leaving poker at the table

[NYplayer]

I've been playing poker full time since the begining of the year. I'm also having a relatively successful year and have a good understand of statistics, varience, luck and the swings that will occur. However, I find that i'm having a hard time leaving my poker thoughts at the table and i'm finding that poker is consuming a large part of my mental energy away from the table. I work out fairly often (3-4 days a week) and have a pretty good social life. I would also like responses that dont' tell me to take time off.
I do play 4-6 hours a day every day. I am looking for strategies on how to clear my mind and help me lead a normal life away from the table instead of fixating on poker thoughts when i'm at the gym or dinner with my girlfriend or trying to fall asleep.

thanks

[Demana]

You already know the answer...

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I would also like responses that dont' tell me to take time off.

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[highlife]

is your play live, online or a mix of both?

what exactly are most of your poker thoughts about specifically?

[NYplayer]

[ QUOTE ]
is your play live, online or a mix of both?

what exactly are most of your poker thoughts about specifically?

[/ QUOTE ]

I play online and haven't played live in about 6 months. I'm generally more consumed with thoughts after a losing day and a lot of them concern going over hands that i took the worst beats on in my head. even if i feel confident that I made the right decisions on each street. I also find myself thinking about where I am on the day/month/and year financially.

[turnipmonster]

maybe find a hobby? I often think about other stuff (poker, work, music, etc) while at the gym because it doesn't really take a lot of mental energy.

maybe learn to play an instrument or play a sport or something like that. find something that you can direct your mental energies towards.

[NYplayer]

i have a few hobbies. I play squash about 2-3 times a week and take a yoga class about 3-4 times a week. i'm pretty clear headed during the squash since i'm being physically active but during the more quiet moments of the yoga the poker creeps in.

[BigSkiRace]

I honeslty think its healthy to think about your game alot when away from the table...I think about my poker game all the time. If for some reason though your thinking about it while out to dinner with your gf etc...then you have a deeper problem

[wickedgoodtrader]

time off is only way to get it out of your head. How can you expect your brain to get rid of poker if your playing 4-6 hours a day???

[turnipmonster]

I dunno, I have a job which I never ever think about unless I'm getting paid to, and I do that for ~8 hours a day. not sure why poker has to be any different.

--turnipmonster

[topout]

I'm a small business owner and when we were starting up the business was constantly on my mind. I was seeing doctor's for stomach troubles. I was 21 [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

It's a few years later and I'm fine. What worked for me was segmenting my days and weeks. I'd always work or deal with work related issues for certain hours of every M-F and between 10PM and 2AM I would never work unless there was an emergency. I also picked one day every week (Sat or Sun) that was absolutely work for, again barring emergencies. When work thoughts inevitably crept in, I told myself there would be plenty of time for that 9:00 o'clock the next morning.
It takes some time to train your brain but it is achievable.

Your brain is trying to make you a better player. Discipline yourself to have some time of absolutely no poker and you will be capable of being happier.

Oh, I took exactly one vacation longer than a 3-day weekend in the first five years after I started the company. Proves I was quite lame and proves a long stretch off isn't necessarily necessary to clear your head.

topout