How to reduce a tempting behaviour without eliminating it

[rd5555]

There's two things I want to cut down on: listening to music, and masturbation:

I don't have a particualrly strong addiction to either, I don't spend a ton of time on them each day but I find that they can be a crutch for me at times for procrastinating on work etc, so I want to remove that dependency I sometimes have with them.

I find it easy to remove addictions by going cold turkey like I did with youtube, but I'm not interested in no-fap whatsoever, and I also don't want to go cold turkey with music.

Personally I don't know any other way to remove an addiction besides cold turkey

Like if i was trying to reduce eating chocolate cake, it wouldn't work for me to say "I can eat x amount a day but I have to wail til 6pm to eat it". I'd just spend the day thinking about when i get to eat chocolate cake at 6pm. 

In summary: I don't want to go cold turkey, so i'm looking for a way to reduce them, but without it feeling like i'm restricting myself and making me want to do them more

 

Would appreciate your input

 

thank you

[Leo Gura]

The easiest way is to find some better alternatives to focus your energy and time on.

For example, if you started a business I guratantee you'd jerk off less than just sitting a home doing nothing.

When it comes to listening to music, you just need to take breaks. Don't listen to any music for 2 weeks or a month. Then listen to it occassionally, not constantly. You can probably find an app for your phone to disable your music app for most of the day.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Leo Gura

[rd5555]

@Leo Gura thank you I appreciate the reply

I definitely think that’s true, as I’m starting a business at home and on days where I’m really busy, i'm focused on other things so I don't really think about masturbating at all

Out of interest, like with music, do you think it would work to temprarily quit masturbation for like two weeks or a month?
I can foresee that permanent no-fap would be a mistake and probably lead to a lot a lot of frustration, sexual repression, shame etc, but i'm wondering if quitting it for 2 weeks or a month and then going back to it would lessen the addiction, and allow me to use it in a healthy way?

[HMD]

@rd5555

This may help you ^

 

[rd5555]

@HMD thank you I appreciate it!

[Raze]

Take a cold shower

 

https://www.shinzen.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/art_urges.pdf