Fighting porn addiction is not an easy task especially if you have been using it for a long time, so please do read this to the end, you won't regret it. Many of us were introduced to pornography at a very young age either through shady pop-up ads on the internet or through someone's magazines. At first, it was exciting and it gave us a great rush but now it's a drain and it's hard to let go of because of the hold it has. Yet we know the effects it has on our daily, financial, emotional and spiritual lives.

Some things that you need to know before reading further. You will have moments of weakness and failure to keep a streak or goals in overcoming this addiction. You won't be perfect but the goal is to eventually break free from it. You cannot fight this battle alone, you need a support system of more than one person.

Now let's look at what we can do to fight this addiction.

1. Mindset

First, you must understand that porn's gateway to your life is through the mind. For one to give in or relapse there has to be a tempting thought and these thoughts can be influenced by the things we see on social media, TV, movies and other forms of media. Other triggers can be physically based on what we see in person be it a girl in a bikini at the beach or someone wearing a thirst-worthy outfit. Sometimes the triggers can be driven by conversations with others through things like dirty jokes.

So it is important to control your thoughts, don't tolerate dirty jokes or look at people who are dressed in outfits that could trigger you. We live in a world where people are free to dress however they want but that also means that we can think however we want. So if your goal is to overcome this, think in ways that train your brain to resist.

Don't try to fight the thoughts when they become intense, rather fight them before they go too far. For example, if you see someone tempting look to the side, if you hear a dirty joke don't laugh at it. Also, involve yourself in conversations that give you ideas on how to fight it but if some of those conversations trigger you then find something else to occupy your mind.

2. Accountability

You cannot fight this alone so it is important to have people in your life who you can trust with this to help you and check up on you frequently. If you are married, give your spouse access and control to all your devices including the media that you consume (TV subscriptions). Tell them your struggle and agree on how they will keep you in check.

If not married you can confide in your significant other (boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé) you can also confide in your parents, siblings, friends, teacher, pastor or anyone whom you have a close relationship with and you know will have your back and help you overcome the addiction. Do not confide in someone who could lead you into looking at it or someone that you might lust after. It all depends on circumstances but get help from people who care about you.

Getting accountability helps when you are tempted because you can call them and tell them. They can also check up on you often and see how you are doing whether you have fallen into the temptations or not. Getting a therapist is important too and be sure to confess to your romantic partner about this addiction. And also confess to your accountability partner when you have lapsed or relapsed.

3. Exercise

Exercise is very important in this journey because it can help your body recover from the physical and mental effects of porn. Porn causes an unnatural release of dopamine to our brains and that can cause us to be unproductive. Ever wondered why you feel tired or sleep after giving in to temptation? So it's important to reconfigure your mind and exercise is one of the best ways to do that.

Exercise can clear the mind, reduce stress and release adrenaline to the body which can then boost our motivation to do the things we want to improve in our lives. Be it writing a book, working on a YouTube video or a personal project exercise can bring back the fire that porn took away. We will write a dedicated article regarding the benefits of exercise.

All you need is thirty minutes of your day, five days a week and you will see a positive change in your life. For men, exercise can increase testosterone, a hormone for reproduction, fat distribution and muscle strength.

4. Prayer

We are a Christian blog so we cannot leave out the importance of prayer in overcoming this addiction. If you are not born again we suggest that you understand who Christ is and what He came to do here on Earth read the book of John before you consider praying. Prayer is important because like it or not porn has spiritual consequences and can lead us far from God and that is not good because we need a relationship with God, but porn can cause us to stop following Him.

1 John 1:9 tells us that we should confess our sins and God will forgive us so when you fall short be sure to confess your sin to God (and accountability partners) and ask for forgiveness and strength to not fall back into the sin. Proverbs 24:16 informs us that a righteous man will fall seven times but he will get back up again so it's important to understand that this sin is not the end of your life and God is willing to forgive you. We tend to forget this, so always pray.

5. Bible Reading

The Bible is very powerful because it is the word of God and it contains prayers and strategies on how to overcome sexual sins including porn. Reading the Bible is very therapeutic and boosts your spiritual life and your relationship with Christ. Dedicating a fair amount of time from your day to prayer and Bible reading can really help you in your journey to defeat this addiction.

If you don't know where to start when reading the Bible go to the book of John which is the fourth book found in the New Testament. From there you can advance to the first three books of the New Testament and the ones that come after John. Try spending 20-30 minutes per day on Bible reading. You can also use Psalms 51, and 25 when you fall short and don't know what to say when praying for forgiveness from God.

6. Socialization/Community

If you are always isolated try being more social and outgoing, if you're always at home and if the circumstances allow it try attending events and going to church every week. If there are any therapy groups near you try joining them as they can help you by meeting people fighting the same battle and you can share ideas with them.

If you are antisocial try to be friendly and talk to people be it at school, work, neighbourhood and other places. Making friends can help because you could get invited to different places and meet new people and possibly your future spouse. Porn likes it when we are isolated but if there is a way to avoid isolation then take it.

7. Hobby

Healthy hobbies can help you clear your mind and occupy yourself with better things. You could try taking walks, jogging, playing a sport, doing art etc. Hobbies are also therapeutic because they can help us reassess our lives and goals. This can boost motivation to do more and be productive. Your hobby could even turn into a business, you're reading this blog but you came from my meme page which I started as a hobby but now do it as a job.

Avoid unhealthy hobbies like excessive gaming and media consumption, that's more on leisure and relaxation than hobbying. Our bodies were created for movement so increase your activity, get a fitness band or smartwatch to track your activity and progress or you can download free apps like Samsung Health (not sponsored) if you can't afford one.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this journey will be tough and you'll lose some battles along the way but what is important is winning the war. Don't let one or two mishaps be an excuse for relapse or for giving up in fighting this battle. Stay strong and trust God. Be on the lookout for future posts as I'll be writing more articles about this topic.

About Daniel Hebron

Daniel Hebron founded Boot Motivation in 2022 with the aim of inspiring and empowering society through Christian values and beliefs, creating a platform that promotes faith, personal growth, and positive change.