Like many, I have that one mind-numbing game that I can play for hours.  For many, Candy Crush still comes to mind, even twelve years after its release (that made me feel really old when I looked it up).  For me, it is HomeScapes.  I decided to give it up for 6 days this past week.

When I was first deciding what to give up, I looked at the Screen Time feature on my Apple devices (Mac, iPad, iPhone).  What I saw was astonishing.  Right then, my decision was made up.  I had to take a break from this game.  I played this game for roughly eleven hours a week.  There were 46 times, on average, that I picked up my phone to open that game.  Even if it was just to check if I had any lives (which I knew I wouldn’t).

I noticed that it had started to affect me.  I’d be ready to go to bed and think “I’ll just play one level”, next thing I knew it was two or three hours later and I had completed more than just one level.  Still not asleep.  The same would go when I used it as a break between assignments.  “I’ll play for half an hour and start something else.”  That did not happen.

Over the past week, without being able to play this game, I noticed myself finishing my assignments easier and quicker, without that added distraction.  I still allowed myself to play other games on my devices but none that were as addicting as this one.  I didn’t have an urge to play them.  They served more as a time-killer than a need to play it.

I decided to make this a bit harder for me and keep the app on my phone, but just not open it.  I caught myself a few times, opening my “Games” folder and my finger would be hovering right over that icon.  It was practically muscle memory, opening it.  However, I was able to stop myself every time.

What I found the most interesting was, I didn’t really miss it.  The first day was hard, because I had played it earlier that day, but when I cut myself off, I stopped altogether.  I am sure once I allow myself to play it again, I will go back to the same practices.  But I would like to think I have more self-control, now knowing what I know about how much I truly played it.