June 15
No gaming for 40 hours
Aizce 12 WD
For this year’s 40 Hour Challenge, I decided to give up something that’s a big part of me gaming. At first, I thought, “This won’t be that bad,” but once the challenge officially started, I quickly realized how much I rely on games to fill up my time, especially when I’m bored, tired, or just want to avoid thinking about school or other stuff.
Usually, after school or during the weekends, I’d hop on my favorite game and play for a few hours straight. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and it helps me feel like I’m achieving something, even if it’s just completing missions or leveling up. But during the challenge, every time I thought about playing, I had to remind myself that I couldn’t. It actually made me feel frustrated at first like I was missing out. I even found myself getting a bit irritated for no reason, just because I couldn’t do what I normally do.
But after the first day, something started to shift. I had all this time on my hands and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I ended up spending more time with my family just talking, helping out with chores, and even watching a movie together. I also got more sleep than I usually do, which felt amazing. I didn’t realize how much staying up late gaming was affecting me until I had a break from it.
Emotionally, it was kind of weird. I didn’t feel “complete” without gaming, but I also felt proud of myself for sticking to the challenge. There were definitely moments when I was tempted to cheat and just play a little, but I reminded myself why I was doing this. It wasn’t just to prove a point or tick a box it was about showing empathy for those in need, raising awareness, and challenging myself to give up something I value.
In the end, I learned a lot from this experience. I realized that gaming, while fun, takes up a lot of my time and sometimes distracts me from the people and things around me. Taking a break helped me reset and think more about my habits. It made me appreciate the simple things more, like real conversations, sleep, and even boredom (because it forced me to be creative).
At first, I was bored and annoyed, but as time passed, I felt more peaceful, proud, and aware. I’ve learned that I’m stronger than I thought, and I don’t always need a screen to have a good time. I might not quit gaming
(or I might), but I’ll definitely try to have more balance.
