Overcoming Procrastination and Compulsive Porn/Media Usage

Same here, better now (stopped video games and pmo for some time now).
Porn, video games, ... - instant gratification.
Study, work, chores, sports - no instant gratification, but are good for you in long term and you also can receive gratification but not instantly (good results at exam, getting job you like, etc.).
So that’s why procrastination - our brain tends to get instant gratification (its so easy nowadays), either then to do some work. Maybe it will help if you try to set some goals and a ‘prize’ for their completion, for example: do all the homework and only then download and watch a good movie, or 90 days no pmo hard mode then go for a vacation somewhere on a beach

 

Been there, done that.
The most notable things were that in my worst period (aka, when procrastination actually created problems and got me depressed) i was without physical activity to do, without friends to do things with, without lessons to follow and in general without obligations other than studying.
Things sharply improved when i got into therapy and shortly after i got a work, now i am studying for my last exam while working and i'm better off than when i had the full day for studying.

The therapy helped a lot in understanding myself, if you can afford it i really suggest it, especially after you passed trough depression.
The work alone is a god send, you are forced to wake up and be presentable every day, you have to be active from the morning and you have to think to solve problems, then when you are home you want to do something with your limited time and so you are more productive and if you procrastinate a bit who cares ?
My suggestion is to find a part-time work (universities often offer some to their students) that will help you straighten up and organize your time better, in absence of that do some sport or walks (especially when you think you are tired, it's amazing how much your tiredness is often imagined) and think seriously about using your passions to learn something new or to do something useful for the communities you frequent, like i don't know do guides for the video games you like, help developing mods, create app/resources to assist gaming, help moderate forums/discords, do videos in wich you explain things you know a lot about, organize gatherings of people who like the same things you like to talk about it and enjoy the company.
Also spend time with friends who frequent your courses, do the morning/afternoon studying and then the rest of the day something you like, is very good for both studying and enjoying life, i used to do that for nearly all the university and our group had pretty nice grades and most of us graduated in time.

You don't have to give up on what you like, my best exam sessions were done with a lot of gaming and surfing the net, you just need to diversify and to be serious about something you do, it will improve the rest greatly.

 

Hey mate,
I think lots of users will agree with this.
It's a tough and long road.
One of the things I started doing (besides no PMO) is trying to actively spend time online - I try to reduce the time I spend reading or watching things and instead I try to write things - like reply to random threads on this forum, reply to my emails and messages etc. This way I at least feel productive by being online and it actually lits me up to go and do other things away from the internet as well.
In fact, just writing this message helped me a lot.
Thank you!
All the best,
Finalito

 

Block websites that you spend a lot of time on (youtube, reddit, etc) entirely and delete all videogames. I found that trying to just limit the time I spent on the websites/videogames didn't work because I would just crave more after that time was up. It probably would work to limit the time for someone that has more self control than I do but for me it's all or nothing.

 

This one post sums up most of what I think and suffer myself. You should try it. Specially the tiredness part. We are lazy by nature, because boredom wasn't a choice in the past... now there are just too much distractions and a lot of reasons to want to be distracted. Take care.

 

First of all block any sites you waste time on and delete your video games. You won't miss them after a week. Then start doing small bits of the tasks you are trying to do. Your brain will not be used to sitting still and focusing on one thing for more than 5 minutes so it will be very hard at first. Try and get 20-30 minutes of solid work in than take a 10 minute break. Have a snack, go for a walk, pat your dog, anything that gets you into a different environment and doing something mildly physical is good. Once the 10 minutes is up get back to work. You can do a few of these blocks. After a while the 20-30 minutes will be easier and you can extend that time and shorten the rest time.

 

Hey there, just wanted to say that good on you for recognizing your problem and acting on it here. I'd do just about anything to hop back five years before I flunked out of college and get off the damn internet and out of my own head... In hindsight I do remember thinking that I was wasting my life away online, and always had a plan to change... Tomorrow... Or next week... Or after Christmas... Etc... And I had to really make a mess of my life before I made proper change rather than just thinking about it. And the biggest thing for me was as was mentioned already, using the internet consciously and actively rather than randomly and passively, and then being involved in real people stuff, like volunteering at the humane society and going to AA meetings, etc. I think the pivotal thing for me to change bad habits in both the internet and drinking department was to just stop trusting my own strategies for recovery and to do whatever I need to today, NOW! Not tomorrow, or next week, or next lifetime lol. Best of luck to ya.