How Gaming Helps Manage Stress

While many people believe video games aren’t healthy, when played in moderation, video games can be a great way to cope with stress, improving your overall mental health. Here are some ways that playing video games can reduce stress in your daily life.

Boosts Mood

When we do something that we enjoy, such as playing video games, our brain releases dopamine, which triggers pleasure in our brain, promoting a state of relaxation and a  better mood. When our mood is up, we can more easily manage stress.

Sense of Accomplishment

While video games are not reality, they can trigger parts of our brain in the same way real life does. When we play video games, there’s a challenge and goals we need to overcome or achieve. When we pass a level or achieve the goal in the game, we feel a sense of accomplishment, which gives us satisfaction and this eases stress.

Flow State

When you put your complete focus on a game, your mind goes into a flow state where you have deep concentration on the game. This is often why when playing a game you seem to have no concept of time. Hours go by which feel like minutes. This flow state takes away your racing thoughts, making you more mindful and fully immersed in the game. A flow state, or being in the zone is similar to meditation. Without these distracting thoughts and worries you normally have, you end up feeling more at peace which eases stress.

Social Connection

Playing video games is a great way to connect with like-minded people and provides a fun activity to do together. Many games involve multiplayers, in fact, more than 70% of gamers play with someone else In times of the COVID-19 pandemic, when in-person social contact is not possible, video games can be a great way to connect with people virtually. Today’s video game technology doesn’t require you to be physically present with the individuals you’re playing with. Having healthy social interactions are great for relieving stress.

Set Limits

While video games can have many benefits to ease stress, becoming addicted to them is never healthy. It’s important to create a balance and make sure your gaming is healthy so that it isn’t interfering negatively with aspects of your life. Playing video games too frequently, especially alone, can induce social isolation and symptoms of depression. If you feel you may be addicted to video games a therapist can help. MyTherapist is an online counseling service that can match you with a licensed professional that best fits you. They can provide healthy strategies to overcome your stress or any other problems you may have.

Author Bio:

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with MyTherapist.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.