Keeping busy
One action that helps when cutting down or stopping gambling is to avoid places where you may be tempted to gamble. Another is to replace gambling with other activities you enjoy. Some gamblers found it helpful to renew old interests and to develop a sense of achievement from old or new non-gambling activities.
Gamblers said keeping busy in new activities and interests helped to reduce their thoughts of gambling. This also helped to divert attention when urges to gamble did happen.
Some activities that people who changed their gambling used include:
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doing something physical
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doing things that offer a feeling of achievement
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participating in other entertainment
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focussing on work or study
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completing daily activities around the house
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keeping busy to avoid thinking about gambling
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distracting yourself or doing something else until the urge to gamble passes.
Check out some real life stories about people who made changes to their gambling.
Contact us
If gambling has become a problem for you, or someone you care about, get some help. It’s free and confidential.
Call the Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 anytime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
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