How To Stop Watching Porn - 9 Ways To Replace The Urge
So you want to quit pornography but the urge to watch porn online is proving difficult to resist. Well, the main thing is that you’ve identified the negative impact this addiction is having on your life, and you’re ready to take action. In this article, we’re going to discuss effective and healthy alternatives you can use to quickly re-channel the urge to give in and continue on your journey to quitting porn for good. You’ll discover some of the best strategies to avoid explicit material and learn how to stop watching porn whilst still giving your mind the satisfaction and relaxation it deserves.
Techniques To Stop Watching Porn
We have complied a list of 9 easy ways to stop watching porn and distract yourself when the urge kicks in. We’d love to hear which techniques worked best for you, so be sure to leave a comment below.
1: Get Physical Your body is actually calling out for a quick hit of dopamine. By working out, whether it be running or lifting weights, you can naturally give yourself a much-needed hit of dopamine, which will have great benefits on your mood and mental clarity.
2: Hit Up A Friend Many people resort to adult material due to a lack of human connection. The feelings of loneliness combined with a dopamine release that watching porn can give you can make people feel even more isolated. So, the next time the urge kicks in, reach out to a relative, friend, or colleague for a quick catch-up call. This instantly distracts you, whilst fulfilling your need to be social.
3: Be Accountable Through Journaling You need to be honest with yourself if you want to stop watching porn. So, grab yourself a journal, and every time the urge comes knocking, note it down and pay attention to your feelings at that moment. Journaling can help you understand that this is a feeling, and it will pass; it has no control over you.
4: Ice Bath Therapy Ok, you might not have an ice bath to hand, but a cold shower can instantly shock your nervous system and remove any urges to watch pornography. By resetting your nervous system, you’ll feel invigorated and energized rather than controlled by an urge.
5: Give Yourself Jail Time Thanks to apps, you can now block out pornography sites and even sexual content on social media to help you quit pornography for good. These apps can act as a last resort when it all gets a bit too much and you find yourself trying to log in to an adult website late at night.
6: Ask For Help While counseling and therapy can help, so can asking for help from above. Praying and developing a spiritual connection with God can give you strength even in the most challenging of times. It also helps remind you that you’re not alone in this fight, and good will prevail.
7: Practice Urge Surfing An urge can be thought of as a wave. It’s a feeling that will pass. So, the next time you feel that urge, try and ‘surf’ it out, rather than act on it. Try to disconnect the urge with your own mind and allow it to slowly but surely break and die out.
8: Listen To Podcasts On Recovery
Recovery stories are a get way to fuel your progress and support your journey to stop watching porn. When you feel low and find the urge starting to take a hold of you, tune into your favorite podcast to hear how others stopped watching porn and regained control.
9: Start A Thrilling Activity
Pornography is something you may have turned to when you felt alone, bored, and in need of a bit of fun. But the ‘fun’ part isn’t a bad thing to have in your life. In fact, taking up a new thrilling hobby can help distract you from pornography whilst still giving you the adrenaline and dopamine hit you’re looking for. Think of horse-riding, snorkeling, rock climbing, snowboarding, clay pigeon shooting, or even axe throwing.
Nobody Said It Would Be Easy
Nothing truly worthwhile in life comes without effort. Just like building a six-pack at the gym takes time, dedication, overcoming setbacks, and sacrifices, breaking free from pornography takes hard work. But with strength, resilience, and an armory of distractions ready to go, the urge to give in or give up will eventually fade. At Almiris Journal, we believe in you, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.