How to Substitute Pornography
Find fun activities., Avoid turning to porn for boredom or anxiety., Distract yourself., Build your coping skills., Meditate.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find fun activities.
Instead of temporary pleasure that you may feel guilty about later, invest in your happiness.
If you don't have any work to do, then start doing what gives you happiness (porn gives pleasure, not happiness).
Find activities that take up a large chunk of time that will allow you to get out of the house or at least be occupied for a substantial amount of time.
Invest in some hobbies you find enjoyable, especially social hobbies that allow you to make friends and have fun.Look into sports teams or leagues, running clubs, or sewing groups.
Do what piques your interest! Start cooking your meals, go to the gym after work or school, or spend more time with friends.
If it’s too tempting to be in the house, get yourself out of the house during any vulnerable times.
Go grocery shopping, visit a friend, or do some volunteering. -
Step 2: Avoid turning to porn for boredom or anxiety.
Because of its relative ease of access and anonymity, porn can easily become a way to distract from unpleasant feelings, avoid anxiety or avoid boredom.If you find yourself about to watch porn, take a deep breath.
Ask yourself, “Is this a way I’m trying to escape?” If yes, determine to try something else instead.
You may find yourself turning to pornography after an argument, to self-soothe when feeling moody, or as an excuse to to avoid doing something unpleasant.
You may also use pornography as a go-to for boredom when you want a time-filler. , Do what you can to push thoughts of compulsive pornography consumption from your mind by refocusing your attention.Distract yourself by reading a book, building model airplanes, talking on the phone, or watching funny videos online.
Do what you can to occupy your mind with something other than pornography until the urge passes.
If you don’t know what to do to distract yourself, do something simple and repetitive, like folding laundry or washing the dishes. , Some people use pornography to cope with feelings as a way to escape.
Instead of using pornography, find healthy coping skills.When feeling down, take a walk, write in a journal, or confide in a friend.
Instead of running away from unpleasant emotions, take a moment and explore the negative emotions and ask if there is anything for you to pay attention to in particular.
Practice deep breathing.
Sit comfortably and practice elongating each inhale and exhale until you feel completely relaxed.
Write in a journal or use art (drawing, sculpting) as a healthy way to cope.
Creating or listening to music can also be helpful.
You want to connect to your emotions and engage your mind.
Coping skills help you handle daily stress and build-up of stress.
When exploring coping skills, do things that add to your life, not take away.
For more information, check out How to Cope With Emotional Pain. , One way to get control of your mind is to use meditation.
While your body may be turned on, it’s your mind that makes the decision to consume pornography.
Be the master of your mind by practicing meditation.
Meditation can help you avoid impulsivity and find more balance between your mind and body.When you get an urge, begin to breath deeply.
Close your eyes and begin to relax your body and your mind.
Allow your thoughts to ‘think’ for a bit, then gently push them out of your consciousness and focus on your breath.
Any thoughts that come up can be acknowledged, then sent off.
Focus primarily on observing your breath.
Reach a place of deep relaxation.
Many types of meditations exist.
You can focus on clearing your mind, or you can place your focus on one word or phrase, such as “I love myself.” Meditation is most effective when practiced regularly, on a daily basis.For more information on how to meditate, check out How to Meditate for Beginners -
Step 3: Distract yourself.
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Step 4: Build your coping skills.
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Step 5: Meditate.
Detailed Guide
Instead of temporary pleasure that you may feel guilty about later, invest in your happiness.
If you don't have any work to do, then start doing what gives you happiness (porn gives pleasure, not happiness).
Find activities that take up a large chunk of time that will allow you to get out of the house or at least be occupied for a substantial amount of time.
Invest in some hobbies you find enjoyable, especially social hobbies that allow you to make friends and have fun.Look into sports teams or leagues, running clubs, or sewing groups.
Do what piques your interest! Start cooking your meals, go to the gym after work or school, or spend more time with friends.
If it’s too tempting to be in the house, get yourself out of the house during any vulnerable times.
Go grocery shopping, visit a friend, or do some volunteering.
Because of its relative ease of access and anonymity, porn can easily become a way to distract from unpleasant feelings, avoid anxiety or avoid boredom.If you find yourself about to watch porn, take a deep breath.
Ask yourself, “Is this a way I’m trying to escape?” If yes, determine to try something else instead.
You may find yourself turning to pornography after an argument, to self-soothe when feeling moody, or as an excuse to to avoid doing something unpleasant.
You may also use pornography as a go-to for boredom when you want a time-filler. , Do what you can to push thoughts of compulsive pornography consumption from your mind by refocusing your attention.Distract yourself by reading a book, building model airplanes, talking on the phone, or watching funny videos online.
Do what you can to occupy your mind with something other than pornography until the urge passes.
If you don’t know what to do to distract yourself, do something simple and repetitive, like folding laundry or washing the dishes. , Some people use pornography to cope with feelings as a way to escape.
Instead of using pornography, find healthy coping skills.When feeling down, take a walk, write in a journal, or confide in a friend.
Instead of running away from unpleasant emotions, take a moment and explore the negative emotions and ask if there is anything for you to pay attention to in particular.
Practice deep breathing.
Sit comfortably and practice elongating each inhale and exhale until you feel completely relaxed.
Write in a journal or use art (drawing, sculpting) as a healthy way to cope.
Creating or listening to music can also be helpful.
You want to connect to your emotions and engage your mind.
Coping skills help you handle daily stress and build-up of stress.
When exploring coping skills, do things that add to your life, not take away.
For more information, check out How to Cope With Emotional Pain. , One way to get control of your mind is to use meditation.
While your body may be turned on, it’s your mind that makes the decision to consume pornography.
Be the master of your mind by practicing meditation.
Meditation can help you avoid impulsivity and find more balance between your mind and body.When you get an urge, begin to breath deeply.
Close your eyes and begin to relax your body and your mind.
Allow your thoughts to ‘think’ for a bit, then gently push them out of your consciousness and focus on your breath.
Any thoughts that come up can be acknowledged, then sent off.
Focus primarily on observing your breath.
Reach a place of deep relaxation.
Many types of meditations exist.
You can focus on clearing your mind, or you can place your focus on one word or phrase, such as “I love myself.” Meditation is most effective when practiced regularly, on a daily basis.For more information on how to meditate, check out How to Meditate for Beginners
About the Author
Jerry Murray
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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