Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Can Gaming Improve Your Mental Health?

We’ve all heard stories about how damaging gaming can be for our physical and mental health. You might have heard horror stories about people becoming addicted to games, getting into debt, failing to go outside or even eat. There are stories of people who have lost contact with friends or destroyed their relationships because they can’t stop gaming. 

But, it’s not all negative. Like everything else, moderation is crucial. Believe it or not, if you find balance, and limit your gaming time, it can actually be a big boost for your mental health. 

Stress Relief

Modern life is stressful. You might be working, running a side hustle, looking after family, taking care of friends, juggling childcare or dealing with other commitments. We’re all trying to do it all, and the majority of us feel stressed out at least some of the time

Gaming can be an easy form of stress relief. It can give you a safe way to let off some steam without risking upsetting anyone you know in real life. Too much gaming can increase stress, but in moderation, it can help you to unwind, burn off negative energy and get a better night’s sleep. 

Improved Memory and Focus
Games can offer you a great way to give your brain a workout. Many modern games require some level of thought, and puzzle or problem-solving games, in particular, are great for brain training. Games like this can improve your critical thinking skills, give different parts of your brain a workout and increase your memory abilities. Brain workouts are proven to keep our minds young and healthy for longer. For the best effects, vary the games that you play, and try new things. 

Social Contact
Modern life isn’t just stressful. It can also be lonely. If you work from home, or otherwise alone, you might spend large chunks of time without speaking to another person. Even outside of work you might find that you don’t have the time to see friends and family. Sometimes, even those of us that work with other people are lonely. 

Gaming can give you social contact. You’ll speak to other people and could even build lasting relationships and easy friendships. This can be a significant boost to your mental health. Online games are very good when it comes to social connection, but only if you keep an open mind and make an effort to get to know people. Join gaming groups, forums and even teams to increase these social connections. 

Distraction
Some games, like moto x3m winter, are brilliantly distracting. They aren’t serious enough to stress us out, but they offer us an easy escape — a way to pass some time away from the worries and anxiety of life. Games can be a wonderful form of escapism, which we all need from time to time. 

While gaming can be great for your mental health if you feel that moderation and balance start to slide, cut back and take back control. Limit screen time and try to spend a little time every day outdoors. 






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