B"H for my warm house.

Yesterday I was thinking about my lady colleague. I used the poof procedure but I noticed it wasn't working. Finally I realized that I was thinking about her because she was in a vulnerable, cute state, and I was ashamed to face this, probably thinking that these feelings should be reserved for my wife. Also very possible that because these feelings were new I just didn't recognize them. When I explained this to myself in my head I was then able to use the procedure and it worked.

Both of these cases are documented in my thread on the poof method.

I looked at parts of her last night and used the poof procedure. It worked. The desire has been degraded enough over the last 12 days that I did not need to play videogames for the engagement part.

I came very close to acting out for various reasons over Shabbos, triggered by the usual, but the thing that struck me is that I don't have anything lined up which is truly engaging that I can use on Shabbos to execute the poof procedure.

I am wondering whether there is a little game I can play on Shabbos that requires my full attention.

mzl wrote on 11 Nov 2018 09:51:


What about finding some link between "acting out" and a melachah that's expressly prohibited on Shabbos? Then you could focus on that.

For example, suppose you make a point of writing a diary entry, or posting here every time you act out.

Dovid824 wrote on 11 Nov 2018 10:44:

I think I wasn't clear. I could really use an activity to use on Shabbos which is okay to do and also really engaging. See my thread on the poof method for more details. For example juggling oranges would be such an activity, but I can't juggle. It needs to be fully engaging (that's not so easy because I can think about things in the background, like when you are driving) and also available on a moment's notice. So when a new irresistible desire hits I can use the poof procedure to prove that the desire is a distortion of my brain. It needs to be done when the desire hits. I could be sitting at the Shabbos table. My thread below has a lot more details.

Thanks for replying ...

mzl wrote on 11 Nov 2018 11:13:


Hum a niggun? Recite a psalm from memory? Read a discourse on halachah? Get up from the table and go for a brisk walk?

I don't really know what kind of activities you're looking for.

Dovid824 wrote on 11 Nov 2018 11:50:

It has to be something which cannot be done while thinking about something else. Like when you almost spill a cup of coffee, for a few moments everything in your head gets put on hold. Videogames work well but I'd like to find something I can do on Shabbos.

Like a rubik cube, but more engaging.

I think I did something really bad in the last couple of days. I got involved in of those history-making endeavors again. And I think now I'm coming down. If I get depressed I'm almost certain to be totally convinced that there's no point and no hope and act out again. Depression kills motivation.

Watch this channel, time will tell.

I think although exercise on shabbos is discouraged here it would be a mitzvah. Can your poof on Shabbos be some serious jumping jacks, crunches etc?

stronger_today wrote on 13 Nov 2018 08:36:

It's more like a hefsek ha das. So for example if someone took a swing at me and I had to duck in a hurry that would work. But of course that's not something you can plan

I was trying to think of some frustrating little game, like balancing an egg, something that requires complete attention.

mzl wrote on 12 Nov 2018 23:04:

Today was better B"H. Mood was stable.

I was reading a news story and I thought "maybe it's better if I don't read this" but then I chose to read it. Then I got a little turned on. Then I tried to use the poof procedure but I was just working my job and was still thinking about it deep down. Finally I had to break out my videogame so the procedure could work.

I think I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation if I had told myself "I cannot know for sure that this news story will be really sexy," then I would have chosen not to read it in the first place.

I recognized myself in this Rashi that describes Yosef's concern that Esav would look at his mother as they were approaching him:

שמא יתלה בה עיניו אותו רשע

I don't think I can continue to post on the forum as long as I know that Markz is allowed to jump in and bully me whenever he likes and then run away. He wins for now I guess.