Age 21 – Increased confidence, energy, motivation, concentration, extroversion and manliness

Thought I’d just share the changes I’ve noticed in my life and some thoughts about them. Background info: I’ve been attempting NoFap on-and-off for about two years now, not ever getting great success until this year when my streaks starting getting longer and longer.

I’m a single 21-year-old student, and a Christian.

  • Increased self-control and discipline: I’m putting this first because it is from this change that I think most of the others stem. I value long-term goals more than short-term wants way more than I ever have before. And I’m beginning to see the fruits of reaching long-term goals. E.g. a few days ago I ran my first ever marathon. This has manifested in every aspect of my life. My physical health, my relationships, my studies, my job, my hobbies, everything.
  • Increased energy: This is probably the outwardly noticable difference and probably my favourite change as well. The amount of physical and mental energy I have these days is amazing, the closest thing to a ‘superpower’ NoFap has given me. It’s probably due to the fact that I’m eating, drinking, exercising, and sleeping better, but those things have come with NoFap as well.
  • Increased motivation and concentration: I have become a lot more focussed on my goals and ambitions, and have the desire to take steps to reach them. Procrastination has almost disappeared from my life. I’m studying harder than I ever have before (which is great considering my degree is currently the hardest it’s ever been), I’m exercising more than I ever have before, and my living space is the cleanest and tidiest it’s ever been.
  • Increased confidence: I feel super-confident now with everyone and everything. Challenges and risks are now exciting, and I feel I can take them on without the fear of failure.
  • Increased emotional intensity: This one is a good and bad thing. My happiness is a lot happier, but at the same time when I get sad or angry it’s really intense and difficult to deal with. PMO was numbing these emotions and I’m still getting readjusted to having them in their fullness.
  • Increased extroversion: I used to be an introvert, and then the past few years I’ve noticed myself becoming more extroverted, and in the past three months it’s become a lot more extreme. I have a strong desire, perhaps even a need, for constant social interaction and have an intense hate of loneliness, both in the sense of literally being by myself as well as the more figurative sense of feeling distant from people and being more frustrated with my singleness.
  • Increased self-esteem: I feel like a better person, and I also have better body image, not that I had bad self-esteem or bad body image, but I definitely have noticed a lift here.
  • Increased manliness: A few people have commented that my voice seems deeper (I’m personally not sure on that one), I think my facial hair is growing quicker than it used to, and my erections have been a lot more frequent and stronger.
  • Increased honesty and openness: I’ve been a lot more honest with everyone in my life lately. Now, I haven’t actually told anyone about my NoFap experience, but in general I’m a lot more likely to tell people how I truly feel and think. I think this goes hand-in-hand with increased confidence. On a slightly related note, I’m also a lot more comfortable with letting other people use my computer.
  • Closer to God: I feel like there is less sin in my life, and I’m amazed at how faith in God has been able to help me in this journey.
  • Increased self-awareness: I’ve done a lot of personal reflection and have a much better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I’ve noticed personality flaws that I’ve never considered before, but at the same time discovered hidden talents of my own.
  • Wet dreams: Never had them before in my life until this streak, and now I’ve had two. Days 50 and 75. On the first one, I have no recollection of the dream, just waking up with a wet feeling in my pants. The second one I had multiple sexual dreams during the night, including the one I was having when I woke up (which was sexual but actually quite negative and not pleasurable), and had lots of dry stains in my boxers.

Tips:

  • Get off the computer and out of the house: Get busy! Boredom and procrastination are two of your biggest enemies
  • Go to bed!: Tiredness is one of your other biggest enemies, be aware of it and your decreased self-control at the time.
  • Get a filter!: Pretty obvious advice, but it’s obvious for a reason.
  • No edging!: Way more damage than good.

LINK – 90 Days Complete – my thoughts and observations

by FlippityFlopppity