How to Quit Playing Skyrim: The Ultimate Guide

Ready to quit playing Skyrim? You’re in the right place.

I’m not sure I can name another game that’s as immersive, nostalgic, and downright addictive as Skyrim.

Skyrim lets you feel like you’re a part of a different world. You can choose to be whoever you want to be.

Want to play as a hulking barbarian that has a deep-seated hatred for the Elves?

Or maybe you’re on the peaceful side and want to hunt animals, fish, and make a living in a small cabin with your wife.

Skyrim lets you do all of that, and more. But what happens if Skyrim has taken hold of your life? How do you quit?

If you ask people online they will just laugh at you. “You can’t quit, it’s too addictive.”

Therefore that’s why I’ve created this guide: I want to help you quit playing Skyrim and take back control of your life.

I Was Addicted to Skyrim

I still remember the feeling of rushing over to my cousin’s house after they’d just bought an Xbox 360, and seeing the intro scene for Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The sweeping views over the Imperial City were like nothing I’d ever seen before, and from that day forward I was infected with the Bethesda bug.

When Skyrim first came out I racked up 26 hours playtime in the first 36 hours of its release. I used to boast about it in school.

Since that day 8 years ago, I’ve explored every nook and cranny of the world, I’ve installed more mods than I can count, I’ve even role-played every class imaginable. I still kept going back for more.

I’ve spent thousands of hours in that immersive world, and I’d spend thousands more without batting an eye.

Even now, after being game-free for over 7 months, hearing any piece of music from an Elder Scrolls game makes me want to start a new character and jump right back in to that imaginary world of Dragons, Draugr and damned Dwemer ruins.

Getting Back to Basics

Before we dive head-first into this, we need to address the issue at its source. Is your problem with Skyrim itself, or are you just addicted to gaming?

Let me know if any of these sound familiar:

• Gaming is the dominant activity in your life, and you’re preoccupied with what you’re playing or you’re going to play next
• When you’re not gaming you’re anxious, irritable, bored or even sad
• You aren’t satisfied with just an hour of playing. You need to push yourself further and further.
• You’re not as interested in your other hobbies anymore, just gaming.
• Do you keep playing games despite knowing they’re having a negative effect?
• Has gaming significantly affected your personal relationships, school or career in the past?

If so, you might be addicted to gaming, and your problem might run deeper than just Skyrim. Check out these video game addiction signs and symptoms to find out more.

With this newfound knowledge in hand, we can begin addressing the problem.

How to Quit Playing Skyrim: Step-By-Step

When people begin their journey towards a life without gaming, some choose to quit completely and others try to play in moderation.

If you’re reading this article then you already know that playing Skyrim for a few hours a week just isn’t going to work. This might not be easy to hear, but you’re going to have to cut the game out completely.

All your characters, mods, quests, and even the hundreds of dragon bones you’re definitely hoarding in your house. No ifs or buts. The game has gotta go.

But deleting Skyrim and all of your games on Steam isn’t going to work unless we have the proper systems in place. You need to build your foundations first.

Step 1: Why Do You Want to Quit Skyrim?

This is the most important step, and you should spend time thinking about it.

Maybe you’re tired of feeling the way you do. Perhaps you’ve envisioned your life 10 years from now: still depressed and playing video games and it’s been a wake-up call.

Maybe you’re sick of being alone, and want to have a real group of friends.

It might even be as simple as having goals in your life that you know you won’t accomplish if you’re still playing Skyrim 30 hours a week.

The journey of quitting video games isn’t an easy one. It’s full of challenges and even cravings. Having a clear reason why will help you solidify your purpose for overcoming this addiction. It’s something you can look back to when things start getting rough.

Action step: Write down why you want to quit Skyrim. Then, post it somewhere you will see it to easily remind yourself.

Step 2: What is Your Vision?

Now that you know why you want to quit playing Skyrim, let’s figure out what kind of person you want to become.

One of the biggest issues when quitting video games is finding something to fill the void. You need to fill dozens of hours a week with activities that, initially, you won’t find entertaining at all.

The simple thing to do here is to pick a few different hobbies, perhaps ones you’ve wanted to try for a long time, and commit to working on them. You need to find activities that you like, that you like a lot. Remember, you’re trying to compete with video games here.

Sounds daunting, right? The reality is, once you start living without video games things will start to improve rapidly.

You’ll start to see the true beauty of real life, and realize that there’s so much more out there than completing quests and getting new gear.

Once you stop constantly bombarding your brain with happiness-boosting dopamine, you’ll start finding joy in places you never thought possible.

That’s when you start to make real change in your life.

You’re no longer a gamer. You’re a surfer, a musician, an entrepreneur, a climber, a writer, an engineer, a photographer or whatever else you want to be.

Tie these activities in with your ‘why’, and you’re going to be unstoppable.

Action step: Pick and write down three new hobbies you are going to try. Here is a list of 70+ replacement activities.

Step 3: Committing to Quit Playing Skyrim

You have to get honest with yourself. You’re embarking on a journey, and it’s not some level 1 escape-the-sewers quest.

This is serious stuff. You have to make a commitment to yourself, to your friends, and to your loved ones.

You have to decide to quit playing Skyrim. There’s no playing in moderation. You can’t use it as a reward. You will quit gaming cold turkey, 110%.

Make the decision not to touch them at all ever again. And most importantly, you have to mean it. Make the decision to delete your Steam account now.

If you’re not willing to do this, you’re just going to start playing games again, and find one of a thousand reasons to justify it. The excuses stop here.

Action step: Join us on our forum and introduce yourself. Document your journey.

Step 4: Level Up in Real Life

After quitting gaming 7 months ago, my life has changed in more ways than I thought possible.

I became a self-employed web designer, writer, photographer and musician. I’ve even got friends all over the world lifting me up to reach goals I’d only dreamed about. Even when Lineage 2 came out I didn’t care.

The biggest change is that I finally feel content in what I’m doing. I’m not suffering from any more mental health problems, I’m working on something I love doing, and I’m actually happy.

For the first time in years I’m genuinely enjoying my life at the moment, and I’ve only just begun. I don’t care how realistic graphics have become. You will never find a more immersive and rewarding video game than real life.

You’ve been through the tutorial, beaten the puberty patch, and now you’re just about to embark on the main quest. There’s an infinite amount of skills waiting to be leveled up, you just have to go out there, and do it. You have to take action.

You’re starting a new chapter of your life, so make it a good one. Create something that you can look back on in 5, 10 or even 50 years and be proud of.

Think about how different your life will be if you make this decision today. How much smarter, happier, fitter, and better off will you be if you start now? Start now.

Need More Help?

Check out Respawn, a program specifically designed to help you quit gaming and take control of your life back. Backed by scientific research, join thousands of others like you who have quit gaming. Start your journey today.