How to Avoid Neopets Burnout

To burn out: 1) To extinguish due to lack of fuel

Neopets burnout: 1) To cease wanting to play Neopets due to lack of emotional fuel.

I’ve been playing Neopets for several years now and people always ask me, “Santa, what has kept you playing Neopets for so long?” or “How do you do it?”. The answer is that I have been able to avoid the common problem of Neopets Burnout. Neopets Burnout is the term I use to describe when a player becomes too frustrated or too emotionally drained to continue playing. Many times these players will never play again. There are a few simple steps to make sure that you avoid Neopets Burnout:

Step One: Set small, realistic goals

The most common cause of Neopets Burnout is because the player has set a goal they cannot achieve. If you desire ten million neopoints, don’t force yourself to try and earn 50,000 neopoints a day or any large amount like that. Even skilled restockers would have trouble with that goal. Start small if you have to and always remember to be realistic in your goals. For example, tell yourself you only need to earn a thousand neopoints a day. Sure this would take a while before you have the necessary amount to buy that baby paintbrush you’ve been fancying, but you’re not using up all of your emotional fuel to get there. Besides if you set your goal at a thousand and you make more than a thousand neopoints that day, it’s like a happy little surprise that makes you feel good about yourself and about playing.

Setting small goals also means that you have to take your big goals and break them down into smaller more manageable steps. For example, if you want to collect every stamp in Neopia, try collecting one or two stamps a week instead of trying to find and pay for every stamp in a month. Again, this process takes longer but is more rewarding and less frustrating than trying to rush through a project.

Step Two: Forgive yourself

Okay, so you told yourself you’re going to earn 5,000 Neopoints a day, but for some reason you can’t or you can’t play for a week and your entire time table is thrown off. Stop, take a breath, and forgive yourself. Let it go. Reality happens and if you’re unable to forgive yourself you’re going to get too frustrated and angry to continue playing at all. Calmly reexamine your goals to make sure they’re manageable and pick up where you left off. Neopets isn’t going anywhere, so take your time and go easy on yourself.

Step Three: Always find something else to do

You will never do everything that there is to do in Neopia, but once you achieve a big goal like turning your blue Kau into a pirate Poogle it can seem like there is nothing left. First, congratulate yourself and then take a breather. Take some time to decide on your next goal. You have to be creative. What else in Neopia is there for you? Avatars? Monopolizing the world market on magical Pteri plushies? Be sure to set your sights on something or you risk feeling lost and feeling like your time playing is pointless.

Step Four: Create a Neopets family

Your Neopets family is your warm emotional center on the site. Creating a family of friends and pets takes time and effort, like actually talking to your neofriends.

But if you’re feeling worn out or stressed out or just completely lost, your family is what keeps you active on the site. Ask the oldest players what keeps them playing and they will all name a few of their closest neofriends.

If talking to real people seems like too much work, then create a world for your pets. That is what the site is about, after all. Give your pets personalities, likes, and dislikes. Make your pets friends with other pets and send them on adventures together. This will take a lot of creativity and a little time, but if it helps you feel like you’re at home on the site then it is all worth it.

The point of your Neopets family is to create an environment on the site that makes you want to get on the Neopets as often as you can. You can never get too burned out if you have this system of support.

Step Five: Take a break when you need to

So you’ve achieved everything you’ve always wanted, there aren’t any plots going on that interest you, and everyone else on the site is a complete lunatic. We’ve all been there. This is your one last resort: take a break from playing. Never force yourself to play and don’t let commercialism tell you otherwise. Neopets is a game and when it stops being a fun game, then it is time for a break. Be careful here, though; don’t stay away too long. At least come back and check on your pets occasionally. Maybe something else will strike your interest while you’re here and you’ll want to start playing again.

Taking a break will let you recharge your emotional fuel tanks. I once took a break for about six months and when I came back there was a whole new land (the lost desert) and a plot I had missed. I regret missing out on the plot, but I knew I needed the time away from the site and was able to come back with a new perspective and new goals. I haven’t been away since.

So those are my five ways of preventing Neopets Burnout. Neopets is supposed to be where you come to get away from the Burnout in your real life and these five steps will help make your playing as enjoyable as possible. Don’t make the game more stressful than real life and do make the game your home away from home. With an extended Neopets family, small goals, and a little self forgiveness, Neopets will bring you years of enjoyment and satisfaction. If all else fails, take a short break, but we all want to see you back here as soon as possible. Take care of your pets and take care of you and I’ll see you in another year or so.