[7-CHALLENGE] THE SEVEN DAYS CHALLENGE !

Day 1 & 2. Checking in.

Day 2

 

I was up to day 4/7 last night (seven days total), then reset. Even getting to seven days is more than I've gotten to in months, so that’s something.

Back to the three day challenge for me. See you in three!

 

Day 3!

 

Day 4.

 

Day 4!

 

Day 3

 

Day 4/7

 

My streak still stands since my post last Tuesday, but i've been keeping some distance from my laptop and phone during my down time these past days and not really taken the oportunity to stick to a daily posting schedule. Regardless, looks like i'm at day 10 out of 7 - and i'm feeling pretty good about moving onto a new challenge. After tomorrow, i'll have made a collective streak of 14 days, so i think the logical next step will be the month long challenge. I've never managed to go longer than a month, so wish me luck!

 

Day 5.

 

Day 4

 

/7

 

Day 5!

 

Day 0

 

Day 6.

 

Day 6!

 

0/7

 

Day 5

 

Day 0

 

day 0/7

just finished the 3 day challenge so here we are. let's go!

 

I don't have any particular words of encouragement, just some suggestions. I think lots of us have been in a similar place to where you are at least a couple of times, or many times. It sucks. A lot.

As you've alluded to, porn addiction is so often tied in with self image, shame, and other issues beyond just wanting sex/orgasm. So if you're not already working on that stuff, that would be right up there on my to do list.

I've been trying to get rid of this for years, and beyond that there's so much...there's mindset stuff, blockers routines, building your own strategies and habits...

Btw I have been using blockers for a couple of years now, and have decided that they're not useful for me. Possibly even counter-productive. Like you (I think?) I often test them, finding the results that get around them, and have often spent hrs at a time adding them to blocklists, and end up relapsing as a result of all the snapshots of text/images that I've seen.

What I've found most helpful, i.e. the times when I've done well, have been when I've regularly journalled about what's really going on in my life, my plans, my hurts, learning about why I am the way I am. Included in there are what I see as my ideal self that I want to grow into, and how to get there. Throwing in regular routines activities that ground me, like daily meditation, bible reading and prayer has been a big one too. Then some activities that de-stress me, bring me joy, like bike riding, indoor bouldering, reading, spending time with close friends and family - natural sources of dopamine (not screentime), and my cravings are noticeably less. Plus when they come, I have more oomph, so to speak, to say no, redirect to other things etc.

So there's a bunch of stuff, I hope it's helpful. It's also a bunch of stuff that I need to get back into to help myself.

The big thing I'd really suggest: record your progress: what works for you, what helps, what triggers, and keep learning from your own journey - and if you like, from others on here who've been around and journalling themselves.

You'll get out of this funk. One way or another, you'll get past this feeling of "stuckness" and get into a space of hopefullness. You can do this.

You can do this.