Married, Adult Children, 40's, Life long gamer So my yearly hours spent gaming would probably be double yours as it is the primary recreation activity for both

Married, Adult Children, 40's, Life long gamer So my yearly hours spent gaming would probably be double yours as it is the primary recreation activity for both my wife and I. We game together most nights and when we aren't gaming together we are likely gaming separate. My first suggestion would be to game with your SO, games are social activities. Warped perceptions aside there is nothing wrong with engaging in virtual social activities. Granted not everyone's SO will want to game. Second, like me it sounds like you may have an addictive / competitive personality. Bad news there are a number of gaming genres that are designed to take advantage of you. Just like some people can go to a casino with $200 spend it and leave some people can't. Games with ladders, brackets, dailies and other FOMO based engagement tactics may just be off the table. Good news there are a wealth of games that don't try and exploit their players psychology to drive engagement. Many of these are single and double A games but I haven't run out of non AAA non Live Service games to try. I had a spell where I played a bunch of mobile clickey games and realized it wasn't fun; it was compulsion. I was logging in resetting timers and getting a dopamine hit. I just had to decide to not engage anymore. Three, leisure is not irrelevant. mental health has strong ties to physical health and well being beyond just being good for you. Spending an hour focused on a game isn't irrelevant if you come out the other side rested, refreshed, unwound, etc. I play games like Oxygen Not Included where I spend hours building little irrelevant machines and systems but it clears my mind, relaxes me and allows me to focus on other things later. Four, maybe don't engage with YouTube and Twitch content for the game. You will never keep up with professionals. Even if you have the skill you don't have the time. Watching pro's can make you feel like you are playing wrong, you aren't good enough when in reality no one who isn't spending 8-12 hours a day will ever be that good. If you are having fun however you are playing is the right way. This is another FOMO trap. You won't be ninja, shroud, etc. be happy with what you are. My thoughts. YMMV