Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling

Winning gamblers use discipline to help them win. Losing gamblers rarely use discipline for anything when they gamble. If you don’t know how discipline can help improve your gambling results, I have good news for you.

• Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling Losses
• Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling Money
• Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling Winnings
• Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling Addiction

STEP 1: GET RID OF YOUR MONEY If you want to stop gambling right now, the first step begins by stopping to carry money. This includes credit cards, debit cards, access to bank accounts, checks, loans, etc. If you want to stop starting right now, block all access to money. If you do nothing, you may pay a heavy price. The signs of problem gambling. Some red flags are so obvious that they hardly seem worth mentioning, like when your friend or family member disappears. Reminding yourself that you can’t stop once you start can help you to deal with any urges to gamble. Identify your self-sabotage triggers. Your clean time is precious. See any urge to gambling as a temporary menace and be prepared for them to emerge before special occasions such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries or exam time.

Here’s a list of three ways that discipline leads to better gambling results. I’ve also included a section about how you can quickly improve your discipline.

Possibly the best thing about learning how to improve your discipline is that it’s not only going to help your real money gambling results, but it’s also going to help you in many other areas of your life.

Never Give In and Always Hold the Line

Discipline is important for many different reasons, but one of the most important reasons is because it helps you to hold the line. Holding the line means never giving in, no matter what. When you build this type of discipline it helps you become a better gambler.

The most important point about never giving in, that most people miss, is that you have to be smart when you draw your line to never cross. If you don’t know all of the important facts before you draw your line, then the outcome isn’t going to be what you expected.

For example, if you decide that you’re going to play a slot machine until you win a certain amount, you’re missing an important fact. You can’t beat the slot machine in the long run, so instead of reaching your profit goal, you’re just going to keep losing money until you run out of money. This isn’t a smart line to draw.

Instead, learn what you need to know, then set your line.

Once you know what you need to do to win, set your line and never cross it. Set a good goal backed by a winning plan and decide that you’re never going to give in or give up. This is going to help you become a winning gambler, and it can help you in other areas of your life.

Use Discipline to Prepare and Never Get Lazy

Casinos and other gambling establishments love lazy gamblers. Lazy gamblers take the easy way out, and the easy way out means more profit for the casino. But you don’t have to be lazy when you gamble.

The best way to eliminate the lazy gambling habit is to prepare before you start gambling. Winning gamblers put in preparation time to learn how to win. Then they practice what they learned so when they start gambling they have a realistic chance to win. And they know what they need to do to win.

Lazy gamblers never prepare before they start gambling, they don’ know what they need to do to win, they don’t have a plan, and they lose. What does preparation look like for winning gamblers?

They study all of the gambling options to find the one or two best options. These options are the ones that give them the best chance to win. Once they find their best options, they learn as much as possible about how the games work, what strategies and techniques work, then make sure that they know how to use these strategies and techniques.

Even if it takes hour after hour of study and practice, winning gamblers do what it takes before they gamble so they have the best chance of winning when they start gambling.

The only thing standing between you and what winning gamblers do is laziness. I know this might not be what you want to hear, but all of the information you need to be a winning gambler is available. All you have to do is find it, learn it, and use it.

Decide right now if you’re going to be a lazy gambler, or if you’re willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Use Discipline to Stop Gambling When You Need To

Many times, losing gamblers get ahead early during their gambling session, keep gambling, and lose money. They not only lose the money they were up, but they start losing and chase trying to get back up and end up losing even more.

It’s easy to say that these gamblers should have quit while they were ahead, but this is misleading. The problem isn’t that they should have stopped when they were ahead, because they have no way of knowing when the tide is going to turn.

And this is the problem. They don’t know when they’re going to start losing because they didn’t prepare. They don’t even usually know if the game they’re playing can be beat. And even if it can be beat, they don’t know how to do it. So, they end up relying on luck.

But even if you don’t know how to win in the long run, you can do a few things to limit your losses. You can use a budget, stop-win limits, and stop-loss limits. But even if you use these things, you still need to have the discipline to stop when you reach your limits.

Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling Losses

When you use preparation like I covered in the previous section to find games that give you a realistic chance to win, and when you play them the right way, you still need to have the discipline to stop when you need to.

The biggest danger is usually when you get tired or fatigued, then you start making mistakes. Most gambling activities that give you a chance to win only give you a small edge. So a momentary lapse in focus can be costly. Learn your limits so you have the discipline to know when to stop gambling.

How to Improve Your Casino Discipline

Talking about the benefits of discipline is easy. But actually improving and building your discipline can be quite difficult. In this section, I’m going to help you start building your gambling discipline.

Discipline is a practice of control that you have to learn. Nobody is going to discipline you when you gamble except for yourself. You have to take control of that aspect of your mind in order to become a better gambler.

This starts by recognizing and admitting whether or not you have a discipline problem. Don’t be too proud to admit you have a discipline problem. I’ve been working on my gambling discipline for years, and I still have a trouble from time to time.

I’m much more disciplined than I used to be, but I still need improvement. Now that you know you need to improve your discipline, the best way to get started is to simply think about it all of the time. The more you think about your discipline, the more you’re going to work on improving it.

Start using the discipline of preparing before you gamble. Start studying right now to become an expert gambler. Set aside time every day to learn and practice.

Create a plan for your next gambling session and stick with your plan. Even if you can only stay on track for 15 minutes, it’s a start. Work on extending this to 20 minutes, then 30 minutes, and build up to an hour.

The only way to build your discipline is to work on it constantly. Don’t give in when you start to waiver. Refocus your mind and make a commitment to being more disciplined. This is how you build discipline in gambling and in life.

Conclusion

If you want to accomplish anything important in your life, you need to develop strong discipline. Becoming a better gambler is no different. The stronger your discipline gets, the better you’re going to do when you’re gambling.

You need to build a gambling mindset of never giving in. When you give in, the casino wins the game. This means that you need the discipline to walk away if the casino isn’t offering what you’re looking for.

It’s easy to get lazy, but you can’t ever do it. Do everything you need to prepare before you gamble. And finally, you need discipline to stop gambling before your bankroll starts to look a little scarce.

From our knowledge of gambling addiction’s triggers, we know that some people choose to gamble to fill time when they’re bored. Others gamble to avoid problems and frustration. Other problem gamblers choose to gamble as a method of relaxation or a way to celebrate good news.

For a problem gambler in recovery, it is very important to identify other activities that can be done instead of gambling. Below, we look at a few healthy options for individuals looking to avoid gambling.

Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling Money

Boredom & Gambling Addiction Recovery

Many people start gambling to fill up free time they have. Gambling might sound like a good way to pass 30 minutes or an hour, but for people at-risk for problem gambling, this can turn into a serious issue. For recovering problem gamblers, free time and boredom can make them more likely to consider gambling again.

How can you avoid gambling when you have free time or feel bored?

• Consider creative hobbies you can do instead. Maybe you’ve always wanted to start painting or gardening. Maybe you’ve had a project you’ve wanted to finish in your garage or basement for many years. Find a way to devote your energy to something productive that will result in a creative piece you can share with family members or friends.

• Consider fitness activities that require your time frequently. Join a local softball team or running club. Even if you’re not very fit now, you can begin training for small community runs or walks, such as charity 5ks.

• Study. Learn a skill you’ve always wanted to master or study a topic you’ve wanted to understand better. You don’t have to go back to school – see what books you can check out from your local library to educate yourself.

Relaxation, Frustration & Gambling Addiction Recovery

It’s well known that many people gamble to escape frustrating problems at home and at work. By playing repetitive games for long periods of time, people are able to block out thoughts of issues that require their attention and consideration.

Trying to escape and ignore problems often creates even bigger problems. We must be prepared to handle issues that come our way, even when frustration, disappointment or stress threaten to make our days very difficult.

Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling Winnings

How can you keep frustration or stress from making you want to escape? What relaxation techniques can make you better prepared to handle stress?

• Write. Start a journal that allows you to jot down your fears, your stresses and your problems. Your journal can also allow you to reflect on good days, progress in your gambling addiction recovery, and memories you want to keep a record of. A few minutes of writing every day is therapeutic for many people.

• Meditate. Whether you meditate at home alone or join a class in your community that teaches relaxation techniques (such as a beginner’s yoga class), learn how to clear your mind and use breathing techniques to relax your body and refresh yourself.

• Walk. Fitness activities aren’t just great ways to pass time – low-impact exercises such as walking can help you relax, as well. Get outside and enjoy fresh air. Deep breathes and a short walk around the block can release tension. Physical activity during the day can also help you sleep better at night.

Celebration & Gambling Addiction Recovery

People gambling to do more than escape problems – some are gambling on good days, as well. Many people choose to go to casinos, buy lottery tickets or do other gambling activities when they’re in a good mood and looking to continue enjoying their day. Unfortunately, people at-risk for problem gambling and people in recovery can’t gamble as a method of celebration or as a way to spend the day with family members and friends.

What are some positive activities that can be done, instead?

• Enjoy a trip to a local recreational venue. You might not go to a casino or bar – but what about a family-friendly park or zoo?
• Volunteer. Find a local organization you can encourage your family members or friends to support with you, and enjoy that time spent with loved ones and strangers while supporting the community.
• Explore. Where can you hike on a sunny afternoon? Where’s the best place in the city to see the stars at night? Get to know the region you live in better.

Surround yourself with people supportive of your recovery. These people will understand when you can’t go to the casino, won’t bet in an office pool or don’t want to go to the sports bar to watch the game. These people will be able identify many, many ways to spend days and nights without putting your problem gambling recovery in jeopardy.

Things You Can Do To Stop Gambling Addiction

Are you a recovering problem gambler or professional who works with gambling addiction? What activities do you recommend?