“One works your muscles, one works your hand/eye coordination, and one works your liver.”
“It’s advisable to avoid combining all three (picture a drunk person playing Kinect Adventures).”
“What are you talking about? Leave me alone, psycho, I’m trying to work.”
What I’m actually getting at is neurochemical; all three flood your brain with so-called “happy” neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, to let you know you’re having a good time. So good, in fact, that we can sometimes find ourselves continuing to engage in the activity causing this neuroendocrinological bliss along the mesolimbic pathway to the point of physical detriment: i.e. playing video games all night, drinking to the point of blackout, or exercising to exhaustion or injury. At an extreme, this same feedback loop saying “if some is good, then more is better” is responsible for producing obsessive or even addictive behavior. In short, we begin to crave the “high” we get from various activities. It doesn’t have to be substance-related, either; behavioral addictions may include gambling, eating, taking risks, playing video games (including mobile games), sex, drag racing, or trichotillomania (Google it). You can basically become addicted to anything pleasurable. Fantastic.
The key to preventing this, obviously, is moderation. And because I excel at three things (giving practical advice, making lists of three), here’s a breakdown of how to keep the good things in life from ruining your life:
- Examine your predispositions. Alcoholism runs (stumbles?) in my family, so I know to be extra cautious around booze. Do you know your biological, genetic predispositions toward certain addictions? Or perhaps you’re already engaging in some semi-addictive behavior?
- Define moderation for you. Just as everyone has different levels of pain tolerance or physical fitness, you’ll need to adjust your mark for “moderate” according to where you fall on the bell curve. Standard limits are a good guide (0-0-1-3, anybody?) but know yourself; the Hulk could probably crush a keg without feeling tipsy, but a few drops of liquor might kill Antman. Same idea with video games: 3 hrs/day may work fine if living alone, but won’t work with a family.
- Set limits, and stick to them. Moderation actually helps us maximize enjoyment. We get to relish the rush without ruining it through over-indulgence. Find the right balance, and set your personal limit in stone (or non-negotiable paper). And as with anything else, you’ll substantially improve your odds for success by having a confidant keep you accountable.