If you listen to music all the time, you can say you are a big fan of music. However, if you find it difficult to remove your earphones from your ears or feel as though they are incomplete without playing music, you could say you have a music addiction. This article will give you some tips to overcome your addiction and live a happy life without needing too much music.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Tracking Your Music Listening Habits
Step 1. Take a pen and paper
If you really want to control your behavior, you need to take the time to think about and write down your reasons for adopting this habit. This way, when you find yourself having a hard time quitting, you can read the paper and remember your reasons for trying to do it in the first place. Sometimes writing something down can also allow you to get the words out of your head without anyone criticizing them.
Step 2. Consider why you listen to music
What part of music excites you so much that it's hard to live without music? Maybe you find making friends or communicating difficult, or maybe your favorite music expresses the words you want to hear but can't say. Whatever the reason, you need to be aware of the reasons you conclude that you are doing this habit.
Write down the reasons on paper. There can be more than one reason--write them all down
Step 3. Find out how many hours a day you listen to music
Being aware of your habits is very important to overcome them. Take a day to track your music listening habits. Do this while noting when you start and stop listening to music (eg start at 7:45 am and stop at 10:30 am). Before going to bed at night, add up the hours.
- In order to change, you need to set goals for changing the habit. Concrete goals are easier to define if you know exactly how long you've been listening to music.
- As long as you keep track of how long you listen to music throughout the day, listen to music as you normally would.
- You can get even more accurate numbers by tracking your music listening habits over several days. This can give a more accurate picture.
Part 2 of 3: Managing Your Music Consumption
Step 1. Set a target
There's ample evidence that trying to control behavior is practice, which means you'll get better at it the more you practice it. Therefore, set an objective goal, and try to reduce the amount of time you listen to music by a few minutes each day until you reach your goal. Set realistic targets. If you listen to music for 12 hours a day, a good goal is to listen to music for 10 hours a day.
- After reaching the target, set a new target.
- If your goal is too difficult to achieve, set an easier target as you like. Don't feel burdened by this either. In the end, you should listen to as much as three hours of music.
Step 2. Get rid of your earphones
Waking up every morning and looking at your iPod and earphones will only tempt you. If you feel guilty throwing away the earphones or if they are expensive, sell them or ask a friend to keep them for you. That way, you won't be able to pick it up easily.
Remember to try to cut down on listening to music by half an hour each day (or every week, if that's too difficult)
Step 3. Turn off the radio
If you or your parents are driving, the radio in the car may turn on, but try your best not to turn it on. If you don't drive, ask your parents to keep the radio off and explain that you're trying to spend less time immersed in music.
If other methods fail, earplugs with silencers are a great alternative
Step 4. Leave your MP3 player at home
You may be used to carrying your iPod or other music device with you when you leave the house. Don't let yourself be tempted! Instead, leave it at home. If your phone also plays music, and you want to take it with you, leave the earphones at home.
Resist the urge to buy new earphones. You can do this by carrying less money and reminding yourself that you can't buy what you really want if you spend your money on earphones
Step 5. Get out of the house more often
Try to avoid situations where you are most likely to listen to music (eg when you are at home). If you can replace your old problems with something new and productive, that's great. Buy a bike, make friends, or just walk.
Whatever you do, make it fun. If you're cycling, you'll need to focus on the road so the earphones won't work. If you're with friends, you're bound to be chatting and laughing so you can't use earphones. If you are walking, nature will take your mind off the music
Step 6. Remember the health benefits
If you really feel like giving up, remember all the good effects you've had without music at all or by listening to a little music. Read a list of reasons for wanting to listen to less music to motivate yourself again.
For example, paying more attention to the road when driving or cycling instead of focusing on music can save your life
Part 3 of 3: Buying Less Music
Step 1. Look at your financial transaction history for the last 6 months
If you normally download music from online stores like iTunes, Google Play Store, or Amazon, you'll get a credit or debit card statement that records exactly how much money you've spent. Look at your most recent credit card or bank account statement to see how much money you've spent on music transactions.
Step 2. Keep a record of all the music you have purchased with cash in the last 6 months
Maybe you don't always buy music using a debit or credit card. For example, if you bought a CD or vinyl record at a store, you might pay in cash. If that's the case, keep track of the albums you've bought with cash in the last few months.
If you keep your receipt or remember the price, write down how much you paid. If not, look online for the album's price range to get a general estimate of how much money you've spent
Step 3. Make a list of all the music you have purchased pirated in the last six months
Hopefully you don't get involved in this, but if so, you need to include it in your final tally. Make a note of every song or album you have purchased or type it on an Excel sheet.
- Look for albums or songs in the iTunes Store or Google Play Store to see how much you've spent on legally buying music. Take note of this too.
- Be aware that if you download music illegally, you are committing no crime. If caught doing so, you can be subject to a heavy fine of up to IDR 50,000 and even imprisonment.
Step 4. Add up all your purchases
Add up the number of songs you've purchased in the last six months, and how much money you've spent. Do you spend more money on music than your daily necessities, like food? Are you in debt for buying music? By following all of these steps, you'll be able to come up with a good objective way of researching your habits.
Step 5. Avoid impulse buying
If most of your music is bought without really thinking about it and knowing the consequences of buying it, there are things you can do to be more aware of it the next time you buy a song or album.
- Take a few seconds or minutes to think back before you go to the cashier. Take a deep breath, then take a short walk. You need to take your mind off the song you want and rethink your goals.
- Think about whether the purchase will align with your goals. Try to be as honest as possible with yourself. Will the new song get you closer to your goal of spending less money on music or move you away from that goal?
- Evaluate your stress levels. Be aware of the stress you feel, whether it's related to buying music or something else. You're more likely to make an impulse purchase if you're feeling stressed, so take a moment to think about that too.
Step 6. Remove your credit or debit card from your music account
Don't save your payment information, and if it has been saved before, delete it. Companies usually allow purchasing music with just one click, which makes it all too easy to do. If you want to limit your spending, change the settings so that you have to write down your credit card information every time you make a purchase.
This will also give you a little time to evaluate whether the purchase is based on a “want” or a “need”
Step 7. Give yourself a gift
If you manage to avoid impulse buying, reward yourself with something else you want. Buy some fancy coffee, ice cream, or a new sweater with the money you've managed to save.
Tips
- Don't forget to track the amount of time you listen to music; otherwise all your hard work will be wasted.
- Every day, wake up and go to bed at the same time. This will help you figure out how much time you spend listening to music each day.
Warning
- Coping with addiction can be overwhelming. This will be difficult to achieve, and often times, you may feel like giving up. See a therapist or doctor if you need professional help to stay motivated.
- This article is not professional advice: it uses the term "addiction" in a broader non-professional context than the word "obsession." If you really think you have a serious addiction that wikiHow can't solve, seek help from a doctor.
