and have a schedule

I’m a big believer in planning ahead because it helps you avoid making mood-based decisions. If you’re anything like me (I bet you are), I’m rarely “in the mood” to get out of the house. By planning ahead it allows me to get mentally ready for it, and avoid justifying my way out of it at the last minute. “I’m not in the mood anyways..”

Go to meetups.com and find a few events in your area. Schedule them into your calendar.

2. Be consistent by creating new habits

Consistency builds momentum and creates new habits. If your habit is to go home after work, try going to a coffee shop to read for an hour instead, and do it often. Creating new routines that will help you get out of the house will make a big difference.

Action step: Create new routines. What are you going to do after school or work on weekdays? What about on the weekend?

3. Focus on your social momentum

Momentum is something you can use to your advantage. The more often you get out of the house, the more momentum you will have and this momentum will encourage you to keep going. If you only get out of the house every once in awhile, it will be that much harder to follow through when you want to.

Getting out of the house shifts your energy. You get to feel the fresh air, you get to move around you get to meet more people. When you’re moving on from playing video games, all of these will have a positive impact on your recovery.

I hope that helps, and if it does I’d love to hear what your new routines are going to be. What meetups are you going to check out? What keeps you at home so often? Share your answer in the comments below.

If you are still playing games but you want to quit right now, check out Respawn.