I have a sizable collection of games across retro and current platforms, as well as a Steam Library and a huge itch.io bundle of software. I have opportunities abound for games that I could play. But some days, I get stuck trying to figure out

  • Which game to play
  • How long do I have to play it
  • What about other stuff I need to do
  • How can I turn this into something meaningful

And it only gets compounded when I try to factor in streaming or writing for a website that I’m a part of. I dunno how many other Twitch/YouTube/TikTok streamers are here but once you reach Affiliate or have a consistent audience it sure seems easy to feel like your gaming time should only happen when you’re streaming. And as a hobbyist writer I feel like I then have to tie in writing about my gaming experiences.

I don’t have anything closely resembling success with these ventures but it feels like if I stop, then I’ll never have that success, like, it feels obtainable when I’m turning my hobby into digestible content for others.

I’ve been trying to break out of this self-defeating cycle by starting a new island in Animal Crossing. Just making small progress, an hour a day, by myself. No distractions, no mental hangups, no “side hustles”.

Just wondering if I’m alone in this or if anyone else has similar experiences, whether or not you stream or whatever :)

  • @Mickey@lemmy.caEnglish
    1•1 year ago

    Yeah I feel that with many hobbies too as well as gaming. I feel like there is a culture of, if you’re not doing something productive you’re wasting time. But in reality I think everyone needs a break. You can’t possibly be always productive, that ruins the whole point of relaxing!

    It’s not easy to get away from either, but I’ve found that dedicating time to just not being productive and filling it with what you want to do is a good start. I work from home now so separating my day into chunks is even more important than ever because I my work space is also my PC gaming space.

    Just try not to feel like you need to get something meaningful out of everything I guess. Sometimes it can just be fun.