Like anyone else, I have a list of books/games/shows etc. that I want to experience. But it's too easy to fall into the trap of watching, reading, or playing something just to check it off the list rather than for the actual enjoyment of it.
I tend to set aside time each day to read, and I'll feel "bad" if I don't get around to it. There are times it really feels like homework and obviously it's not good when your hobby starts to feel like a job. At the same time, there are many books that I really enjoyed that I likely would have never gotten into if I didn't "force" myself into starting them. The same goes for many of my other hobbies such as foreign languages or writing. At the start of the pandemic I temporarily fell out of the habit of reading on a consistent basis and the number of books I read that year plummeted significantly and I missed out on a lot of potentially great books this way. I also find that if I don't force myself to some degree to do these things then I'll just end up wasting a lot of time surfing the Internet and feel dissatisfied. How do you strike a balance?
This just sounds like depression. When it becomes a chore to do things I enjoy it's time to take a trip 🍄
You should really try to limit your time on the internet unless it's directly related to a hobby. Last summer I only looked at the internet on my lunch break or on the toilet and it was amazing how much more time I had. I was cooking multiple times per week, going on walks and bike rides, reading, playing music, socializing more.
The internet is a great tool but unless you come to it with a plan and stick to it your life will be consumed by it. Before approaching an internet-enabled device, ask yourself "What is the purpose of my visit to the World Wide Web?" If you can't think of anything meaningful, do not touch the phone/laptop/desktop personal computer.
Set a hard limit to internet time-wasting and slowly decrease it. Start with maybe 90 minutes per day and lower it by 10 minutes per week. If you actually write your internet time usage down, the sheer quantity of life you sacrifice to the beast may shock you out of the habit.
I'm currently getting over another bout of depression myself and it's difficult to kick the habit of mindlessly wasting time. I like to make a list of things to do and it's okay if I don't do everything. Any bit of life clawed back from the gaping void is progress. Even if it's difficult, try to do a little reading/language learning/etc every day. Once you overcome inertia and make it a daily thing, it should become easier and then, routine.