Today I reached 90 days of NoFap again. For some people it may sound small, but for me it represents a 5-year battle.
The last time I crossed 90 days was in 2021, and my highest streak ever was 104 days. After that, I fell into the same cycle again: a few days of progress, then relapse, then guilt, then trying again. This cycle continued for years.
Many times I honestly believed I might never reach 90 days again.
So this time I decided something important: instead of relying only on willpower, I would build systems that make relapse harder.
Here is exactly what I did.
- I Blocked Access Aggressively
One of my biggest problems was easy access to triggers. So I attacked the problem technically.
• I installed 4–5 different website blockers.
• I changed the hosts file on my laptop using an open-source hosts list from GitHub that blocks adult sites.
• I installed Cold Turkey to block websites and distractions.
• Then I even blocked Cold Turkey itself using another software so I couldn’t disable it during weak moments.
This may sound extreme, but I knew that in moments of urges I might try to bypass my own restrictions. So I tried to remove that option.
- I Reduced Smartphone Usage
My smartphone used to be a big trigger.
During these 90 days I tried to avoid using my phone as much as possible and instead used my laptop for most tasks. On my phone I installed apps like StayFree to monitor and limit my usage.
Reducing mindless scrolling helped a lot.
- I Filled My Time With Better Activities
I realized that boredom was one of the biggest reasons I relapsed in the past.
So I tried to stay mentally engaged.
Some things I did:
• Reading books
• Writing journals
• Creative writing like poems
• Listening to music
• Participating in online communities
• Reading posts and answering questions
These activities kept my mind occupied and helped redirect my energy.
- Accepting That It Would Not Be Easy
This journey was not smooth. There were urges. There were moments when I felt very close to giving up.
But what helped was the system I built around myself. Even when motivation was low, the barriers I created made it harder to relapse.
Instead of relying only on discipline, I relied on environment control.
What I Learned
The biggest lesson from this journey is that willpower alone is not enough. If you keep failing, sometimes the solution is not “try harder” but “change the environment.”
Make the bad habit harder to access and make better activities easier to do.
What’s Next
My next goal is to beat my previous record of 104 days and go beyond it.
If you are struggling right now, don’t think that repeated failure means you can’t succeed. I struggled for 5 years before reaching this point again.
Sometimes persistence plus a better strategy can finally break the cycle.
Day 90 today. The journey continues.