Just another new Fapstronaught introducing himself

I am in college and I have suffered a similar impact of PMO on my academics. I had tried some strategies in past, but they were solitary ventures that didn't bore any fruits. But after joining this community I felt that every time I had the urge to go on a "porn hunt" I could easily distract myself by just clicking on the NoFap bookmark and reading some journals.
This brings me to the most important point: NEVER FORGET TO WRITE JOURNALS. This will not only help you to hold yourself accountable but will also help you find some friends with whom you can pair up to discuss strategies and share daily experiences...............Good Luck with your Reboot and Stay Strong.

Read this article it discusses how you can stay upbeat without using porn:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/thai-nguyen/hacking-into-your-happy-c_b_6007660.html

 

Same with struggling with depression in the past and other things.

Welcome dude. You’ve made a good and courageous decision to join and you're definitely not alone.

I agree with the previous reply. Just being here and reading other’s posts instead of looking up anything else keeps me occupied and motivated. Plus, leaving replies makes me feel better to bond with a fellow struggler.

Other tips I’ve heard are waking up/getting and going to sleep asap and having the phone or laptop away or hidden in an inconvenient place out of the way from you.

And be gentle with yourself you’re trying really hard to do a good thing. It can be SO hard, but I try to remind myself of the bigger picture and every small action/decision can be powerful.

 

Ha! Where to start?

First, remember that as you progress, you will have definite ups and downs. You'll have periods where you feel like you are doing great, then you'll relapse, etc. It's usually two steps forward and one step back. But once in a while it feels like three steps back.

Along those lines, if you don't already, learn to have compassion for yourself when you do fall short. It's an addiction. It's not who you are. And it probably has a nasty hold on you. So understand that and give yourself credit for the work and success, but don't beat yourself up too much.

"To break a habit, you have to make a habit." Start making a written list (the longer and more varied the better) of things that you can do instead of PMO. Specifically, you want to slowly begin to find productive, positive things that will occupy that nasty idle time that kills so many of us. Replacing edging with things like doing household chores, exercising, teaching the dog a trick, learning a language, etc. will not only make you feel better about yourself, but will help to pass the minutes necessary to get by an urge.

Don't concentrate on not viewing porn. The more you obsess on what you don't want to do, the more likely you are to do it. Instead concentrate (and teach yourself to look forward to) the positive experiences you can do in the next hour/day/week.

Look into getting an accountability partner (AP). Having a one-on-one relationship with someone else can be helpful to both parties no matter where you are in your recovery timeline. Just be ready accept suggestions and be held responsible for your behavior.

Begin building a foundation of tools that you can turn to in times of struggle. Things like: visiting this site, listening to podcasts from recoveredman.com, exercising, journaling, meditation, etc. If one isn't working for you, then do something else.

THIS WILL TAKE TIME AND WORK. Know that there are a LOT of us in your position. Know that you are in a good place with lots of support here on this site. And know that if you really want this and are willing to work for it, you WILL beat it.

Those are some quick things. You'll find a lot more details and opinions out there.

HTH,
BreatheDeeply