I stopped playing Heroes of the Storm and any games that aren't relaxing. If I am going to take some time off and play a game, I just play a simple retro console game. Play sessions are 15 minutes instead of 4+ hours. Not worried about "losing" or being griefed, etc. I don't care about "getting to the next level" or "opening up a loot crate" or any of that gamification / skinner-box stuff anymore.
Longtime DOTA player and I definitely find that I have to take extended breaks from the game from time to time...especially at times like this when Valve is running a compendium and the more toxic players come back into the fold for whatever reason (shinies!).
It's a shame because it's one of the best games I've ever played, but it is a stressful habit that sucks a ton of time .
I play DOTA like a few weeks of the year, mostly to catch up with friends. I don't like playing pick up groups since the community is generally too toxic
Now I just play battle royale games on downtime. Less toxic and less stressful generally.
This is one of the reasons I'm playing World of Tanks a lot recently rather than PUBG. It can be frustrating sometimes (when I play badly) but it's generally much more relaxing and leaves me in a better mood in the evening.
