Do you feel more attached/attracted to anime characters than real people? There is nothing wrong with having a favorite character. It is only when you become so attached to a fictional character that you would reject all relationships with real people that it becomes unhealthy. If you find yourself buying a body pillow or crying for the whole day about their death, then this includes you. A fictional character cannot give you the same love and attention that a real person might. Have you ever gotten into a serious fight over an anime? It is perfectly fine to disagree with someone or to discuss theories, so long as it is done in a mature fashion. However, if you find yourself so attached to an anime that you become protective of it and lash out at anyone who dislikes it and insulting them, going on ranting, you might be unhealthily-obsessed with it. Such behavior might even cost you friendships.
If most of the items you buy come from the “Anime” category, you may be addicted. If you find that you have to skip buying food, clothing, and other necessities in order to afford anime merchandise, you most likely are addicted. [2] X Research source
Do you find yourself turning down your friends in order to watch anime? Being introverted is not a bad thing, but ignoring your friends for the sake of watching anime may cost you valuable friendships. If you find that you are choosing to watch anime instead of spending time with your friends, you may be becoming addicted to anime. [3] X Research source Do you spend every free minute on anime so that you sacrifice sleep, health, and hygiene? If you spend so much time watching anime that you no longer bathe regularly or eat healthy (that box of Pocky seems so much easier to grab than cutting up an apple to eat), you may start to feel sluggish and tired, and you may find yourself getting sick more and more often. Does anime affect your school or work performance? Once you get home, do you start working on your homework or paperwork, or do you start catching up on your favorite anime show instead? Do you even go to school or have a job? Keeping your grades up is important; some colleges and jobs require a certain GPA. And it’s important to stay on top of work so you don’t find yourself fired. Do you abandon other hobbies in favor of anime? Did you use to enjoy soccer or playing the piano, but avoided continuing your lessons in order to watch a few episodes? If so, you may be addicted to anime. [4] X Research source
If you’re unable to stop watching when the timer or reminder goes off, that’s a sign that you should stop watching anime completely. If you find yourself watching several episodes a week, or even a night, try to limit yourself to just one episode a night, or a few episodes a week.
Don’t watch anime until you’ve gotten all your homework done—but also don’t watch anime past your bedtime. This will encourage you to not only get your work done faster but also to not procrastinate on it. If you don’t get your nightly dose of anime in, do not despair—there is always the next night. Save anime for the weekend. Your excitement and anticipation will build throughout the week—but you will also be able to get a ton of other things done during that week. Do all of your chores first. Tell yourself that you won’t watch the latest episode of your favorite show until you’ve done your chores (be it cleaning your room, folding the laundry, doing the dishes, etc). You’ll get all your work done faster—and at the end of it, you’ll get a nice reward.
Do I really need it? A new bag with your favorite character may come in handy if you are shopping for school supplies, but you may not necessarily need that new Funko Pop figurine. If you are tight on money, try to buy stuff that you really need. Do I like it? Instead of buying something just because it comes from your favorite anime, try to pass on it and save up for something that you really, really like instead. What will I do with it? Some items, such as mugs, watches, bags, and shirts are useful. Other items, such as figurines, patches, or pins serve only decorative purposes. You can manage your addiction by buying stuff that you will actually use (as opposed to just look at).
Go outside right now and look for something you think is beautiful. Is there a tree with a bark pattern that looks like an apple background? Are there a few nice rocks that you find yourself picking up? Just look outside and find something you think is absolutely amazing. It probably won’t take as long as you think it might. Then, take a moment to reflect on how nice it feels to be in the fresh air, looking at the beauty that reality has to offer.
If watching anime online is too tempting and distracting you from your school work, consider either deleting the video files from your computer, or deleting the websites from your browser’s favorites.
Martial arts. If you are into anime and Japanese culture, you may be interested in martial arts, especially a Japanese one, such as Aikido or Judo. Playing a musical instrument such as the guitar or piano. Jogging, hiking, and biking can not only keep you fit and healthy, but they can also help you relax and enjoy the natural world around you. Take a trip to the gym might be nice. [6] X Research source Knitting and crochet will keep your hands moving and busy; you won’t have time to think about Anime. Photography will help you get out more, meet new people, and help you see the world you’ve been missing out on. Go outside and see it.
If you like to roleplay, then consider branching out to other, non-anime related fandoms, such as ones based on books and movies.
If you do not have any friends, try to find some new ones by joining a club at your school, going to a bookstore or library, or even hanging out at a park.
