You will only know what works for you by trying different methods full-heartedly (never half-heartedly), so I can’t say for certain what will work for you
Some men find that counting the days helps, and some find that it doesn’t, so it is up to you to identify which methods works best for you
Counting the days can help you stay motivated and keep track of how well you’re doing, and watching the numbers go up feels good and helps you set goals
Hitting milestones, like 30 or 90 days, can give you a boost and make you feel proud of your progress
But focusing too much on the day count can also bring stress- if you relapse, starting over at day one might feel frustrating and make you want to give up. Counting the days can take attention away from real personal growth, making it feel like you’re improving just by reaching a higher number, even if bigger problems aren’t being fixed, so it’s all about balance
I generally advise to count the days up until 90 days, without too much stress over the number, then to stop counting after 90 days (because in no man’s ideal life is he counting the days since he last masturbated…)
After 90 days it’s advisable to keep a note of what date you hit 90 days, and some even keep their day-counting app running in the background while the app is in a hidden folder
Since the ultimate goal is to break free from both fapping and NoFap, the last act is to forget about daycount and just focus on living your life and achieving your goals
So in short, I recommend counting the days up to 90, then to stop counting while a record is kept of when you hit 90
By 90 days, if you’ve followed the right advice diligently, you will have developed healthier coping mechanisms to deal with stress- which you can rely on- and your brain will have had enough time to heal from the over-stimulation, so there should be little chance of relapsing after 90 days if you follow the advice diligently
However, not everybody is the same- for example, some people have been fapping for 20 years, and some for only 5, so it’s important to be patient with yourself and trust the process
This forum post answers the FAQ ‘how long does it take?’, which might also interest you: https://www.inspirationparadise.org/forum/nofap-sexual-addiction/how-long-does-it-take