I find it easiest to break a habit - let's be real, this is a habit we're talking about... despite how we all feel from time to time, a person does not *need* dramas to live - when you find an accountability partner who will hold you accountable if you slip. Get a friend to call you each night and ask you what you accomplished that day, no matter how small. Set goals and share them with your accountability partner - by Tuesday, I will have cleaned my closet. By Friday, I will have worked my way up to a mile on the treadmill. etc. Depending on what your self progress goals are. And make it fun - you guys will go out for drinks and karaoke once you hit goal A, or you will let yourself buy X once you hit goal B. And the last thing - set an end date. You can bear anything if you know when it will end... I will allow myself to re-enter dramaland in February, or by Christmas, or whatever. You'll likely find that when you reach that point, you may not even be so desperate to get back into it. 화이팅!

Not sure if this is similar but I took a social media break for about 3 months some time last year.
It was fairly easy for me because I really needed that "personal time" and my phone settings allow me to block the Internet connection to any app on my phone. So even if I happened to "slip" unconsciously, it was alright.

I know some people just uninstall apps so you can do that for Netflix, Viki etc but since DB is a website 😅. I'm not sure

I think that at the end of the day you can do it if you're really really really really determined and have a sort of objective

Some obligations could be so engaging that naturally you'd not even think about dramas at all. If that's the kind of situation you'd find yourself in moving forward, you do not need any intentional means to restrict watching.

What can I advice.
Don't keep track of what's happening in the drama world. Looking back there are so many dramas I made mental notes to watch but didn't solely because I didn't keep track of them. It was unintentional but I guess you could make it intentional,
and/or find a new contemporary interest,
and/or logout so as not to comment as actively as you'd have if you were logged in.
You could also try to watch one at a time no matter the squee factor. Not more than 1 drama on your watchlist at a time just as you're doing at the moment. That way you have your dose of kdrama twice in a week whilst having all the time you need for the next 6 days.
Over time they'll be times when whatever is scheduled to air ain't your cup of tea and voila! you have all the week to yourself.

Is there something you can do in the drama slot that doesn’t feel like work? It could be listening to a podcast or audiobook, reading/book club would give you the sense of community like DB. Doing a class online or in person. Going back to old hobbies. It maybe you decide to do more of something you are already doing. Could you sign up to something with a friend so you can encourage each other?
It’s been great seeing you in the community and all the best with your new venture.

ahh wapz - simplest answer - do a hard bargain with heart. Everyone can pitch in and say this and that and it won't work on you at all. It never works on anyone. Smart moves only have effect for a short while. Real path is always hard and long.

It isn't easy to fight against heart - Fight on.

Question : For people who have intentionally taken a hiatus from dramaland and drama related sites, how did you do that?

Answer : I took a really long hiatus relying on my determination and self control etc. etc. But only in my dreams silly! :-D

I'm lucky in that I only watch what my favorite actors are in, and if they aren't in anything new I might even take a year without watching a Korean drama or coming to dramabeans. Take for instance gong hyo Jin and lee do hyun, I'm waiting for their upcoming dramas and I'm not even trying to find a new drama to watch. I wish you the best

When it starts to interfere in your daily life, leading to poor sleeping habits and feeling distracted until you get your fix of the next episode - it's a sign you're addicted. This was me.
I've been reading an interesting book called "Dopamine Nation" which talks about how we're all so "wired" to constantly be plugged in...none of us know how to be alone with our thoughts. I've been off dramas for a month now, I know my personality..I'm the addictive type, so I simply don't allow myself until I can start making sure I don't keep binge watching. Take a break, read stuff in between, learn to sit with your thoughts and make a list of the dramas you'd like to watch once you feel better and less "hooked".

I feel you.
Sometimes it really feels like an addiction (maybe it is but no one care because we're not harming others, who knows).
I remember that in 2014 (a little of 2015) I didn't watch dramas or listen to kpop but it was all because of external forces tbh.

Like you, I can't be on a total haitus (we use almost the same nicotine patches 😂), but I remember that it was easier for me to focus on other stuff when I didn't have a cell phone.

Even now that I'm implementing this new routine where I turn off my cell phone and computer at certain hour I've been able to write and read.

Before, when I couldn't sleep I would take my phone and rewatch something. Now, I read, because turning on my phone is more bothersome. 😂 I'm re-reading some of Gabo's short stories! Oh, and I kinda wrote some ideas for a poem too.

So, I think that's it. I think you need to force yourself 🤣 I totally worked in high school. Sometimes my mom was like "no wifi for you" so I just started writing, thinking, drawing and stuff.

What works for me is truly, deeply realising that a certain habit is harming me more than helping me. Visualising the negative impact, the consequences helps in reducing the draw of that habit.
But if it's really hard to break free, try starting small. Watch 2 episodes instead of 3. Revel in the victory of that. It has to feel good, that makes it easier to do. There'll be missteps but know that you can always bounce back.
A level of desperation/fierce need also helps. If I'm desperate to achieve/change something, if that pull is stronger than the pull of drama-watching, it's easier to break free.

It takes time to break a habit, so don't force yourself if that's not something you're easily able to do. (Some people can quit "cold turkey," but many cannot and that's okay!) You can set some of your own parameters to start like, don't visit the Open Thread, only read the recaps on your drama sites and nothing else, set a time limit to watching dramas, etc.

I've been a member of DB since like 2010 or 2011 (and lurked a long time before that). I was definitely obsessed. I mean, my username is a mash up of "kdrama" and "encyclopedia," to give you an idea of how much I was into dramas! 😆 I used to watch like 8-10 airing dramas, plus the all the music shows and a couple variety shows.

But as I weaned myself off, eventually it became an after thought. I don't comment as much anymore (unless I'm live watching a show or two), and most current DB commenters don't know who I am and vice versa!

Now that I don't live watch as many shows, I can read old recaps and not feel compelled to comment because it was posted too long ago. Instead, I make a note of what shows are on and then make time to binge watch them at a later date (like a long holiday weekend) instead of every night.

I'm proof that it can be done and can be done long term. Yes, you can say now that "life got in the way," but I honestly think life got in the way beacause I let that happen and prioritized other things over dramas as time went by.

Can't remember what was last SIG drama that I watch until its finale. Perhaps drama Hello Monster ✌️. But, I am waiting for his new film: Project Wolf (for he looks so badass in the stillcut).

I'm not sure it was *that* bad but to each their own I guess.
The parts that worked, worked and the parts that didn't were just forgettable to me I guess.

I said this for 25-21 and I'll say it again for Café Minamdang, reviews are SUPPOSED to change after a drama finishes.

I honestly don't believe that ratings should be allowed until a drama is finished airing because you need to see an entire show before you can accurately judge it.

There are 100s of shows that start off good and then end horribly. That doesn't mean the reviewers are suddenly "harsh" or "mean." It means they are looking at the show as a whole and not just a few episodes. Which is exactly what a review is.

Let the reviews accurately reflect the show so future people can make reasonable decisions on whether to watch a show or not. If someone doesn't want to waste time watching an 18-episode drama that ends poorly, the honest reviews of the entire series can help them out.

I love fruits - my main food, not touched them since 2020 December. Idea was 2022 will be different - said so. All +ve boost for December.
It isn't about having control or even about temptation. You can't have always the things you want, what you like or love can become trouble too. So have to have that idea of life where you have no feel for anything.
A calm heart that can face all distractions without any fear.

Happy one year dramaversary 🎊🥳🥳🥳

Happy anniversary, with wishes for many more!

What was your first K-drama?

I am curious which was the first drama you watched.

I wouldn't be able to say the day and the month I started to watch drama, I think it was in 2008...

That's so cool!! Congratulations 🎉

Is a sit-com the same thing as a weekender in kdrama?

IU/Park Bo-gum, yes!
Where is Unicorn showing?

My wish is that Netflix picks up all the old weekenders or daily dramas Viki dropped (Smile You, High Kick, etc). That would made me forgive them for their bad subtitles. 😞

My first K-drama was Pasta. I was sucked in just like a noodle!

Mine was Autumn in My Heart 😅
Not that old, but a lot older than many.

Hotelier! Like anyone has talked about that show in the last 15 years 😆

Alone in Love.

Playful Kiss was my first, I still really enjoy it although I wonder if I would if I watched for the first time now.

Boys over flowers all the way. It was perfect, but I was 13 then now I'm 27 and so funny I enjoyed it.

I think my first kdrama was boys over flowers but it's been SOOOOO long, I'm not even sure.
Fairly certain it was my first because I learned about it from the manga and was watching the live action adaptations.
And the same things I thought then, I think now haha

It was Que Sera Sera for me :)

I always say Stairway to Heaven but before that we saw like three random episodes of Spring Waltz. So...

I would like to say my beloved drama is Love Story in Harvard but I think the one that really did it for me was Flower Boy Next Door. The FL was too relatable and the ML too hilarious (and when you speak spanish this show gets 4772626 times better).

The Moon Embraces the Sun.

My Love Eun Dong was the first. I wasn’t hooked, but my husband was. Couldn’t stop talking about it for months.

Personal taste was my first and then secret garden! It was non stop from there 😅

You asked, “why do Korean drama's always have bad endings?”
I might disagree with the word ‘always’. Oftentimes kdrama do have endings that leave much to be desired. One recent exception imo is the ending for Yoon Doo-joon’s NEVER GIVE UP (Netflix US). The dramedy and ending were both lovely.

In the live-shoot production filming, the network/producer/director are getting feedback from executives, advertisers and viewers in real time. Writers have been asked to adjust scripts while the show is running, which may deviate from their original intentions. Networks normally want happy endings to please viewers expectations.

It's not only kdramas. I think very few movies and TV shows in the world have good endings. I feel how you feel, I once said I can't name 5 kdramas with good endings.

Endings are just hard to write. You don’t want them too trite, too resolved, sometimes. The best endings for me are those where you can imagine the characters living past the series in their world. I think this is why American shows have so many seasons and never end. Remember the chaos that ensued when How met your mother ended? An amazing multi-season show and NO ONE likes the way they ended it. It felt like we all wasted like 10 years of our lives. 😂

Some excellent endings: Do you like Brahms? Never Give Up, IOTNBO, Romantic Doctor seasons 1-2, Prison Playbook, Forest of Secrets, My Ahjussi, Hospital Playlist 1-2, Mr. Sunshine, Dali and the Cocky Prince, The secret life of my secretary. There are probably more.

i found it on Drama Cool.sn which is a pretty good site now which i can live with to satiate my appetite for dramas.

Have fun!

Sounds like a busy weekend! Yay to writing! Hope you have a productive time.

Did you try the Drama Hangout for Mouse? I think they made this topic for the end of the drama.

Hoping your littlest recovers well! This probably isn’t my place at all, but she may need care from a specialist in asthma to get her under control. It sounds like she needs more of a controller asthma medication or some help mitigating whatever is triggering her breathing difficulties. Fighting!

If move! Wishing you well at your new job and finding a place!

Good luck, isa! I hope this job is your dream job, or at least one you don’t leave in disaster and tears!

He was in Secret Garden (But I found him pretty bad but less the SFL).