Edited by Krazycommando, Catie, Illneedasaviour, Biteme12 and 9 othersPin ItArticle EditDiscussIf you're always listening to music, it's safe to say that you're a big fan. However, if you find it hard to remove your earphones from your ears or feel incomplete without them on, you could say that you have an addiction. This article will give you some tips on how to overcome your addiction and lead a happy life without needing so much music.
Note: This article is not professional advice; it uses the term "addiction" in its wider non-professional sense of "obsession". If you really think that you have a serious addiction that no wiki can solve, seek help from a doctor.
Edit Steps
Identifying Your Music Obsession1Find out if your particular way of consuming music is an addiction. Even if you have your earphones in all day every day, it still might not be obsessive; maybe you just enjoy music. To find out if it is an addiction, study how you behave when you're away from the music. Can you function properly or do you feel like something is missing? Signs of an addiction include[1]:
Defensiveness. When someone calls you an addict, do you reply with statements such as "I'm not addicted, it's just a hobby", "I can stop whenever I want to" or "I only keep my earphones in to drown you out" when you know that these statements aren't true.Blaming. Do you place the blame on other people to try and make yourself feel better? Do you blame your mother for shouting at you so much even though she hardly ever shouts? Do you blame school for being so boring even though you never listen in class? If you can't accept responsibility for your own actions, it might be an addiction.Feeling guilty. If you feel guilty and shameful for allowing your problem to get so out of hand but you can't seem to stop, the problem may have become an addiction. If you don't feel guilty about your behavior, and can change it right away, then the problem probably isn't an addiction yet.Isolation. Do you isolate yourself from others just so you can listen to music? Do you plug yourself in at parties and family gatherings so you won't have to talk to anybody? Convincing yourself that nobody wants to speak to you just so you have an excuse to put your earphones in may be another sign of an addiction.Financially draining. Do you go without other things just so that you can spend every last cent or penny on iTunes downloads and other ways of obtaining music?Lack of sleep. Are you losing sleep because you're more interested in getting all the way through the next album or all the albums of a favorite artist before allowing yourself the chance to sleep? Are you falling asleep with your earphones still in your ears?
Totalling Up the Time Spent with Your Music1Grab a pen and paper. If you're serious about quitting, you will need to seriously think about it. To do this, you should write down everything explained in the steps below. This way, if you find it hard to quit, you can read the paper and remember why you started trying in the first place. Sometimes, writing stuff down can also get the words you want to say out of your system without anybody criticizing you.
2Consider why you listen to music. What is it about music that draws you in so much that you find it hard to live without it? Maybe it shuts you off from the cruel world you feel you live in. Maybe you find it hard to make friends or communicate. Maybe your music speaks the words you want to hear but can't bring yourself to say. Whatever the reason is, you need to figure it out. Write the reason down on your paper. It could also be more than one reason––scribble them all down too.
3Run some tests. Now that you know why you listen to music, in order to change your music consuming habit, you need to know how long you listen to music. For the next full day (tomorrow or today if you're reading this very early), you will need to do some calculations. On your piece of paper, write down what time you woke up. Don't worry about quitting music just yet, listen to music as you normally would.
Every time you remove your earphones, write down how long you removed them for, even if it's just a few seconds.Write down what time you went to bed. Do this for another day if you feel the first accounting for your day was inaccurate.4Calculate how much you listen to music. Although this step sounds hard, it really isn't. In fact, you don't even need to be good at maths. Just figure out what time you get up and what time you go to bed, you already wrote that down. If you listened to music all day, that's your time. If you took them out for an hour, take an hour away from the time you were awake.
For example, if you woke up at 7:00am, removed your earphones for half an hour and then fell asleep at 7:00pm, you listened to music for eleven and a half hours.If you are over-relying on music as a form of self-soothing/avoiding people/shifting blame/not thinking for yourself, etc., the number is bound to shock you.
Managing Your Music Consumption with Greater Awareness1Set a target. Try to reduce the time you listened to music by half an hour each day until you reach your target. Set a realistic one too. If you listen to music for twelve hours each day, a good target would be to listen to music for ten hours each day. Once you finally reach your target, set a new one. If your target is too hard, feel free to set an easier one. Don't make this too hard on yourself either. In the end, you should be listening to music for three hours maximum. In the next few steps there are some tips on how to do this.
2Get rid of your earphones. Waking up everyday and seeing your iPod and earphones is only going to tempt you. If you feel bad about throwing your earphones away or if they cost a lot of money, sell them or just shove them in the back of a drawer. That way, you won't be able to get them without having to dig them out. If you really need them though, you can still get them. Remember the half an hour target and reduce your listening time each day. This is done by simply leaving your earphones in the drawer longer.
3Turn off the radio. If you or your parents drive, the car radio will probably be on. Keep it off at all costs. The radio will only tempt you to dig out your earphones again, not to mention it still counts as listening to music, even if you're not focusing on it. If you're not driving, kindly ask your parents to keep the radio off and explain that you're trying to overcome your music addiction. If all else fails, noise-cancelling earplugs are a nice alternative.
4Leave your MP3 player at home. You'd probably bring your iPod or other music device when you go out, right? Stop doing that. If your iPod is at home and you're not, you can't possibly use it, can you? If you're using your phone and you want it with you, leave your earphones at home. Resist the urge to buy new ones. You can do this by bringing less money and reminding yourself that you can't get what you really want to get if you waste your money on earphones.
5Get out more. This step is linked to the last. To get away from music more, simply get out more. Buy a bike, make some friends or just go for a nice walk. Whatever you do, make it fun. If you're on a bike, you will need to focus on the road so you can't use earphones. If you're with mates, you will be chatting and laughing so you can't use earphones. If you're taking a walk, the nature will keep your mind off of music.
6Remember the health benefits. If you really feel like giving up, remember all the good that no or minimal music will do for you. If you're constantly shutting yourself off, you can't make friends. If you have no friends, you could become depressed. Paying attention to the road while driving or riding a bike could save your life... could silly earphones do that? Also, without music you will have more time to study or write. This will greatly improve your grammar and English skills.
Edit TipsRead the paper if you ever feel like giving up. You will see how much progress you've made.Don't forget to keep track of your listening time; all your hard work will go to waste otherwise.Every day, wake up and go to bed at the same time. It will help you figure out how long you've been listening for.
Edit WarningsOvercoming an addiction can be extremely frustrating. Giving up will only make matters worse. See a therapist or doctor if you need professional help to stay motivated.
Edit Sources and Citations↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barb-rogers/seven-signs-of-addiction_b_519194.htmlArticle Info
Categories: Addictions
Was this article accurate?
YesNo
Note: This article is not professional advice; it uses the term "addiction" in its wider non-professional sense of "obsession". If you really think that you have a serious addiction that no wiki can solve, seek help from a doctor.
Edit Steps
Identifying Your Music Obsession1Find out if your particular way of consuming music is an addiction. Even if you have your earphones in all day every day, it still might not be obsessive; maybe you just enjoy music. To find out if it is an addiction, study how you behave when you're away from the music. Can you function properly or do you feel like something is missing? Signs of an addiction include[1]:
Defensiveness. When someone calls you an addict, do you reply with statements such as "I'm not addicted, it's just a hobby", "I can stop whenever I want to" or "I only keep my earphones in to drown you out" when you know that these statements aren't true.Blaming. Do you place the blame on other people to try and make yourself feel better? Do you blame your mother for shouting at you so much even though she hardly ever shouts? Do you blame school for being so boring even though you never listen in class? If you can't accept responsibility for your own actions, it might be an addiction.Feeling guilty. If you feel guilty and shameful for allowing your problem to get so out of hand but you can't seem to stop, the problem may have become an addiction. If you don't feel guilty about your behavior, and can change it right away, then the problem probably isn't an addiction yet.Isolation. Do you isolate yourself from others just so you can listen to music? Do you plug yourself in at parties and family gatherings so you won't have to talk to anybody? Convincing yourself that nobody wants to speak to you just so you have an excuse to put your earphones in may be another sign of an addiction.Financially draining. Do you go without other things just so that you can spend every last cent or penny on iTunes downloads and other ways of obtaining music?Lack of sleep. Are you losing sleep because you're more interested in getting all the way through the next album or all the albums of a favorite artist before allowing yourself the chance to sleep? Are you falling asleep with your earphones still in your ears?Totalling Up the Time Spent with Your Music1Grab a pen and paper. If you're serious about quitting, you will need to seriously think about it. To do this, you should write down everything explained in the steps below. This way, if you find it hard to quit, you can read the paper and remember why you started trying in the first place. Sometimes, writing stuff down can also get the words you want to say out of your system without anybody criticizing you.
2Consider why you listen to music. What is it about music that draws you in so much that you find it hard to live without it? Maybe it shuts you off from the cruel world you feel you live in. Maybe you find it hard to make friends or communicate. Maybe your music speaks the words you want to hear but can't bring yourself to say. Whatever the reason is, you need to figure it out. Write the reason down on your paper. It could also be more than one reason––scribble them all down too.3Run some tests. Now that you know why you listen to music, in order to change your music consuming habit, you need to know how long you listen to music. For the next full day (tomorrow or today if you're reading this very early), you will need to do some calculations. On your piece of paper, write down what time you woke up. Don't worry about quitting music just yet, listen to music as you normally would.Every time you remove your earphones, write down how long you removed them for, even if it's just a few seconds.Write down what time you went to bed. Do this for another day if you feel the first accounting for your day was inaccurate.4Calculate how much you listen to music. Although this step sounds hard, it really isn't. In fact, you don't even need to be good at maths. Just figure out what time you get up and what time you go to bed, you already wrote that down. If you listened to music all day, that's your time. If you took them out for an hour, take an hour away from the time you were awake.For example, if you woke up at 7:00am, removed your earphones for half an hour and then fell asleep at 7:00pm, you listened to music for eleven and a half hours.If you are over-relying on music as a form of self-soothing/avoiding people/shifting blame/not thinking for yourself, etc., the number is bound to shock you.Managing Your Music Consumption with Greater Awareness1Set a target. Try to reduce the time you listened to music by half an hour each day until you reach your target. Set a realistic one too. If you listen to music for twelve hours each day, a good target would be to listen to music for ten hours each day. Once you finally reach your target, set a new one. If your target is too hard, feel free to set an easier one. Don't make this too hard on yourself either. In the end, you should be listening to music for three hours maximum. In the next few steps there are some tips on how to do this.
2Get rid of your earphones. Waking up everyday and seeing your iPod and earphones is only going to tempt you. If you feel bad about throwing your earphones away or if they cost a lot of money, sell them or just shove them in the back of a drawer. That way, you won't be able to get them without having to dig them out. If you really need them though, you can still get them. Remember the half an hour target and reduce your listening time each day. This is done by simply leaving your earphones in the drawer longer.3Turn off the radio. If you or your parents drive, the car radio will probably be on. Keep it off at all costs. The radio will only tempt you to dig out your earphones again, not to mention it still counts as listening to music, even if you're not focusing on it. If you're not driving, kindly ask your parents to keep the radio off and explain that you're trying to overcome your music addiction. If all else fails, noise-cancelling earplugs are a nice alternative.4Leave your MP3 player at home. You'd probably bring your iPod or other music device when you go out, right? Stop doing that. If your iPod is at home and you're not, you can't possibly use it, can you? If you're using your phone and you want it with you, leave your earphones at home. Resist the urge to buy new ones. You can do this by bringing less money and reminding yourself that you can't get what you really want to get if you waste your money on earphones.5Get out more. This step is linked to the last. To get away from music more, simply get out more. Buy a bike, make some friends or just go for a nice walk. Whatever you do, make it fun. If you're on a bike, you will need to focus on the road so you can't use earphones. If you're with mates, you will be chatting and laughing so you can't use earphones. If you're taking a walk, the nature will keep your mind off of music.6Remember the health benefits. If you really feel like giving up, remember all the good that no or minimal music will do for you. If you're constantly shutting yourself off, you can't make friends. If you have no friends, you could become depressed. Paying attention to the road while driving or riding a bike could save your life... could silly earphones do that? Also, without music you will have more time to study or write. This will greatly improve your grammar and English skills.Edit TipsRead the paper if you ever feel like giving up. You will see how much progress you've made.Don't forget to keep track of your listening time; all your hard work will go to waste otherwise.Every day, wake up and go to bed at the same time. It will help you figure out how long you've been listening for.
Edit WarningsOvercoming an addiction can be extremely frustrating. Giving up will only make matters worse. See a therapist or doctor if you need professional help to stay motivated.
Edit Sources and Citations↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barb-rogers/seven-signs-of-addiction_b_519194.htmlArticle Info
Categories: Addictions
Was this article accurate?
YesNo
No comments:
Post a Comment