When have I returned to reading, listening to podcasts and gaming? It wasn’t in the same moment I stopped drinking. It started when I realized that replacing my drinking habits with hanging out on social media too much. I realized that falling for filter bubbles and fake news aggravated passive aggressiveness and depression.

How did I realize that? Well, actually I did the same like with my other cravings: I dived into the feelings, surfed to emotional waves and let them ebb away and in a deconstruction of my feelings and the core of them I realized what I had realized earlier on with alcohol cravings after quitting.

Even before starting to abandon social media, I had listened to podcasts and started reading books on alcohol. The realization to substitute social media with gaming came later.

As it is with the substitutes for beer (non alcoholic beverages) the use of computer games was higher in the beginning and it is starting to become less, since I realized I can have the same effects of happiness or good mood with reading, podcasts and reflecting or meditating on the contents. And my sports are a great delivery system for dopamine.

Well, you can’t run and mediate all day, also reading is sometimes tedious, and podcasts get boring either, when you listened to one or two of them. Gaming is only interesting for me on my iPhone, since I don’t want to spend too much time in alternative worlds.

In the end, the answer is “No.” I am not re-nerd-ing. At least I am not in a sense that I choose passivity and reality neglect over active life and reality embrace.

The best way is to remain active and indulge in life. A little dopamine boost through gaming once in a while helps. Be attentive about your gaming hours. Setting an alarm clock helps. It can drive you into addiction, too.

Until next time: Keep up the faith in yourself and take one step at a time.