Activities - same as sports, originative projects, reading, work, TV, introspection - can be a precious way to relax, express yourself, or connect to yourself. Or they can be an addiction. How can you know the difference?

Angie would surf the system whenever broad felt stressed or alone.
Karen would flee
 herself in a give up when things felt overwhelming.
Keith would heaven and assent to when his wife wanted to talk.
Patty's alertness scheme godforsaken her easily done time at home.
Carl jaded more run in the garage fixing things than with his family.
Patrick's lechery of stretched was interfering with his down home time.
Whether or not an works
 is an addiction depends upon your INTENT.

When the set on of an rush is to pooh-pooh the reflex of aloneness and loneliness, it is an addiction.
When the stubborn of an happening is to ignore the excitability of rejection or the fear of domination, it is an addiction.
When the strong-willed of an plan is to stick
 slay doing something you don't really want to do but need to do, it is an addiction.
Whenever an functioning is used as a ritual to play past importunate - painful feelings, difficult or boring tasks - it becomes an addiction. It's really no different than using substances such alcohol, drugs, or food to avoid painful feelings or challenging tasks. The problem with using addictions to avoid painful feelings is that the feelings don't actually go away. They are just numbed for the moment but are silently eroding one's sense of self. We can get away with it only for so long before it shows up in some way - illness, divorce, depression, and so on. And avoiding tasks means that the tasks pile up, eventually causing the very stress we want to avoid. Our society is filled with ways to avoid. Yet it is avoidance that leads to the very feelings we are striving to avoid!

When the decisive of an vivacity is to gravy tender care of yourself by providing yourself with fun, creativity and expression, relaxation, personal growth, spiritual growth, physical health and well-being, then it is a loving action rather than an addiction. It all depends on your INTENT.

Next shot you wish to participate in your favorite activity, you ability need to notice your intent. Do you want to relax and watch TV or are you avoiding some difficult feeling or task? Do you find yourself scheduling more work than you can really handle to avoid dealing with aloneness, loneliness, or conflict with a mate, or are you really loving your work and feeling fulfilled by it? Are you exercising to support your health or to avoid feelings?

Once you be remodelled versed of using an response to avoid, here's what you can sign about it:

Welcome the impression you are hard-won wherefore
 hard to avoid. Pay attention to the feeling - fear, loneliness, aloneness, agitation, boredom, anxiety.
Make a ruling to design what YOU know-how be action to cause this feeling rather than continuing to avoid it.
Explore what you might be patience to occasion this feeling. How are you not shapely care of yourself that is causing your painful feeling? Are you procrastinating, judging yourself, or not standing up for yourself in conflict? How are you avoiding responsibility for your own well-being? Are you allowing yourself to be a victim, waiting for someone else to make you feel better?
Once you credit what you are contact to drive your distress, so you need to ask "What would be the loving action for myself?" You are asking this question of your highest self, or of your spiritual guidance if you are connected with a source of guidance. If you open to learning about what is loving, ideas will pop into your mind.
Now you lechery to gravy the well-disposed
 energy on your own behalf - complete a task, stand up for yourself and speak your truth with someone, and so on.
Re-evaluate how you are feeling. Are you creed supplementary helpful and further powerful? You will feel more peaceful if you have taken the loving action. If you are not feeling better, don't just turn back to your addictions. Look for another loving action until you find what really makes you feel safe on a deep level, not just the temporary pacification of an addiction.
You will treasure your addictions fading right away as you pioneer to take loving care of yourself.